The Outsiders is a novel by S. E. Hinton, first published in 1967 by Viking Press. Hinton was 15 when she began writing the novel and 17 when it was published. "The Outsiders" is the lifestory of fourteen-year-old Ponyboy Michael Curtis. Hinton explores a multitude of themes throughout the story, such as friendship, and coming of age. They are seen by following two rival groups, the Greasers and the Socs (pronounced "soashes" by the author, short for "Socials"), who are separated by status.