Following the steps of American novelist Thomas Pynchon, a close friend of Fonseca, he refused to give interviews and felt strongly about maintaining his privacy.
[3] His stories are dark and gritty, filled with violence and sexual content, and usually set in an urban environment.
Authors from the rising generation of Brazilian writers, such as Patrícia Melo or Luiz Ruffato, have stated that Fonseca's writing has influenced their work.
[4] In 2003, he won the Camões Prize, considered the most important award in the Portuguese language.
In 2012, he became the first recipient of Chile's Manuel Rojas Ibero-American Narrative Award.