Pen Names
A pen name is as significant as an author’s style. Wether you use a pen name or your own name, it will identify you with your genre. Some authors write under different pen names for different genres. A good example of this is Jayne Ann Krentz, who also writes under the pen names of Jayne Castle, and Amanda Quick. Some of her books are: Running Hot (Jayne Ann Krentz), Dark Light (Jayne Castle), and The Perfect Poison (Amanda Quick).
Another good example is Lori Foster or L.L. Foster. Some of her work: Servant The Kindred (L.L. Foster) and Jude’s Law (Lori Foster). In 2007 she launched a new urban fantasy series under the name of L.L. Foster (her darker pen name).
These are good examples of best-selling authors, using different pen names for different genres. Some authors will stick with a genre and a pen name, others will shake things up between genres and pen names.
Inkspeare 
I have a real aversion to pen names/pseudonyms. I’m aware that some very fine writers have employed them but I want my real name on everything I write (including postings on the internet, I never hide behind safe anonymity).
Any book or writing project I would resist putting my name on probably isn’t worth publishing. I take responsibility for what I release and when it’s bad, I’ll to take my fair share of blame…
I think I would get to confused with so many pen names, I like simplicity. I agree with you.
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