Sheridan Le Fanu, Irish Writer and Innovator in the Gothic Literary Tradition
Sheridan Le Fanu, Irish Writer and Innovator in the Gothic Literary Tradition

Summary/Abstract: Sheridan Le Fanu (1814–1873) was an heir of the Gothic tradition, author both of novels and short fiction and a literary innovator whose innovations in the short story resulted not only in the refinement of the modern tale of the supernatural, some say he even invented it, but who also contributed to the rise to prominence of the short story as a distinctive genre. Le Fanu was also an Irish writer working within the rich Anglo-Irish tradition, a literary stream that produced a number of authors whose voices have resonated beyond their native land. Above all, Le Fanu was a story-teller who knew his medium well, the medium of everyday and literary language, employing to best effect its full range of expressive resources in the telling of his tales.

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