Authors | Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu (28 August 1814 – 7 February 1873) was an Irish writer of Gothic tales, mystery novels, and horror fiction. He was a leading ghost story writer of his time, central to the development of the genre in the Victorian era ... Read more

Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu (28 August 1814 – 7 February 1873) was an Irish writer of Gothic tales, mystery novels, and horror fiction. He was a leading ghost story writer of his time, central to the development of the genre in the Victorian era. M. R. James described Le Fanu as "absolutely in the first rank as a writer of ghost stories". Three of his best-known works are the locked-room mystery Uncle Silas, the lesbian vampire novella Carmilla, and the historical novel The House by the Churchyard.

Le Fanu worked in many genres but remains best known for his horror fiction. He was a meticulous craftsman and frequently reworked plots and ideas from his earlier writing in subsequent pieces. Many of his novels, for example, are expansions and refinements of earlier short stories. He specialised in tone and effect rather than "shock horror" and liked to leave important details unexplained and mysterious. He avoided overt supernatural effects: in most of his major works, the supernatural is strongly implied but a "natural" explanation is also possible. The demonic monkey in Green Tea could be a delusion of the story's protagonist, who is the only person to see it; in The Familiar, Captain Barton's death seems to be supernatural, but is not actually witnessed, and the ghostly owl may be a real bird. This technique influenced later horror artists, both in print and on film (see, for example, the film producer Val Lewton's principle of "indirect horror"). Though other writers have since chosen less subtle techniques, Le Fanu's finest tales, such as the vampire novella Carmilla and the short story Schalken the Painter, remain some of the most powerful in the genre. He had enormous influence on one of the 20th century's most important ghost story writers, M. R. James, and although his work fell out of favour in the early part of the 20th century, towards the end of the century interest in his work increased and remains comparatively strong.

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Books by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

In a Glass Darkly, v. 1/3

In a Glass Darkly, v. 1/3: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

The House by the Church-Yard

The House by the Church-Yard: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

J. S. Le Fanu's Ghostly Tales, Volume 1

J. S. Le Fanu's Ghostly Tales, Volume 1: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Uncle Silas: A Tale of Bartram-Haugh

Uncle Silas: A Tale of Bartram-Haugh: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Green Tea; Mr. Justice Harbottle

Green Tea; Mr. Justice Harbottle: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

The Watcher, and other weird stories

The Watcher, and other weird stories: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

The Cock and Anchor

The Cock and Anchor: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Willing to Die: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

J. S. Le Fanu's Ghostly Tales, Volume 2

J. S. Le Fanu's Ghostly Tales, Volume 2: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

A Stable for Nightmares; or, Weird Tales

A Stable for Nightmares; or, Weird Tales: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

J. S. Le Fanu's Ghostly Tales, Volume 5

J. S. Le Fanu's Ghostly Tales, Volume 5: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

The Purcell Papers — Volume 1

The Purcell Papers — Volume 1: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

The Room in the Dragon Volant

The Room in the Dragon Volant: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

In a Glass Darkly, v. 3/3

In a Glass Darkly, v. 3/3: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

The Evil Guest: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

J. S. Le Fanu's Ghostly Tales, Volume 3

J. S. Le Fanu's Ghostly Tales, Volume 3: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

J. S. Le Fanu's Ghostly Tales, Volume 4

J. S. Le Fanu's Ghostly Tales, Volume 4: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

The Purcell Papers — Volume 3

The Purcell Papers — Volume 3: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

In a Glass Darkly, v. 2/3

In a Glass Darkly, v. 2/3: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Two Ghostly Mysteries

Two Ghostly Mysteries: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Madam Crowl's Ghost and the Dead Sexton

Madam Crowl's Ghost and the Dead Sexton: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

The Tenants of Malory, Volume 3

The Tenants of Malory, Volume 3: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

The Purcell Papers — Volume 2

The Purcell Papers — Volume 2: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Wylder's Hand: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

The Tenants of Malory, Volume 1

The Tenants of Malory, Volume 1: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

The Tenants of Malory, Volume 2

The Tenants of Malory, Volume 2: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Guy Deverell, v. 1 of 2

Guy Deverell, v. 1 of 2: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Guy Deverell, v. 2 of 2

Guy Deverell, v. 2 of 2: By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

By Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Carmilla: by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

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