Background
Fitz James O'Brien was born in 1828 in County Cork, Ireland, son of James and Eliza (O'Driscoll) O'Brien. His father was an attorney-at-law.
(A tremendous number of European immigrants came to the Un...)
A tremendous number of European immigrants came to the United States during the 1840s and 1850s; many came in search of new economic opportunities. Fitz-James O’Brien (1828-1862) came to America (originally from Ireland) in 1852 looking to make his way in the literary world. With impressive recommendations in hand, he had no trouble finding work and immediately started editing and publishing stories in some of the most influential magazines of the day (e.g., Harper's New Monthly Magazine, The American Whig Review, Putnam's Monthly Magazine, and The Knickerbocker, or New-York Monthly Magazine). When the Civil War broke out, in 1861, he joined the Union army and was fatally wounded in 1862. O’Brien is one of the most important American writers in between the first and the second half of the nineteenth-century. He serves as an important literary bridge between Romanticism and Realism. His short stories follow the same natural and supernatural horror, philosophical observations of human nature, and social criticisms as those of the great American triumvirate — Irving, Hawthorne, and Poe. It was Poe that had a particularly strong influence on his writing, but the influence of all three of these writers can be seen in his stories. This collection will be the most complete one-volume edition of O’Brien’s works to date. Included in this edition are all his important stories, the ones that he was most known for during his lifetime (e.g., "What Was It?" "The Diamond Lens," and "The Wondersmith"), as well as others that have never been published since their initial publication in the 1850s. This edition comprises about half his total published short stories during his lifetime. Most O'Brien anthologies contain five to eight of his stories, this edition contains over thirty-five short stories, as well as a sampling of his Gothic poetry. All aspects of O’Brien’s Gothic will be represented in this edition, the supernatural, urban, fantasy, and tragedy. Also included in this edition are some of his satires and the semi-autobiographical and humorous story "Carrying Weight." This volume will be of interest for courses on American Studies as well as courses focusing on Romantic and Gothic Literature, Horror, Science Fiction, or the Humanities.
https://www.amazon.com/Fitz-James-OBrien-Stories-Library-Editions/dp/1545492107?SubscriptionId=AKIAJRRWTH346WSPOAFQ&tag=prabook-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1545492107
( Writer, soldier and innovator in the fiction of the wei...)
Writer, soldier and innovator in the fiction of the weird and other worldly This well regarded author of weird and supernatural tales was born in Cork, Ireland in 1826. Originally Michael O’Brien it is known he had journalistic experience and had possibly served in the British Army. Probably to ensure distinction he changed his name to Fitz-James O’Brien and emigrated to the United States of America in 1852. There he contributed writings to a number of periodicals including ‘The Lantern’, ‘The Home Journal’, ‘The New York Times’, ‘Harper’s Magazine’, ‘Vanity Fair’ and others. The ‘Atlantic Monthly’ published what is possibly most famous story, ‘The Diamond Lens’, a tale that was admired for its quality by H. P. Lovecraft. O’Brien’s ‘From Hand to Mouth’, 1858, has been described as ‘the most striking example of surrealistic fiction to pre-date ‘Alice in Wonderland’. O’Brien also penned early, short science fiction tales of robot rebellion and invisibility. At the outbreak of the American Civil War he joined the federal cause enlisting initially in the 7th New York National Guard before being promoted to the staff of General F. W Lander. He was severely wounded in early 1862, during a skirmish with Confederate forces, and though he lingered for some time he eventually died of tetanus at Cumberland in Maryland. This very substantial collection of O’Brien’s fiction contains thirty-seven short stories of the strange and unusual including ‘From Hand to Mouth’, ‘The Legend of Barlagh Cave’, ‘The Other Night’ and Eight Poems Including ‘The Ghost’, ‘Sir Brasil’s Falcon’ and ‘The Lost Steamship’. Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket; our hardbacks are cloth bound and feature gold foil lettering on their spines and fabric head and tail bands.
https://www.amazon.com/Collected-Supernatural-Fiction-Fitz-James-OBrien/dp/1782826629?SubscriptionId=AKIAJRRWTH346WSPOAFQ&tag=prabook-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1782826629
("Fitz-James O'Brien is the most important figure after Po...)
"Fitz-James O'Brien is the most important figure after Poe and before Lovecraft in modern horror literature . . . and was imitated by such authors as Ambrose Bierce, Guy de Maupassant, and F. Marion Crawford." Jessica Amanda Salmonson "Fitz-James O'Brien was the most distinguished short story teller between Edgar Allan Poe and Bret Harte." Edward J. O'Brien "When O'Brien turned to science fiction & fantasy he begin to display the full force of his truly outstanding talents." Sam Moskowitz "O’Brien’s early death undoubtedly deprived us of some masterful tales of strangeness and terror." H.P. Lovecraft For the first time, all the major writings of Fitz-James O'Brien will be published in a multi-volume edition. This is an important publishing event, making the writings of this long-lost nineteenth-century Irish-American writer available to the public in a uniform and scholarly edition. Fitz-James O’Brien (1826/8-1862) came to the United States from Ireland in 1852 looking to make his way in the literary world. With impressive recommendations in hand, he had no trouble finding work and immediately started editing and publishing stories and poetry, along with other things, in some of the most influential magazines of the day. When the Civil War began, he joined the Union army and was fatally wounded in 1862. H.P. Lovecraft said of O’Brien, in his important survey of supernatural literature, Supernatural Horror in Literature, “O’Brien’s early death undoubtedly deprived us of some masterful tales of strangeness and terror.” O’Brien is one of the most important American writers in between the first and the second half of the nineteenth-century. His short stories follow the same natural and supernatural horror, philosophical observations of human nature, and social criticisms as those of the great American triumvirate — Irving, Hawthorne, and Poe. It was Poe that had a particularly strong influence on his writing, but the influence of all three of these writers can be seen in his stories. This is an abridged edition taken from the five-volume edition of The Collected Writings of Fitz-James O’Brien. This volume will include highlights from the first four volumes, focusing on the essential stories, poems, and essays. Volume One of the collected writings will contain all his short stories from the periods 1851 through 1855. For the introduction of these volumes, William Winter’s sketch of O’Brien (from the introduction of the first collected edition of his works) has been included. Volume Two will include all his short stories from the periods 1856 through 1862, the year of his death. Volume Three will include all his major poetry and music. Volume Four will include his major essays and journalism, including the complete "The Man About Town" series, as well as other miscellaneous writings, including the novella "The Phantom Light" (which has never been published before and is only available from the National Library of Ireland) and his highly successful play, "A Gentleman from Ireland." And Volume Five will include all biographical material about O'Brien. A Bit O'Irish Press is pleased to offer the writings of this important Irish-American writer of supernatural and weird fiction.
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Fitz-James-OBrien-Collected-Writings/dp/0692118160?SubscriptionId=AKIAJRRWTH346WSPOAFQ&tag=prabook-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=0692118160
(The Lost Room By Fitz James O'Brien We are delighted to p...)
The Lost Room By Fitz James O'Brien We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Room-Fitz-James-OBrien/dp/1721871896?SubscriptionId=AKIAJRRWTH346WSPOAFQ&tag=prabook-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1721871896
("Fitz-James O'Brien is the most important figure after Po...)
"Fitz-James O'Brien is the most important figure after Poe and before Lovecraft in modern horror literature . . . and was imitated by such authors as Ambrose Bierce, Guy de Maupassant, and F. Marion Crawford." Jessica Amanda Salmonson "Fitz-James O'Brien was the most distinguished short story teller between Edgar Allan Poe and Bret Harte." Edward J. O'Brien "When O'Brien turned to science fiction & fantasy he begin to display the full force of his truly outstanding talents." Sam Moskowitz "O’Brien’s early death undoubtedly deprived us of some masterful tales of strangeness and terror." H.P. Lovecraft For the first time, all the major writings of Fitz-James O'Brien will be published in a multi-volume edition. This is an important publishing event, making the writings of this long-lost nineteenth-century Irish-American writer available to the public in a uniform and scholarly edition. Fitz-James O’Brien (1826/8-1862) came to the United States from Ireland in 1852 looking to make his way in the literary world. With impressive recommendations in hand, he had no trouble finding work and immediately started editing and publishing stories and poetry, along with other things, in some of the most influential magazines of the day. When the Civil War began, he joined the Union army and was fatally wounded in 1862. H.P. Lovecraft said of O’Brien, in his important survey of supernatural literature, Supernatural Horror in Literature, “O’Brien’s early death undoubtedly deprived us of some masterful tales of strangeness and terror.” O’Brien is one of the most important American writers in between the first and the second half of the nineteenth-century. His short stories follow the same natural and supernatural horror, philosophical observations of human nature, and social criticisms as those of the great American triumvirate — Irving, Hawthorne, and Poe. It was Poe that had a particularly strong influence on his writing, but the influence of all three of these writers can be seen in his stories. This is the third volume of an anticipated five-volume edition of The Collected Writings of Fitz-James O’Brien. This volume will include all his poetry and music. For the introduction of these volumes, William Winter’s sketch of O’Brien (from the introduction of the first collected edition of his works) has been included. Volume One will include all his short stories from the periods 1851 - 1855. Volume Two will include all his short stories from the periods 1856 through 1862, the year of his death. Volume Four will include miscellaneous writings, including the complete "The Man About Town" series, and other journalism, as well as the novella "The Phantom Light" and his popular play, "A Gentleman from Ireland." And Volume Five will include all biographical material about O'Brien. A Bit O'Irish Press is pleased to offer the writings of this important Irish-American writer of supernatural and weird fiction.
https://www.amazon.com/Fitz-James-OBrien-Poetry-Collected-Writings/dp/0692131582?SubscriptionId=AKIAJRRWTH346WSPOAFQ&tag=prabook-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=0692131582
("Fitz-James O'Brien is the most important figure after Po...)
"Fitz-James O'Brien is the most important figure after Poe and before Lovecraft in modern horror literature . . . and was imitated by such authors as Ambrose Bierce, Guy de Maupassant, and F. Marion Crawford." Jessica Amanda Salmonson "Fitz-James O'Brien was the most distinguished short story teller between Edgar Allan Poe and Bret Harte." Edward J. O'Brien "When O'Brien turned to science fiction & fantasy he begin to display the full force of his truly outstanding talents." Sam Moskowitz "O’Brien’s early death undoubtedly deprived us of some masterful tales of strangeness and terror." H.P. Lovecraft For the first time, all the major writings of Fitz-James O'Brien will be published in a multi-volume edition. This is an important publishing event, making the writings of this long-lost nineteenth-century Irish-American writer available to the public in a uniform and scholarly edition. Fitz-James O’Brien (1826/8-1862) came to the United States from Ireland in 1852 looking to make his way in the literary world. With impressive recommendations in hand, he had no trouble finding work and immediately started editing and publishing stories and poetry, along with other things, in some of the most influential magazines of the day. When the Civil War began, he joined the Union army and was fatally wounded in 1862. H.P. Lovecraft said of O’Brien, in his important survey of supernatural literature, Supernatural Horror in Literature, “O’Brien’s early death undoubtedly deprived us of some masterful tales of strangeness and terror.” O’Brien is one of the most important American writers in between the first and the second half of the nineteenth-century. His short stories follow the same natural and supernatural horror, philosophical observations of human nature, and social criticisms as those of the great American triumvirate — Irving, Hawthorne, and Poe. It was Poe that had a particularly strong influence on his writing, but the influence of all three of these writers can be seen in his stories. This is the first volume of an anticipated five-volume edition of The Collected Writings of Fitz-James O’Brien. This volume will include all his short stories from the periods 1851 through 1855. For the introduction of these volumes, William Winter’s sketch of O’Brien (from the introduction of the first collected edition of his works) has been included. Volume Two will include all his short stories from the periods 1856 through 1862, the year of his death. Volume Three will include his major poetry, the novella "The Phantom Light" (which has never been published before and is only available from the National Library of Ireland) and his highly successful play, "A Gentleman from Ireland." Volume Four will include his major essays and journalism, including the complete "The Man About Town" series. And Volume Five will include all biographical material about O'Brien. A Bit O'Irish Press is pleased to offer the writings of this important Irish-American writer of supernatural and weird fiction.
https://www.amazon.com/Fitz-James-OBrien-Stories-Collected-Writings/dp/0692965890?SubscriptionId=AKIAJRRWTH346WSPOAFQ&tag=prabook-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=0692965890
(What Was It? Fitz James O'Brien Our mission is to provide...)
What Was It? Fitz James O'Brien Our mission is to provide the world with beautiful, accessible, illuminating editions of classic horror fiction, introducing these chilling gems to new generations, making them gorgeously illustrated and giving you critical, historical, and artistic insights with every single story. This is one of those books. Building on the weird tales of Hoffmann and Poe, Fitz-James O’Brien is one of horror and fantasy literature’s best hidden secrets. His astonishingly original forays into speculative fiction include an army of possessed Christmas dolls, the sudden and short-lived manifestation of an invisible monster, a disappearing room possessed by cannibal spirits, a murderous scientist’s discovery of a microscopic woman in a drop of water, a child’s symbiotic relationship to a grave, and a haunted gallows-tree. This unique and unrivalled edition of O’Brien’s best weird tales, fantasies, and mysteries includes critical introductions to each story, contextual information, and chilling illustrations that breathe life into O’Brien’s Gothic visions and bizarre fantasias. TALES INCLUDED in this ANNOTATED EDITION: The Pot of Tulips | The Bohemian | The Dragon Fang | The Demon of the Gibbet | The Diamond Lens | The Wondersmith | Jubal the Ringer | The Lost Room | The Golden Ingot | The Ghosts | What Was It? | The Child Who Loved a Grave We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.
https://www.amazon.com/What-Was-Fitz-James-OBrien/dp/1722036044?SubscriptionId=AKIAJRRWTH346WSPOAFQ&tag=prabook-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1722036044
("Fitz-James O'Brien is the most important figure after Po...)
"Fitz-James O'Brien is the most important figure after Poe and before Lovecraft in modern horror literature . . . and was imitated by such authors as Ambrose Bierce, Guy de Maupassant, and F. Marion Crawford." Jessica Amanda Salmonson "Fitz-James O'Brien was the most distinguished short story teller between Edgar Allan Poe and Bret Harte." Edward J. O'Brien "When O'Brien turned to science fiction & fantasy he begin to display the full force of his truly outstanding talents." Sam Moskowitz "O’Brien’s early death undoubtedly deprived us of some masterful tales of strangeness and terror." H.P. Lovecraft For the first time, all the major writings of Fitz-James O'Brien will be published in a multi-volume edition. This is an important publishing event, making the writings of this long-lost nineteenth-century Irish-American writer available to the public in a uniform and scholarly edition. Fitz-James O’Brien (1826/8-1862) came to the United States from Ireland in 1852 looking to make his way in the literary world. With impressive recommendations in hand, he had no trouble finding work and immediately started editing and publishing stories and poetry, along with other things, in some of the most influential magazines of the day. When the Civil War began, he joined the Union army and was fatally wounded in 1862. H.P. Lovecraft said of O’Brien, in his important survey of supernatural literature, Supernatural Horror in Literature, “O’Brien’s early death undoubtedly deprived us of some masterful tales of strangeness and terror.” O’Brien is one of the most important American writers in between the first and the second half of the nineteenth-century. His short stories follow the same natural and supernatural horror, philosophical observations of human nature, and social criticisms as those of the great American triumvirate — Irving, Hawthorne, and Poe. It was Poe that had a particularly strong influence on his writing, but the influence of all three of these writers can be seen in his stories. This is the second volume of an anticipated five-volume edition of The Collected Writings of Fitz-James O’Brien. This volume will comprise all his short stories from the periods 1856 through 1862. For the introduction of these volumes, William Winter’s sketch of O’Brien (the introduction of the first collected edition of his works) has been included. Volume One will include all his short stories from the periods 1851 through 1855. Volume Three will include his major poetry, the story "The Phantom Light" and his highly successful play, "A Gentleman from Ireland." Volume Four will include his major essays and journalism, including the complete "The Man About Town" series. And Volume Five will include all biographical material about O'Brien. A Bit O'Irish Press is pleased to offer the writings of this important Irish-American writer of supernatural and weird fiction.
https://www.amazon.com/Fitz-James-OBrien-Stories-Collected-Writings/dp/0692965904?SubscriptionId=AKIAJRRWTH346WSPOAFQ&tag=prabook-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=0692965904
(The Wondersmith Fitz James O'Brien Thank you for checking...)
The Wondersmith Fitz James O'Brien Thank you for checking out this book by Theophania Publishing. We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you soon. We have thousands of titles available, and we invite you to search for us by name, contact us via our website, or download our most recent catalogues. O’Brien’s earliest writings in the United States were contributed to the Lantern, which was then edited by John Brougham. Subsequently he wrote for the Home Journal, the New York Times, and the American Whig Review. His first important literary connection was with Harper's Magazine, and beginning in February, 1853, with The Two Skulls, he contributed more than sixty articles in prose and verse to that periodical. He likewise wrote for the New York Saturday Press, Putnam's Magazine, Vanity Fair, and the Atlantic Monthly. To the latter he sent The Diamond Lens(1858) and The Wonder Smith (1859), which are unsurpassed as creations of the imagination, and are unique among short magazine stories. The Diamond Lens is probably his most famous short story, and tells the story of a scientist who invents a powerful microscope discovers a beautiful female in a microscopic world inside a drop of water. The Wonder Smith is an early predecessor of robot rebellion, where toys possessed by evil spirits are transformed into living automatons who turns against their creators. His 1858 short story From Hand to Mouth has been referred to as"the single most striking example of surrealistic fiction to pre-date Alice in Wonderland (Sam Moskowitz, 1971). What Was It? A Mystery (1859) is one of the earliest known examples of invisibility in fiction. We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.
https://www.amazon.com/Wondersmith-Fitz-James-OBrien/dp/1722171766?SubscriptionId=AKIAJRRWTH346WSPOAFQ&tag=prabook-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1722171766
Fitz James O'Brien was born in 1828 in County Cork, Ireland, son of James and Eliza (O'Driscoll) O'Brien. His father was an attorney-at-law.
Fitz James O'Brien received an excellent education at the University of Dublin.
At an early age Fitz James O'Brian evinced a certain facility in writing verse.
When O'Brian was about twenty-one he settled in London and during the course of two years, there and in Paris, he spent his inheritance of £8, 000. Nevertheless, about this time O'Brien contributed at least twenty-seven poems, one story, and twelve articles to English and Irish periodicals.
O'Brian came to America in 1852 with letters of introduction to George Pope Morris and others. Through them he was quickly welcomed into New York's literary and Bohemian circles where he became a conspicuous figure.
In the United States he contributed poems, short stories, and articles to a number of periodicals: the American Whig Review, Putnam's Magazine, Harper's Weekly, Vanity Fair, and the Atlantic Monthly, but his most important literary association was that of regular contributor to Harper's Magazine. From time to time he contributed to the Evening Post and the New York Times, and for the latter he was once an editorial writer.
O'Brien wrote several plays for James W. Wallack which gained some popular favor; one of these ("A Gentleman from Ireland") was presented successfully as late as 1895. He adapted a play for Joseph Jefferson, who was the manager and principal actor at Laura Keene's Theatre, and he once traveled for a short time as literary assistant to H. L. Bateman who was directing a professional tour of Matilda Heron, the actress.
During his first six years in New York he lived surrounded by all the trappings of a man of means - an elegant apartment, a large library, and a costly wardrobe. But, beginning in 1858, he was often reduced to the point where he had neither pen, ink, nor paper.
In 1861 upon the outbreak of the Civil War, O'Brien quickly joined the 7th Regiment of the New York National Guard. When the regiment returned to New York he became active for a time in gathering recruits for a volunteer regiment to be called the McClellan Rifles, but this failed. In January 1862 he was taken on the staff of General Frederick W. Lander. The next month for his gallantry at the battle of Bloomery Gap, he received special and honorable mention, but on February 16 he received a shoulder wound in a skirmish with the enemy which was improperly treated and he died of tetanus on April 6 at Cumberland, Maryland.
(What Was It? Fitz James O'Brien Our mission is to provide...)
( Writer, soldier and innovator in the fiction of the wei...)
(A tremendous number of European immigrants came to the Un...)
(The Lost Room By Fitz James O'Brien We are delighted to p...)
("Fitz-James O'Brien is the most important figure after Po...)
("Fitz-James O'Brien is the most important figure after Po...)
("Fitz-James O'Brien is the most important figure after Po...)
("Fitz-James O'Brien is the most important figure after Po...)
(The Wondersmith Fitz James O'Brien Thank you for checking...)
Fitz James O'Brian possessed a facile talent but was hasty and careless in his work. Like many another gifted Irish writers, he was too impatient and undisciplined to cultivate his promising talent. Like several other flickering lights of American literature, he was more significant as a personality than as an author. He was one of the most colorful figures of that Bohemian society that flourished at Windust's, the old Hone House, and Pfaff's in the New York of his day. But the Bohemian "orgies" which afforded him pleasure were confined to late hours, the foaming flagon, and boisterous hilarity. His florid complexion, dark-blue eyes, tiny chin, his heavy, brown cavalry mustache, and his checkered tweed suit were a familiar and welcome sight in those gay and restless circles. He tried to lead the life of a poet and gentleman, retiring with the rising sun and breakfasting at two in the afternoon.