Le Fanu << LEHF uh nyoo >>, Joseph Sheridan (1814-1873), was an Irish writer who became best known for his atmospheric stories about ghosts and the supernatural. However, his most famous single work is probably the psychological mystery novel Uncle Silas (1864).
Le Fanu was born in Dublin on Aug. 28, 1814, and educated at Trinity College. He qualified as a lawyer in 1839 but soon turned to journalism. He acquired partial or total ownership of several newspapers for which he wrote and edited articles. His first ghost story was published in 1838. Many of his stories appeared in the Dublin University Magazine, which he owned and edited from 1861 to 1869. In a Glass Darkly (1872) is probably his best collection of ghost and supernatural tales. The book includes “Carmilla,” one of the finest vampire stories in literature. From 1845 to 1873, Le Fanu wrote 14 novels. After Uncle Silas, his best novel is probably The House by the Churchyard (1863). Le Fanu died on Feb. 7, 1873.
