Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany, was a renowned Anglo-Irish writer and dramatist. Born on July 24, 1878, in London, he was raised in a family with a long history of titles, and his work was published under the name Lord Dunsany. Throughout his lifetime, he published over ninety books, including short stories, plays, novels, and essays, which have continued to be reprinted and compiled.
Dunsany was a prolific writer, and his work spanned various genres, with a focus on fantasy. He achieved great fame and success with his early short stories and plays, and during the 1910s, he was considered one of the greatest living writers of the English-speaking world.
Dunsany's life was marked by his love of literature, chess, and pistol-shooting. He received an honorary doctorate from Trinity College, Dublin, and was a champion of Ireland in both chess and pistol-shooting. He also traveled extensively and hunted, often combining his love of literature with his love of the outdoors.
Dunsany's work has had a significant influence on many other writers. H.P. Lovecraft was greatly impressed by Dunsany's work and wrote a poem about him. Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, J.R.R. Tolkien, Guillermo Del Toro, Neil Gaiman, Jorge Luis Borges, and many other writers have all cited Dunsany as an influence or have been inspired by his work.
Some notable writers who have been influenced by Dunsany include:
* H.P. Lovecraft, who wrote a poem about Dunsany and was greatly impressed by his work
* Robert E. Howard, who included Dunsany in a list of his favorite poets
* Clark Ashton Smith, who was familiar with Dunsany's work and was influenced by it
* J.R.R. Tolkien, who presented a copy of The Book of Wonder to Clyde S. Kilby and made allusions to two of Dunsany's stories in his own work
* Guillermo Del Toro, who has cited Dunsany as an influence
* Neil Gaiman, who has expressed admiration for Dunsany and written an introduction to a collection of his stories
* Jorge Luis Borges, who included Dunsany's short story "The Idle City" in a collection of short works and wrote an essay about Dunsany's influence on Kafka
* Many other writers, including Donald Wandrei, Talbot Mundy, C.M. Kornbluth, Arthur C. Clarke, Manly Wade Wellman, Margaret St. Clair, Evangeline Walton, Jack Vance, Michael Moorcock, Peter S. Beagle, David Eddings, Gene Wolfe, and M.J. Engh, have all been influenced by Dunsany's work.
Dunsany's work continues to be celebrated and studied today, and his influence can be seen in many different genres and styles of writing.
