E. Douglas (Edward Douglas) Fawcett

Born in Hove, Sussex, in 1866, Edward Douglas Fawcett was an English novelist, philosopher, and mountaineer. He was educated at Westminster School, later lived for many years in Switzerland, and was the older brother of the explorer Percy Fawcett.

As a writer, he worked across fiction and nonfiction, including early science fiction, adventure stories, poetry, and philosophical books. His best-known novel is Hartmann the Anarchist (1893), a dramatic tale of destruction and political unrest that helped secure his place in the early history of speculative fiction.

Fawcett also had an active life beyond books: he was known for Alpine climbing and for his interest in religion and metaphysical thought, including Buddhism and Theosophy. That unusual mix of action, imagination, and big philosophical questions gives his work a distinctive personality even now.