Grant Allen

Born in Ontario in 1848 and educated in France, England, and at Merton College, Oxford, Grant Allen built a career as both a science popularizer and a novelist. He spent part of his early working life teaching before turning fully to writing, and he became known for explaining evolutionary thought to general readers.

Allen wrote across an unusually wide range of subjects, from natural history and travel to essays, short stories, and novels. His fiction includes The Woman Who Did and the detective story collection An African Millionaire, and his work often mixed entertainment with bold ideas about society, marriage, and belief.

Although he died in 1899, his reputation has lasted because of that rare combination of curiosity, versatility, and readability. He remains an interesting figure for readers who enjoy nineteenth-century authors who were just as eager to argue with their age as to tell a good story.