The Collected Supernatural and Weird Fiction of Rhoda Broughton

Rhoda Broughton was born in 1840 in Denbighshire, in the north of Wales, the granddaughter of a baronet. During her lifetime her popularity with everyday readers was sometimes ascribed to her choice of sensational themes. Indeed, some of her works touched on subjects which would have been then considered, at the least, to be risqué. Her journey into the fiction of the supernatural, however, was almost pre-ordained, because she was a niece of Sheridan le Fanu, considered one of the founding fathers of the genre. Broughton was also a life-long close friend of Henry James, author of one of the most renowned ghost stories, 'The Turn of Screw'. She was, furthermore, known to have 'adversarial' relationships with both Lewis Carroll and Oscar Wilde. In keeping with many popular fiction authors of the later Victorian era, Broughton's literary output was huge and encompassed both novels and short stories, many of which appeared in the pages of the numerous periodicals of her time. Volume of output notwithstanding, the skilful structure of her prose has been rightly acknowledged by critics of this genre. Most noteworthy is the view that her work became an influence on that of the incomparable M.R. James. The 'master' (who was habitually sparing with his praise) likewise recognised her contribution and qualities as writer of the uncanny.  Rhoda Broughton died in 1920.