Who Is The Author Of 'What Was It?'?

2025-12-23 23:17:41
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4 Answers

Lila
Lila
Favorite read: What Was Once Mine
Clear Answerer Veterinarian
Fitz-James O'Brien wrote 'What Was It?'—a story I accidentally found in a public domain collection. At first, I thought it was just another Victorian ghost tale, but the way O'Brien blends science and horror (characters even try to study the invisible thing) blew my mind. It's like if Sherlock Holmes met a sleep paralysis demon. His other works are worth checking out too; he had this knack for making the mundane feel sinister.
2025-12-24 05:30:42
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Mila
Mila
Bibliophile Assistant
Oh, Fitz-James O'Brien! That name stuck with me after I read 'What Was It?' in a college lit class. The professor framed it as this pivotal text between Poe and lovecraft, which totally tracks—it's got that paranoid, 'is-the-monster-real-or-insanity' tension. O'Brien himself was this bohemian type who hung around New York's literary scene, writing weird tales before 'weird fiction' was even a genre. Fun side note: the story's premise (invisible entity terrorizing people) inspired later works, but O'Brien's version feels raw, like he was working through some pre-Freudian anxieties.
2025-12-25 13:29:23
2
Claire
Claire
Favorite read: What Was Never Mine
Responder Data Analyst
I stumbled upon 'What Was It?' while digging through old horror anthologies last Halloween, and it instantly grabbed me. The story's eerie, almost clinical description of an invisible creature felt way ahead of its time—like a proto-'Invisible Man' but with way more existential dread. Turns out, it was written by Fitz-james O'Brien, an Irish-born writer who was big in the 1850s. His work kinda bridges Gothic horror and early sci-fi, which explains why the story has this uncanny vibe.

What's wild is how O'Brien's life was just as dramatic as his fiction—he died young after fighting in the American Civil War. Makes you wonder what other creepy gems he might've written if he'd lived longer. I now keep an eye out for his lesser-known stuff in used bookstores; it's like hunting for literary ghosts.
2025-12-26 20:59:13
9
Josie
Josie
Bookworm Journalist
I first heard about 'What Was It?' from a podcast about forgotten horror classics, and Fitz-James O'Brien's name came up as this unsung pioneer. The story's premise—lodgers confronting an invisible, possibly supernatural intruder—sounds simple, but O'Brien layers it with psychological dread. It's crazy how modern it feels despite being from 1859! He also wrote 'The Diamond Lens,' another banger about a guy obsessed with microscopic worlds, which makes me think O'Brien had a thing for unseen terrors. Dude deserved more recognition.
2025-12-27 10:31:54
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What is the plot of 'What Was It?'?

4 Answers2025-12-23 13:52:00
A friend lent me a dusty old copy of Fitz-James O'Brien's 'What Was It?' last summer, and I couldn't put it down. The story starts with a group of lodgers in a boarding house discussing supernatural phenomena when one of them, the narrator, recounts a bizarre experience. He wakes up in the middle of the night to find an invisible creature pinning him down—something human-shaped but utterly unseen. The tension builds as they eventually capture it using sheer luck and blankets, only to realize it’s a grotesque, invisible humanoid with cold, clammy skin. The horror isn’t just in its appearance but in the existential dread of something so alien yet eerily familiar lurking unseen in everyday spaces. What stuck with me was how O'Brien plays with perception. The creature’s invisibility feels like a metaphor for the unknown horrors we sense but can’t define. The lodgers try to study it, but it wastes away, leaving them with more questions. It’s a precursor to Lovecraftian cosmic horror, really—that idea of confronting something so beyond understanding that it unravels sanity. The ending’s abruptness adds to the mystery; you’re left wondering if it was ever real or just a collective nightmare. Makes me glance at dark corners a little longer now.

Is 'What Was It?' a horror novel?

4 Answers2025-12-23 14:56:49
The first time I stumbled upon 'What Was It?' by Fitz-James O’Brien, I was browsing an anthology of 19th-century weird fiction. It’s not a novel, actually—it’s a short story, but boy does it pack a punch! The premise is classic horror: an invisible creature lurking in a room, its presence felt but not seen. The tension builds slowly, relying on psychological dread rather than gore. It reminded me of later works like 'The Horla' by Maupassant, where the unseen becomes far scarier than any monster you could picture. That said, calling it purely 'horror' might undersell its layers. There’s a dash of sci-fi (it predates H.G. Wells!) and a philosophical edge about perception and reality. The narrator’s struggle to prove the creature’s existence feels almost Kafkaesque. If you’re into atmospheric, cerebral chills, this is a gem. Not jump-scares, but the kind of story that lingers in your mind during a quiet midnight walk.

Who is the author of What It Is?

4 Answers2025-12-23 08:44:07
Lynda Barry is the brilliant mind behind 'What It Is', a book that defies easy categorization—part memoir, part creative guide, part philosophical dive into imagination. Her unique collage-style artwork and handwritten text make it feel like you're flipping through someone's deeply personal journal. I stumbled upon it years ago in a used bookstore, and its raw energy stuck with me—how it encourages playfulness in creativity while wrestling with heavy questions about memory and meaning. The book blends autobiography with exercises that spark creativity, almost like a friendly shove toward your own artistic impulses. Barry’s background as a cartoonist and educator shines through; she doesn’t just talk about making art—she makes you feel why it matters. If you’ve ever hit a creative block, her chaotic, tender approach might just unstick you.

Is 'What Was It?' based on a true story?

4 Answers2025-12-23 13:19:33
Man, 'What Was It?' by Fitz-James O'Brien is such a wild ride! It's this classic horror short story from the 19th century, and while it feels incredibly vivid and unsettling, it's purely a work of fiction. O'Brien was known for blending science and the supernatural in his writing, and this tale—about an invisible, malevolent creature—is no exception. It taps into that universal fear of the unseen, which is why it might feel 'real' to some readers. That said, the story does reflect the anxieties of its time, like early scientific exploration and the unknown. It’s similar to how 'Frankenstein' played with contemporary fears of galvanism. O'Brien’s background as a journalist might have lent his writing a grounded tone, but no, there’s no historical incident or true crime behind this one. Just a brilliantly creepy imagination at work! I still get shivers thinking about that ending.

Who is the author of 'Is That It?'?

4 Answers2025-12-23 17:17:53
I stumbled upon 'Is That It?' while digging through a pile of autobiographies at a secondhand bookstore. The title caught my eye because it felt so blunt and unpretentious—like the author was just laying it all out there. Turns out, it’s Bob Geldof’s memoir, the guy from The Boomtown Rats and the Live Aid organizer. His writing’s raw, almost like he’s talking directly to you over a pint, mixing humor with this restless energy that makes you feel his frustration and triumphs. What’s cool is how he doesn’t romanticize fame. One chapter he’s ranting about the music industry, the next he’s describing the chaos of organizing Live Aid like it was some mad, improvised stunt. It’s not your typical rockstar memoir—more like a diary of someone who’s constantly asking, 'Wait, why am I even doing this?'

What are some books like 'What Was That!'?

3 Answers2026-03-23 10:27:15
If you enjoyed the eerie, unsettling vibes of 'What Was That!', you might love diving into 'House of Leaves' by Mark Z. Danielewski. It’s a labyrinth of a book—literally and figuratively—with its unconventional formatting and layers of narrative that mess with your head. The way it plays with perception and reality is genius, and it leaves you questioning what’s real long after you’ve put it down. Another great pick is 'The Silent Companions' by Laura Purcell. This gothic horror novel has that same creeping dread, with its haunted house setting and mysterious wooden figures that seem to move on their own. It’s atmospheric and slow-burning, perfect if you’re into psychological horror that lingers. For something shorter but equally chilling, 'I’m Thinking of Ending Things' by Iain Reid is a mind-bending read that keeps you guessing until the very last page.
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