Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803–1873) was an English novelist, playwright and politician whose books were among the most popular of the nineteenth century. Pelham made his name in 1828, and The Last Days of Pompeii, Rienzi, Ernest Maltravers and its sequel Alice, Zanoni and the early science fiction of The Coming Race followed, along with the plays The Lady of Lyons and Money. He sat in Parliament for many years, served as Colonial Secretary in 1858 and 1859 and was made Baron Lytton in 1866. He coined the phrases the pen is mightier than the sword, and he opened a novel with the words It was a dark and stormy night.