Sheridan Le Fanu
Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu (28 August 1814 – 7 February 1873) was an Irish writer of Gothic tales and mystery novels. He was the leading ghost-story writer of the nineteenth century and was central to the development of the genre in the Victorian era. Three of his best-known works are Uncle Silas, Carmilla and The House by the Churchyard.
Carmilla
Carmilla is a Gothic novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu and one of the early works of vampire fiction. It was first published in 1871 as a serial narrative in The Dark Blue. It tells the story of a young woman's susceptibility to the attentions of a female vampire named Carmilla. It predates Bram Stoker's Dracula by 26 years. The story has been adapted many times in film and other media.