E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776 - 1822) was a Prussian Romantic author of fantasy and gothic horror, composer and music critic. His stories highly influenced 19th century literature, and he is one of the major authors of the Romantic movement. He is also the author of the novella The Nutcraker and the Mouse King, which inspired Tchaikovsky's famous ballet. E.T.A. Hoffman's wildly original fictions are some of the most unusual examples of German Romanticism's dark passions. This selection of Hoffmann's finest short stories vividly demonstrates his intense imagination and preoccupation with the supernatural, placing him at the forefront of both surrealism and the modern horror genre. Hoffman creates a sinister and unsettling world combining love and madness, suspense, black humor and bewildering illusion.