Edward Bulwer-Lytton
publication date: Monday, October 29, 2018 (part of Fall 2018)
category: 
Literature
clue: This English author's pen used to be mightier than the sword, but now his name is synonymous with bad fiction.
explanation: Bulwer-Lytton was a celebrated writer in his time, coining such common expressions as "the pen is mightier than the sword." However, the opening sentence of his novel Paul Clifford, "it was a dark and stormy night," has become so widely parodied that the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest is now held yearly in his name, challenging entrants to write the worst possible opening sentences. more…
intended difficulty: easy
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Matthew Preston, Erik Bates, and Aaron Shurtleff
Similar Goos
Walt Whitman
His poetry about grass, lilacs, and calamus made him a major American wit of the 1800s. Go »
J.K. Rowling
A boy wizard conjured up enough money for this Brit to become the world's first billionaire author. Go »
Anne Rice
It only takes a minute to cook a vampire. Go »
John Grisham
His books are really designed to get clients to wear pelican underwear. Go »
Stephen King
A shining example of a stand in misery. Who's the king? Go »
