(August 29th, 1875 — April 15th, 1926)

Maurice Level was a French short story writer and playwright. His macabre short stories were often published in Parisian newspapers and his drama was often staged at the le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol.

Many of his stories were translated into English, and he was quite popular during his lifetime. After his death, he was largely forgotten. New editions of his work have recently begun to be published again.

Thanks to H. P. Lovecraft‘s personal interest in Level’s work, he is slightly better known in the United States and Japan than in his home country. His gory stories and frightening tales have had a lasting influence on the horror genre.