Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, O'Brien move to London around 1849 and began working as a journalist. Within two years, he had exhausted his inheritance and in 1852 emigrated to the United States. There, he changed his name to Fitz James and began a writing career, contributing poetry and short stories to the leading periodicals of the time including Lantern, Harper's Magazine, Atlantic Monthly and Home Journal. He was a master of the supernatural short story, but was also an able poet and playwright. Many have considered him to be the heir of Edgar Allan Poe's mantel as the master of horror in American literature. In 1861, he joined the 7th regiment of the New York national guard and served for a time in Washington. He was subsequently assigned to the staff of General Lander as a Lieutenant. He was gravely wounded in battle in February, 1862 and subsequently died of tetanus in April of that year. O'brien's poetry and stories were collected by his friend William Winter, who published The Poems and Stories of Fitz James O'Brien in 1881. Some of O'Brien's better-known stories include The Pot of Tulips (1855), The Diamond Lens (1858), What Was It? (1859) and The Wondersmith (1859). |
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