This week’s IFF is a haunting supernatural story…with a plaster cast! Fitz James O’Brien (also spelt Fitz-James) was an Irish immigrant who was born in County Cork in 1828 and moved to America, where he devoted his life to writing short fiction and articles. His writing contained both weird fiction and horror, and he is considered one of the forerunners of science fiction writing. What Was It, today’s short story, contains one of the first examples of invisibility in fiction, wherein the occupants of an apparently haunted house are assailed by, and then catch a strange invisible creature. It’s a traditional short mystery story with strong leanings towards Edgar Allan Poe, and short enough to read in a sneaky Friday coffee break (well, if you are quick!). Enjoy!
