E. T. A. Hoffmann

Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1776–1822) was a German Romantic author, composer, and jurist best known for his dark, fantastical short stories and novellas such as "The Sandman," "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King," and "The Golden Pot." His work blends Gothic horror, fantasy, satire, and surrealism and had a major influence on later Romantic and fantastical literature and on composers and dramatists who adapted his stories.