Charles Dickens （February 1812 - 9 June 1870） wasan English writer and social critic. He created some ofthe world's most memorable fictional characters andis generally regarded as the greatest novelist of theVictorian period. During his life,his works enjoyedunprecedented fame, and by the twentieth century hisliterary genius was broadly acknowledged by criticsand scholars. His novels and short stories continue tobe widely popular.

His novels, most published in monthly or weeklyinstalments, pioneered the serial publication ofnarrative fiction, which became the dominant Victorianmode for novel publication. His most famous novelsare David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, Bleak House and Great Expectations.

Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of hisage. His 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, is one ofthe most in fluential works ever written, and it remainspopular and continues to inspire adaptations in everyartistic genre. His creative genius has been praised byfellow writers—from Leo Tolstoy to G.K. Chestertonand George Orwell—for its realism,comedy, prosestyle, unique characterizations, and social criticism.