About the Author

            Frank R. Stockton was born as Francis Richard Stockton near Philadelphia on April 5, 1834 to William Smith Stockton and Emily Hepsibeth Drean Stockton. His father was descended from Richard Stockton, the namesake for Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. Frank spent most of his younger years outside pulling pranks until his father was fired from his job as a superintendent and Frank took to learning literature. Stockton was young when he started writing stories, he once stated, “I was very young when I determined to write some fairytales because my mind was full of them…(Contemporary).” Since his father did not approve of his interests in the literary career, he became a wood engraver for nearly ten years until his father’s death. 

           As wood engraving grew out of style, Stockton began to write for the Philadelphia Press and The Philadelphia Morning Post. In 1867, he wrote a fairytale called “Ting-a-ling” that launched his professional career. For four years, Stockton edited and contributed to a magazine called St. Nicholas. After his success with St. Nicholas, his eyesight deteriorated and Stockton was later forced to dictate his works to his wife and his secretary. In 1881, a collection of his St. Nicholas works entitled The Floating Prince and Other Tales was published. By 1882, his most famous and intriguing work, “The Lady, or the Tiger?” was published. In fact, it was made into a play and a film. The story created such intrigue that Stockton was mobbed with fan letters, begging for an ending to the story. Stockton never answered their wishes. The beauty of this piece lies in the “ambiguity of its ending (Contemporary).” 

          Stockton wrote many other short stories and even a few novels and novellas during the last decade of his life. During the 1880s, he earned his name as one of the great humorists of the day. The Bee-man of Orn and Other Fanciful Tales is one of his last great breakthroughs in children’s literature before his death. On April 20, 1902, while attending a trip to the National Academy of Science at the Capital, Francis R. Stockton passed away of a cerebral hemorrhage. 

            Although Frank R. Stockton is most commonly known for writing books and stories for children, his works were known across the globe during his time (Golemba). He also wrote short stories for adults. One of these, which was published in two parts, was called Rudder Grange. The most popular of these short stories is “The Lady, or the Tiger.” The striking note that many readers agree about Stockton is that he never followed a strict literary movement. Realism, rationalism, materialism, and naturalism were all popular during his era but he did not agree with any particular system of writing (Golemba). He was a one of a kind writer, but his works were lost and considered outdated at the turn of the century.   

  • “Francis Richard Stockton.” Contemporary Authors Online. 2003. Literature Resource Center. 16 June             2009. http://go.galegroup.com.
  • Golemba, Henry L., Grant, William E. “Francis Richard Stockton.” American Short Story Writers Before             1880” 74 (1988). Literature Resource Center; InfoTrac; Richard Stockton Coll. Lib. Pomona, NJ; 15 June 2009; http://go.galegroup.com.
  • May, Jill P. “Francis Richard Stockton.” American Writers for Children Before 1900. 42 (1985). Literature Resource Center; InfoTrac; Richard Stockton Coll. Lib. Pomona, NJ;  15 June 2009; <http://go.galegroup.com>.