After a childhood blighted by poverty, commercial success came early to Charles Dickens (1812–70). By the age of 24, he was an international sensation whose new novels were eagerly anticipated. Two centuries later, Dickens' popularity endures as readers revel in the warm humanity and rollicking humor of his tales of self-discovery.
A prolific author of the Victorian era, Wilkie Collins (1824-89) wrote "sensation" novels. The forerunners of today's detective and suspense fiction, his best-known works include The Moonstone and The Woman in White. Charles Dickens was his lifelong friend and collaborator, and many of Collins' stories first appeared in Dickens' weekly publication, All the Year Round.