Edward Plunkett, the 18th Baron of Dunsany, (July 24, 1878-Oct 25, 1957) was an Anglo-Irish writer known for his tales set in purely invented fantasy universes under the pen name 'Lord Dunsany.' Most of these stories were published in collections between 1905 to 1919. He loved inventing new worlds, each with bits of amusing detail. Dunsany later turned to writing stage and radio plays. Dunsany had a huge influence on H.P. Lovecraft, and his inventive fantasy paved the way for J.R.R. Tolkien.