_Charles Dickens (born 1812, died 1870) has been acknowledged as the
creator of the modern novel. Says David Christie Murray, a popular
novelist: "There is not a writer of fiction at this hour, in any land
where fiction is a recognized trade or art, who is not, whether he
knows it and owns it, or no, largely influenced by Dickens."_
_"The Signal-Man" has been frequently selected by critics as an
example of Dickens's ability with the short-story form._