An African Millionaire: Episodes in the Life of the Illustrious Colonel Clay (ePub)

Grant Allen, born Charles Grant Blairfindie Allen on February 24, 1848, was a prolific Canadian science writer and novelist with a background in science and education. Educated at Merton College, Oxford, Allen was initially a professor at Queen's College, Jamaica. However, his burgeoning interest in the field of literature led him to pursue a writing career. Allen's diverse literary portfolio spans scientific texts, novels, and essays, reflecting his enthusiasm for evolution and science, a trait he shared with his contemporaries like H.G. Wells and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Allen's fiction often contained elements of his scientific interests, with a particular emphasis on evolutionary psychology and social Darwinism. This is showcased in his novel 'An African Millionaire: Episodes in the Life of the Illustrious Colonel Clay' (1897), a pioneering work in the detective genre featuring a gentleman thief long before the appearance of similar characters in later literature. The protagonist, Colonel Clay, is a master of disguise and a critique of capitalist society, encapsulating Allen's own skepticism of economic disparities. Grant Allen's contributions to many literary genres and his integration of scientific thought into fictional narratives mark him as a significant figure in late Victorian literature, paving the way for the intertwining of science and fiction in the 20th century.