The Alienist, The Author is a novel written by CALEB Carr. It was first published in 1994 and is set in New York City in the late 19th century. The main character is Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, an alienist, which is a term used to describe a psychiatrist in the 1800s. The novel follows Kreizler and his team of investigators as they attempt to solve a series of gruesome murders. The novel was adapted into a television series in 2018.