Ann Radcliffe was an English novelist, one of the most prominent figures of the Gothic novel genre. She is best known for her novels The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) and The Italian (1797). Her works often feature suspenseful plots, with a focus on the psychological effects of fear and terror. Radcliffe's novels were immensely popular during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and she was one of the most successful authors of her time.