Hannibal Lecter is a fictional character created by author Thomas Harris. He is a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer. He first appeared in the 1981 novel Red Dragon and later in its sequel The Silence of the Lambs, as well as the film adaptations of both novels. Lecter's nickname, 'Hannibal the Cannibal', was given to him by FBI Special Agent Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs.