Atherton, Gertrude

30 October 1857 - 14 June 1948

American feminist and writer of social and historical fiction, much of it set in California. Although her reputation is founded primarily on her California fiction and essays, as well her biography of Alexander Hamilton, Atherton also produced a number of (post-)Gothic stories, some of them, such as "The Bell in the Fog," significant achievements in the Gothic/supernaturalist tradition.

Gertrude Atherton
This photo of Atherton served as the frontispiece to the 1905 Harper & Brothers edition of The Bell in the Fog and Other Stories
 Sites:
Biographical essay
A good overview of Atherton's life and work. [Janice Albert, Chabot and Las Positas Colleges]
Biographical note
[Women in American History, Encyclopedia Britannica]
Gertrude Atherton
Very brief biographical note [Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001, Bartleby.com]
Bibliograpy
[FantasticFiction]
Bibliography
[Guide to Supernatural Fiction, Tartarus Press]


Etexts:
"The Bell in the Fog" [1905] (52K) a LitGothic etext
Brief discussion of this story
"The Striding Place" [1896 as "The Twins"] (14K) a LitGothic etext
Brief note on this story.
"The Dead and the Countess" [1905] (30K) a LitGothic etext
Brief discussion of this story
"The Greatest Good of the Greatest Number" (23K) a LitGothic etext
No supernaturalism, but a powerful, Poe-like look at power, morality, arrogance, "justice" — and serious drug addiction.
"Death and the Woman" [1892] (13K) a LitGothic etext


Books:
California's Daughter: Gertrude Atherton and Her Times by Emily Wortis Leider. [Stanford UP, 1993] click for info at amazon.com
The best, most authoritative biography of Atherton yet published.  A brief note regarding this volume is available at Fantastic Fiction.
"Gertrude Atherton."