John Davys Beresford (1873 – 1947) was an English author whose most remembered works include ghost stories, dystopian tales, and science fiction. He wrote one of the first critical studies of his mentor, H.G. Wells in 1915.
Beresford grew up near Petersborough, England, he suffered from infantile paralysis, which left him partially disabled. His father was a clergyman, but the young Beresford declared himself an agnostic and opted to pursue a career in architecture, before deciding to become a professional writer. He started as a dramatist, then shifted to journalism, as a book reviewer for The Manchester Guardian. His interest in psychology and altered mental states brought him to his calling as a creative writer of psychological drama and science fiction.
Beresford published numerous science fiction novels including, The Hamdenshire Wonder (1911), which is considered his most Wellsian work. The Riddle of the Tower (1944) is his acclaimed Dystopian story about a hive-like society.
George Orwell described Beresford in 1945 as “a natural novelist” and praised his ability to take seriously the problems of ordinary people. We think you’ll enjoy his featured, almost gothic story, The Looking-Glass, about a young woman who discovers the truth about her look-alike aunt.