âThe Sandmanâ (1844) was written by the German romantic author E. T. A. Hoffmann, most famous for his novella âThe Nutcracker and the Mouse Kingâ (1816) which inspired Tchaikovskyâs âThe Nutcrackerâ.
A tale of madness, deceit and murder. A young man becomes obsessed with the sandman, who steals people's eyes. âThe Sandmanâ, has produced numerous adaptations and has influenced modern horror fiction. It provided the inspiration for Delibes's ballet CoppĂŠlia, and formed the basis of Sigmund Freudâs important essay, 'The Uncanny'. This classic short story is perfect for fans of horror and fantasy fiction and the authors H. P. Lovecraft and Neil Gaiman.
Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann (1776-1822), better known as E. T. A. Hoffmann, was a German romantic author of fantasy and gothic horror. He was also a composer, music critic, draftsman and caricaturist.
Hoffmann's stories inspired several famous operatic composers, including Richard Wagner, Jacques Offenbach and LĂŠo Delibes. He is also the author of the novella âThe Nutcracker and the Mouse Kingâ, on which Tchaikovskyâs famous ballet, âThe Nutcrackerâ is based. The story also inspired the film âThe Nutcracker and the Four Realmsâ (2018), starring Keira Knightley, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren.