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The publication of The Red Badge of Courage in 1895 brought Stephen Crane instant fame at age 23. At 28, he was dead. In the brief span of his literary career, Crane enjoyed a significant measure of renown as well as notoriety, but his reputation rested almost entirely upon his war novel, and he felt that his talent had ultimately been misjudged. To this day, most educated American readers know him only as the author of the most realistic Civil War novel ever written, three or four action-packed short stories, and a handful of iconoclastic free-verse poems. This reference book provides a more complete picture of Crane's short but furiously creative life and encourages a more extensive appreciation of his works. Entries are provided for works, characters, persons, and other topics related to his life and writing, and many entries list sources of additional information. The volume also includes a chronology and a bibliography of the most important studies about Crane.