Thomas Love Peacock (1785-1866) was a poet and author. He was a prolific writer, mainly of satirical works, and many critics believe that he and Percy Bysshe Shelley influenced one another's works, since they were close friends. Peacock's father died in reduced circumstances, so the young Thomas was largely self-educated, and spent much time in the Reading Room at the British Library studying the best classical texts he could find. Whilst much of his poetry and essays were very well-thought of, Peacock is best known today for his novels Nightmare Abbey and Melincourt.