History of modern literature Puccini's opera "La Bohème" was staged, as was Chekov's play "The Seagull". H. G. Wells published "The Time Machine" and "The Island of Dr. Moreau". William Morris died 3 October. Mark Twain published "Tom Sawyer, Detective". Alfred Jarry, only 23 years old, wrote his highly influential play "Ubu Roi", which is often cited as a forerunner to the Theatre of the Absurd. In 1897 Bram Stoker published "Dracula". H.G. Wells published "The Invisible Man". In 1898 Henry James published "The Turn of the Screw". H.G. Wells publishes "The War of the Worlds". Oscar Wilde published "The Ballad of Reading Gaol".
The Ballad of Reading Gaol and suggested it be published in "Reynold's Magazine", "because it circulates widely among the criminal classes – to which I now belong – for once I will be read by my peers – a new experience for me". The finished poem was published by Leonard Smithers on 13 February 1898 under the name C.3.3., which stood for cell block C, landing 3, cell 3. This ensured that Wilde's name – by then notorious – did not appear on the poem's front cover. It was not commonly known, until the 7th printing in June 1899, that C.3.3. was actually Wilde. The