Dickens, Charles: - "Charles Dickens is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian Era. Perhaps the most famous author of serialised narratives, Dickens popularised cliffhanger endings; one such cliffhanger, from The Old Curiosity Shop, even led to riots on the docks of New York - so desperate were the public awaiting the fate of their favourite character. He was so influential, the term Dickensian is now used to describe poor social conditions or cartoonishly repulsive characters."