Fitz-JamesO'BrienislessknownanamethanEdgarAllanPoeorH.P.Lovecraft,yetitshouldnotbeoverlooked.InproseandversetheIrish-Americanwhoborethisnamewasanaccomplishedwriter.Hecombinedfantasticcreationswiththenewtechnologycontemporarytohisage.Forgoodreasonheisconsideredaprecursorofsciencefiction.

　　TheDiamondLens,themajorworkinthebook,exploresthevicesofgreed,obsession,infatuation,irresponsibilityandduplicityinman.Theworkraisesethicalquestionspertainingtoscientificadvances.Forexample,isthelossofinnocenthumanlifeeverjustifiablefortheadvancementofscience?Mr.Linley,themaincharacteroftheDiamondLens,killsaJew.Hejustifieshisactionbyclaimingitwasdoneinthe"interestsofscience."Inthis,Fitz-Jamesisprescient,recallinginthemindsofmodernsthehorrorsoftheconcentrationcamps.

　　Whilethisslimvolumeisinitselfnotthebestof19thcenturyAmericanfiction,itgivesasurveyofthethemesuponwhichsubsequent,better-known,authorswoulddraw.