A Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh on November 13, 1850. Having no interest in the family business of lighthouse engineering, he developed a desire to write early in his life. First published in 1886, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde remains his most enduring work. In this, he departed from his usual manner to write a modern allegory of good and evil in the human personality. Presenting a jarring and horrific exploration of various conflicting traits lurking within a single person, it went on to achieve international acclaim, inspiring countless stage productions and more than 100 motion pictures.