Philippe Soupault
Although obscure at the time of its initial publication, "Maldoror" was rediscovered and championed by the Surrealist artists during the early twentieth century. The work's transgressive, violent, and absurd themes are shared in common with much of Surrealism's output; in particular, Louis Aragon, André Breton, Salvador Dalí, Man Ray, and Philippe Soupault were influenced by the work. "Maldoror" was itself influenced by earlier gothic literature of the period, including Lord Byron's "Manfred", and Charles Maturin's "Melmoth the Wanderer".