First published in 1796 under the pseudonym Lady Harriet Marlow, Modern Novel Writing ridicules the sentimental and sensational novels of the day, and especially the productions of William Lane's Minerva Press;

First published in 1796, Modern Novel Writing is a satirical attack on the sentimental and sensational novels of the day, as well as William Pitt the Younger, the war with France, repressive legislation, and government neglect of the poor. Edited with an introduction and notes by Robert Gemmett, professor of English at SUNY Brockport and an acknowledged expert on William Beckford, it is the first scholarly edition of this novel.