Not only was Aphra Behn one of the first professional women writers, she also worked as a spy for the British government. Whoa. Way to make Mata Hari look like a second-class wannabe, Aphra.

Besides being one of the coolest people ever, she's also one of the most important writers of the Restoration period… oh yeah, and she wrote across different genres. Is there anything this woman didn't do? Although she's known as a playwright, she's also famous for writing the novel Oroonoko, which deals with slavery.

The Rover (1677)

The Rover was a very popular comedy during the Restoration period. It's set in Italy, and it dramatizes the romantic entanglements of a group of young lovers there.

We'll find many of the characteristics of the "Comedy of Manners" in this play. It contains an emphasis on romance and sex, disguise, and lots of jokes and witty dialogue.

Oroonoko (1688)

Aphra Behn's novel is one of the earliest examples of "the novel." It tells the tale of an African prince, Oroonoko, who is captured as a slave and taken to Surinam in South America. At the center of the novel is Oroonoko's love for a beautiful woman.

Although we don't know too much about Behn's own life story, it's possible that she herself had spent some time in Surinam after it became a British colony. Some scholars believe that the book is inspired by her travels there. Dang, Behn: are you a cool author, or the coolest author?

Chew on This

Aphra Behn's Comedy of Manners The Rover was a huge hit when it was first performed in 1677. Check out the play's themes of love and trickery here.

In the novel Oroonoko, Aphra Behn takes on the heavy theme of slavery—an institution that was spreading at the time. Check out the novel here.