Franz Kafka (1883-1924) was a German-speaking Bohemian novelist and short-story writer. His work fuses elements of realism and the fantastic. It typically features isolated protagonists facing bizarre or surrealistic predicaments and incomprehensible bureaucratic powers. It has been interpreted as exploring themes of alienation, existential anxiety, guilt, and absurdity. His best known works include the short story “The Metamorphosis” and the novels The Trial and The Castle. The term “Kafkaesque” has entered English to describe absurd situations, like those depicted in his writing.