Stephen Crane was born on November 1, 1871 and died on June 5, 1900. He began writing at the age of four and published several articles at the age of sixteen. He left college in 1891 to work as a reporter and writer. Stephen Crane had a gritty view on realism. In his stories he expressed the harsh realities of the world. He did this buy portraying heroism which is a big part of A Mystery of Heroism. He used ironic phrases to describe war and the harsh realities surrounding it.