From detectives and criminals (Dick Tracy, Perry Mason, and Norman Bates) to the legendary characters of the theater (Hamlet, Shylock, Romeo, and Juliet), this lively, informative guide introduces dozens of well-known fictional figures and explores how they have helped shape our culture and our lives. An encyclopedic look at several dozen of the most well known “people” of literature, television, mythology, and film, The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived reveals such fascinating tidbits as: • how the opera character Siegfried actually started World War Two and Harriet Beecher Snow’s Uncle Tom helped spur the American Civil War • how Ibsen heroine Nora Helmer, television heroine Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and poster girl Rosie the Riveter popularized women’s liberation • how Ivanhoe uncovered the linguistic heritage of Britain • how Icarus invented flight insurance • and more Packed with reading and viewing suggestions for further reading and viewing, this fascinating, unique guide is sure to inspire and satisfy any curious mind.