In a short and legendary life, Alfred Jarry (1873-1907) created a unique and large body of work that included plays, novels, poetry, journalism and other less definable texts and speculations. His writings form the essential bridge between the European avant-garde of the 1890s (Symbolism) and those of the 20th century (Futurism, Dada, Surrealism). His science of Pataphysics has informed the recent writings of Deleuze, Baudrillard and Eco, among many others. Jarry is still best known in English as the author of Ubu Roi.