▁Her ▁innov ative ▁history ▁of ▁pro se ▁fiction , ▁The ▁Progress ▁of ▁Rom ance ▁( 1 7 8 5 ), ▁can ▁be ▁regarded ▁generally ▁as ▁a ▁prec ursor ▁to ▁modern ▁histor ies ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁and ▁specifically ▁as ▁u ph old ing ▁the ▁tradition ▁of ▁female ▁literary ▁history ▁her ald ed ▁by ▁Elizabeth ▁R owe ▁( 1 6 7 4 – 1 7 3 7 ) ▁and ▁Sus ann ah ▁Dob son ▁( d ied ▁ 1 7 9 5 ). ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁stories ▁in ▁the ▁work , ▁" The ▁History ▁of ▁Char oba , ▁Queen ▁of ▁Egypt ", ▁inspired ▁Walter ▁Sav age ▁Land or ' s ▁first ▁major ▁piece , ▁Geb ir . ▁ ▁Death ▁Re e ve ▁led ▁a ▁ret iring ▁life , ▁leaving ▁little ▁bi ographical ▁material . ▁She ▁died ▁at ▁I ps wich ▁and ▁was ▁buried , ▁as ▁she ▁wished , ▁in ▁the ▁church yard ▁of ▁St ▁Stephen ' s , ▁next ▁to ▁her ▁friend ▁the ▁Re ver end ▁Derby . ▁ ▁In flu ence ▁Writ ten ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁Wal pole ' s ▁Castle ▁of ▁O tr anto , ▁The ▁Old ▁English ▁Baron ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁influence ▁on ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁Goth ic ▁fiction , ▁gain ing ▁popular ity ▁for ▁the ▁genre ▁in ▁univers ities ▁and ▁among ▁general ▁readers . ▁A ▁context ual ▁introduction ▁that ▁looks ▁at ▁Re e ve ▁in ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁late ▁ 1 8 th - century ▁women ' s ▁writing ▁and ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Goth ic ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁this