As the creator of the historical novel, Sir Walter Scott's influence on literature is considerable. Scott began his writing career as poet, editing a book of Scottish ballads and later publishing his own. He moved to epic poems, which are gaining respect today although in his time were considered inferior to those of his contemporaries. He was also a respected biographer, and wrote editions on Dryden and Swift which remained definitive for decades. His travel memoir, Travels in Greece was published in 1920.

Although his range was considerable, as a writer, Sir Walter Scott is best known for his novels. The stories are set in his homeland, sometimes depicting Scott's contemporary Scotland, and sometimes medieval Scotland. They are romantic and mythic, depicting culture clashes alongside affairs of the heart.
 
 
 

Selected novels by Sir Walter Scott:
 
 

                        Ivanhoe (1791)
                         Guy Mannering (1815)
                         The Antiquary (1816)
                         Old Mortality (1816)
                         Rob Roy (1817)
                         A Legend of Montrose (1819)
                         The Heart of Midlothian (1819)
                         The Bride of Lammermoor (1819)
                         The Monastery (1820)
                         The Abbot (1820)
                         Kenilworth (1821)
                         The Pirate (1822)
                         The Fortunes of Nigel (1822)
                         Peveril of the Peak (1822)
                        Quentin Durward (1823)
                        Redgauntlet (1824)
                        St Ronan's Well (1824)
                        The Betrothed (1825)
                        The Talisman (1825)
                        Woodstock (1826)
                        Anne of Geierstein (1828)
                        The Fair Maid of Perth (1828)