Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803—1873) was an English novelist, poet, playwright and politician. A lot of his works contributed to the early growth of the science fiction genre. "The Caxtons: A Family Picture" is a Victorian novel about a life of an aristocratic family. The novel is mainly concerned with domestic life, but it also includes a lengthy disquisition on colonisation and emigration, its value to British society and its role in extending civilization.