Dame Jean Iris Murdoch (15 July 1919 – 8 February 1999) was an Irish-born British author, known professionally as Iris Murdoch. Her novels were about good and evil, sexual relationships and the power of the unconscious. Her first book, "Under the Net", was released in 1954 and became a classic. Her other memorable books include "The Black Prince" and "The Sea, the Sea". Both of those books were about eroticism and love. In 1987, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.