Herman Bang (1857–1912) was from an aristocratic Danish family. His homosexuality led to a smear campaign against him and his exclusion from Danish literary circles. He worked as a theatre producer and as a journalist, having first tried unsuccessfully to be an actor.
His first novel Families Without Hope was banned for obscenity. He specialised in novels about isolated female characters, including Ida Brandt and As Trains Pass By (Katinka).