Ernst Jünger (1895–1998) was a German soldier and a controversial author who was best known for his militarism and prophetic descriptions of a new world being created by the interplay of nationalism, industrialization, and advances in technology. Born in Heidelberg on March 29, Jünger served on the western front in World War I. During the interwar years he studied entomology, contributed to several right-wing journals, and criticized both the Weimar Republic and the National Socialists. Although politically opposed to many aspects of Adolf Hitler's regime, Jünger served as an officer in the German army in World War II. After the war he continued to write novels, including prescient depictions of dystopias, and pioneered the prose style now called magic realism. His work was independent and dispassionate, indifferently observing and commenting on historical and social developments. A longtime friend of...