Edward Howard (Howard, Edward, -1841) was a British novelist who died in 1841. Public information about his life is limited, and the surviving records mainly concern his fiction. His representative work, Rattlin the Reefer, is set against naval life and depicts a young sailor's experiences and growth at sea in a humorous, light-hearted narrative style. The work is often classified as inspirational coming-of-age fiction, showing through the protagonist's maritime trials how a young person adapts and matures in an unfamiliar environment. Although few details of Howard's own life survive, the novel remains a useful reference text for understanding nineteenth-century British naval fiction and coming-of-age narrative, and its humorous touch adds a distinctive reading pleasure to the genre.
