The Naturalists wrote from a scientific point of view and no science had more currency in society in the late nineteenth century than Darwins theory of evolution. Until now this motif in Guy de Maupassant has escaped critical attention. Maupassants Fiction and the Darwinian View of Life examines evolutionary theory in the literature in a way accessible to students of literature and science alike. It first explains the theoretical basis and Maupassants affinity for it then studies one short story La Ficelle in its entirety proposing a new and interesting interpretation based on evidence read through a Darwinian lens.The remaining chapters organize a lively Darwinian reading of Maupassant according to topics such as natural selection heredity and materialism. The book shows that Darwinism and the economic variety of Social Darwinism figure significantly in Maupassants fiction. It is a must for students and teachers of Naturalism and Darwinism across the liberal arts.