Joanot Martorell

Joanot Martorell (Valencian pronunciation: [dʒuaˈnɔd maɾtoˈɾeʎ]) (Gandia, south of Valencia, 1413 – 1468) was a Valencian knight and the author of the novel Tirant lo Blanch, written in the Valencian vernacular (Martorell calls it vulgar llengua valenciana) and published at Valencia in 1490.
It deals with the adventures of a knight in the Byzantine Empire. Miguel de Cervantes in the book burning scene of Don Quixote considers it the best chivalry novel. Martorell was a chivalrous man and suffered an early death due to court intrigue, leading to a colleague, Martí Joan de Galba, finishing the novel.
It is considered to be one of the first works of alternative history.