Dame Iris Murdoch: 1919-1999; Dame Iris Murdoch was an Irish-born British author and philosopher, best known for her novels about good and evil, sexual relationships, morality, and the power of the unconscious. Her first published novel, Under the Net, was selected as one of Modern Library&#39;s 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. In 1987, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. The Times ranked  her on &#34;The 50 greatest British writers since 1945&#34;.