Saki

Hector Hugh Munro, who wrote under the pen name Saki, was born in British Burma in 1870 and became one of the great stylists of the short story. Britannica describes him as a writer and journalist whose wit and gift for fantasy were used to satirize social pretension, cruelty, and stupidity, while Wikipedia notes that his stories are especially associated with the manners and hypocrisies of Edwardian society.

He is still loved for tales in which polished conversation can suddenly turn savage, absurd, or eerie. The blend of comedy, menace, and perfect timing in stories such as "The Open Window" helped give his work a lasting reputation far beyond his own era.

Saki died in France in 1916 while serving in the First World War. His life was brief, but his voice remains instantly recognizable: cool, funny, and just a little bit wicked.