Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch wrote short stories, novels, criticism, and edited anthologies, including the Oxford Book series. He was Assistant Editor of the Liberal weekly The Speaker, and from 1912 until his death was Professor of English at Cambridge University.
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Writing under the pen name "Q", Sir Arthur produced a variety of work, including adventure stories, historical fiction, satire, stories of the supernatural, and mysteries.
Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts is a collection of stories about revenants: people who in spirit or body revisit old scenes, return to old bodies, or give a message from beyond. They have a variety of inspirations, including a sketch by Hawthorne, real life experiences of two St. Ives men in the early 1800s, history, and fact. "Once Aboard the Lugger" is itself a revenant, being an early form of a tale later rewritten as "Ia."
These stories showcase Q's ability with the supernatural.
