Author Hector Munro Died in Action in France

Hector Hugh Munro (18 December 1870 – 14 November 1916), better known by the pen name Saki and also frequently as H. H. Munro, was a British writer whose witty, mischievous and sometimes macabre stories satirize Edwardian society and culture.

He is considered by English teachers and scholars a master of the short story and is often compared to O. Henry and Dorothy Parker. Influenced by Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll and Rudyard Kipling, he himself influenced A. A. Milne, Noël Coward and P. G. Wodehouse

Unfortunately, his life was tragically cut short during World War I. Saki died in action in Beaumont-Hamel, France, on November 14, 1916. He was serving as a soldier in the 22nd Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers at the time of his death.

Saki’s short stories, often characterized by wit, humor, and a touch of the macabre, gained him recognition as a master of the short story genre. Some of his well-known works include “The Open Window,” “The Interlopers,” and “The Hounds of Fate.” His stories often satirize the Edwardian social and political milieu.

The news of Saki’s death in World War I marked the end of a promising literary career, and his works continue to be appreciated for their clever and often dark humor.