History Creator / Saki

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H. H. (Hector Hugh) Munro (1870-1916), better known by his pen name '''Saki''', was a British writer of over 100 short stories, three novels (''The Unbearable Bassington'', ''When William Came'', and ''The Westminster Alice''), and three plays (''The Death-Trap,'' ''Karl-Ludwig's Window'', and ''The Watched Pot''). Full of [[DeadpanSnarker sarcasm]], wit, and BlackComedy, the influence of OscarWilde shows through in his work-- and he, in turn, is a major influence on writers like Creator/PGWodehouse and DorothyParker.

His work has entered the public domain, so a little searching will make all his stories available.
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!!This author's works include examples of:
* AdultsAreUseless: "The Lumber-Room", "The Storyteller".
* AlternateHistory: ''When William Came'' speculates on life in London after the Germans win World War I ("William" is Kaiser Wilhelm II).
* AmbiguouslyGay: Most of Saki's young male leads, particularly Clovis Sangrail and Reginald [last name never given].
* BalefulPolymorph: "Ministers of Grace." It has overtones of GrandTheftMe, as politicians' minds are put in animal bodies and angels take their place.
* {{Blackmail}}: Several stories, including "Mrs. Packeltide's Tiger" and "The Treasure Ship".
* CatsAreSuperior: "The Achievement of the Cat".
* DeadpanSnarker: In ''spades''.
* EarWorm (in-universe): "Cousin Theresa", "The Secret Sin of Septimus Brope"
* TheEdwardianEra
* FamousLastWords: None of his characters, but reportedly the man himself: "Put out that damn cigarette!" seconds before being shot by a German sniper.
* FracturedFairytale: A nice one in "The Storyteller".
* GrandeDame: Plenty.
* HeroicSacrifice: Subverted horribly in "The Easter-Egg".
* IfItTastesBadItMustBeGoodForYou: "Filboid Studge, or the Mouse That Helped"
* ItWillNeverCatchOn: "Cousin Teresa".
* KidsAreCruel: Quite a few, most notably in "The Strategist" and "The Penance" (as DisproportionateRetribution).
* KindheartedCatLover: Saki may well have been one in life, given the affectionate depictions of them in various stories.
* LostHimInACardGame: "The Stake".
* MisterMuffykins: The eponymous "Louis", with a twist. [[spoiler: Louis is ''dead'' and his owner uses her pretended affection for him and his alleged needs to get her way.]]
* MyBelovedSmother: Several, though the most unpleasant example (in "Sredni Vashtar") is the protagonist's adult cousin and appointed guardian.
* OurWerewolvesAreDifferent: "Gabriel-Ernest".
* {{Reincarnation}}: "Laura".
* RoyalBrat: The eponymous "Hyacinth", and Victor in "Morlvera".
* StylisticSuck: "Reginald's Rubiyat", "The Recessional".
* TakeThat: ''The Westminster Alice'' is an ''Literature/AliceInWonderland'' parody that takes potshots at the prominent politicans of the time.
* TalkingAnimal: The eponymous housecat "Tobermory". HilarityEnsues when it turns out Tobermory has [[BrutalHonesty no concept]] [[CatsAreSnarkers of tact]].
* ValuesDissonance: Anti-Semitism is treated as a joke in stories like "The Unrest-Cure" and "A Touch of Realism", and several stories (in particular "Hermann the Irascible-- A Story of the Great Weep") play up the idea that women's suffrage was just too ridiculous a concept to be taken seriously.
* UncattyResemblance: Taken to an extreme in "The Remoulding of Groby Lington."
* WhamLine: "The Interlopers" ends with this.
* WorldWarI: The short story collection ''The Square Egg'' (published posthumously) were written during his service on the Western Front. Saki himself was killed in action in Beaumont-Hamel (probably during the Battle of the Somme).
* YouCanKeepHer: "The Disappearance of Crispina Umberleigh"-- to the point that the kidnappers demand ransom by ''threatening to return her.''
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* UpperClassWit: Oh my yes.
** UpperClassTwit: Some of these too.

* TalkingAnimal: The eponymous housecat "Tobermory". HilarityEnsues when it turns out Tobermory thinks KeepingSecretsSucks and says so in [[CatsAreSnarkers no uncertain terms.]]

* BalefulPolymorph: "Ministers of Grace." It has overtones of GrandTheftMe, as politician's minds are put in animal bodies and angels take their place.

* {{Troll}}: Reginald.

* MyBelovedSmother: Several, though the most unpleasant example (in "Sredni Vashtar") is the protagonist's adult cousin and appointed guardian.

H.H. (Hector Hugh) Munro (1870-1916), better known by his pen name '''Saki''', was a British writer of over 100 short stories, three novels (''The Unbearable Bassington'', ''When William Came'', and ''The Westminster Alice''), and three plays (''The Death-Trap,'' ''Karl-Ludwig's Window'', and ''The Watched Pot''). Full of [[DeadpanSnarker sarcasm]], wit, and BlackComedy, the influence of OscarWilde shows through in his work-- and he, in turn, is a major influence on writers like Creator/PGWodehouse and DorothyParker.

* TakeThat: ''The Westminster Alice'' is an ''AliceInWonderland'' parody that takes potshots at the prominent politicans of the time.

H.H. (Hector Hugh) Munro (1870-1916), better known by his pen name '''Saki''', was a British writer of over 100 short stories, three novels (''The Unbearable Bassington'', ''When William Came'', and ''The Westminster Alice''), and three plays (''The Death-Trap,'' ''Karl-Ludwig's Window'', and ''The Watched Pot''). Full of [[DeadpanSnarker sarcasm]], wit, and BlackComedy, the influence of OscarWilde shows through in his work-- and he, in turn, is a major influence on writers like PGWodehouse and DorothyParker.

''For the manga of the same name, see Manga.{{Saki}}.''