W.W. Jacobs

English dramatist and story writer, usually of tales involving the sea and village life and often dealing with supernatural or horror elements. He was a clerk until finding success as a full-time author with his first collected stories, published as "Many Cargoes" in 1896. He is best known for "The Monkey's Paw", a 1902 tale about a talisman which grants its owner three wishes, though inevitably those come with a heavy price.