M. R. James (1862-1936) was an English medieval scholar and provost of King's College, Cambridge and Eton College. He is best remembered for his ghost stories, which redefined the genre. He abandoned the many gothic cliches of his predecessors and opted for more realistic, contemporary settings. His characters and plots, however, reflected his own antiquarian interests. Accordingly, he is known as the originator of the antiquarian ghost story.
