Between 1894 and 1949 H. de Vere Stacpoole published more than sixty novels, fifteen collections of stories, three volumes of original verse, two volumes of translations, two autobiographies, a literary biography, and a philosophical treatise. Though extremely prolific, often relying on hackneyed formulas, he managed to distinguish himself with several original novels, including The Pools of Silence (1909), The Street of the Flute-Player: A Romance (1912), and Goblin Market (1927). He is best remembered for The Blue Lagoon: A Romance (1908), his most successful novel. His neoromantic fiction is characterized by exotic settings, vivid topography, hints of the supernatural, gender reversals, treasure hunts, and doppelgängers. His significance lies in the size and diversity of his corpus, the immense popularity he enjoyed during his life, his descriptive powers, and his contributions to the romance genre.

Born on 9 April 1863 in Kingstown, Ireland, Henry de Vere Stacpoole grew up in a household dominated by his...