James Stephens's short fiction ranks among the best written during the Irish Renaissance. At that time his work was much lauded by prominent literary figures such as AE (George William Russell) and William Butler Yeats. His capacities were such that George Moore asked him to edit some of Moore's short fiction and James Joyce considered him a worthy colleague. Prose that sounds more like speech than carefully wrought text, wry humor as well as chilling epiphanies, and a thorough fascination with Irish folklore typify Stephens's short stories. In addition to the success he enjoyed as a poet, playwright, and novelist, to some extent his achievement in early Irish short fiction ranks him among the great writers of the Irish Literary Revival.

Uncertainty clouds description of his Irish upbringing, as even the date of his birth cannot be stated precisely. Although hospital and school records suggest that he may...