Carnacki the Ghost Finder (1913) by William Hope Hodgson is a pioneering collection of occult detective stories featuring Thomas Carnacki, an investigator who combines scientific methods with arcane knowledge to explore hauntings and supernatural mysteries. Armed with inventions like the famous Electric Pentacle, cameras, and protective rituals, Carnacki approaches each case with rigorous skepticism, never certain whether the threat is truly ghostly or merely human trickery. The stories are told through a frame narrative, with Carnacki recounting his cases to dinner guests after each investigation. The collection greatly influenced later supernatural fiction, including the works of H. P. Lovecraft.
