Ernest BramahErnest Bramah (March 20, 1868 - June 27, 1942), pen name of Ernest Brammah Smith, was an English author. He wrote 21 books as well as countless short stories and features. His comedies were frequently compared to those of Jerome K. Jerome and W. W. Jcobs, his detective stories to those of Conan Doyle, his politico-science fiction to those of H. G. Wells, and his eerie novels to those of Algernon Blackwood. Bramah's book What Might Have Been influenced George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.Ernest Brammah Smith (his middle name was spelled 'Brammah' on his birth certificate, not 'Bramah') was born in Manchester, England in 1868, the son of Charles Clement Smith and Susannah (Brammah) Smith. He dropped out of Manchester Grammar School at the age of 16, having performed poorly in every subject. He became a farmer, first as a student and subsequently on his own. His father, who had gone from being a factory employee to a wealthy man in a short period of time, helped him financially. Read More Read Less