The Frozen Pirate

The Frozen Pirate by W. Clark Russell first published in 1887. Tells the story of Paul Rodney, a sailor who escapes death by shipwreck in the Straits of Magellan. Embedded in the Antarctic ice is an ancient vessel, a pirate ship, filled with what seem to be frozen, contorted corpses. When one of them revives, Rodney must fend off one of the most bloodthirsty scoundrels ever to sail the seven seas! William Clark Russell (1844–1911) was a popular American writer of nautical novels and horror stories. Born in New York City, he gained his experience of sea life during eight years' service as a sailor. Then he was a journalist on the staff of the Daily Chronicle before he took to writing his many novels, only a few of which are listed here. As a testament to the popularity of Russell's novels in his day, one can read about him at the beginning of the Sherlock Holmes story The Five Orange Pips, where Doctor Watson is shown 'deep in one of Clark Russell's fine sea stories'.