Not really. Eli might not be a typical ghost story. It could have elements that make you wonder, but it might not fit the traditional ghost story mold.
One of his highly regarded novels is 'Schismatrix'. It presents a vivid and complex future universe filled with different factions and technological developments. The world - building in it is truly remarkable.
Sterling science fiction often features unique and imaginative concepts. It might explore advanced technologies, strange new worlds, and complex characters. For example, it could have stories about future societies where artificial intelligence has a very different role than we currently imagine.
The term 'Pound Sterling' has a long history. 'Pound' comes from the Latin word 'libra', which was a unit of weight. In medieval England, a pound of silver was used as a standard of value. 'Sterling' likely has its origin from the Old English word'steorra' which means star. It might be related to the star symbol used on some early coins. So, the name 'Pound Sterling' combines the unit of value and an element related to the early coinage or currency's origin.
I'm not sure who exactly 'Michael Sterling' is in the context of bedtime stories. There could be many people named Michael Sterling, or it might be a fictional character created specifically for a set of bedtime stories.
In fact, 'Rascal' is a memoir, so it recounts true events from Sterling North's life. However, some elements might have been embellished for literary effect.
There's not enough information given to really define who Eli is in the bearded stories. It might be a unique name given to a character in a local or niche set of tales. Maybe it's a name used by an amateur writer in their collection of bearded - themed stories.