GHOST STORIES

I doubt there's a technical word for a collection of ghost stories, but in this case it is a delight. In the tradition of M. R. James (or at least the influence), these two collections are worth a close look by any enthusiast of supernatural fiction.

Stoneground Ghost Tales relate the strange experiences of Mr. Batchel, Vicar of the Parish.

Tedious Brief Tales focuses on strange and haunted doings at Jesus College (Cambridge) from centuries past.

The haunted house is a time-honored motif in the literary ghost story, and this volume collects some of the most intriguing variations on the subject. Whether haunted by a supernatural presence or taking on the essence of evil itself, these abodes are true architectural nightmares . . .

Stories include: The Tapestried Chamber (Scott); The Haunted Manor-House of Paddington (Ollier); The Haunted and the Haunters (Bulwer-Lytton); An Authentic Narrative of a Haunted House (Le Fanu); The Ghost at Laburnum Villa (Anonymous); The Spook House (Bierce); The Little Room (Wynne); The Red Room (Wells); The House that was Not (Peattie); A Case of Eavesdropping (Blackwood); The Southwest Chamber (Wilkins Freeman); The Empty House (Blackwood); The Toll-House (Jacobs); Afterward (Wharton); The Beckoning Fair One (Onions); The Attic (Blackwood); The Decoy (Blackwood); The Ghost Hunters (Upward).

Stories include: Aunt Ann’s Ghost Story, by Laurence Oliphant (1864); Guy Neville’s Ghost, by Percy Greg (1865); A Ghost in a State-Room, by Samuel Blotter (1868); The Ghost of a Face, by Frederick H. Dewey (1878); An Antiquary’s Ghost Story, by Augustus Jessopp, D.D. (1880); The Ghost of Aldrum Hall, by Anonymous (1880); The Eynesham Ghost, by Captain Arthur Collins (1880); The Open Door, by Mrs. Oliphant (1882); No Fiction, by J. G. P. (1882); No. 11 Welham Square, by Herbert Stephen (1885); By One, By Two, and By Three, by Adrian Ross (1887); A Shadow of Gold, by Vida D. Scudder (1887); The Green Lady, by Walter Herries Pollock (1888); My Uncle’s Clock, by Anonymous (1888); A New Ghost Story, by Anonymous (1890); The Empty Compartment, by Anonymous (1890); Louise, W. L. Alden (1895); “Number Ninety”, by Mrs. B. M. Croker (1895); The Story of a Ghost, by Violet Hunt (1895); The Long-Distance Telephone, by Robert Barr (1900); The Haunting of Shudderham Hall, by Robert Barr (1906); The Irtonwood Ghost, by Elinor Glyn (1911)

Two fantastic short story collections are included here. Six tales are by architect Ralph Adams Cram (most involving haunted places), and six tales detailing messy consequences for wizards and others by James Platt.

Here is another pairing of authors of supernatural stories. F. Marion Crawford is best known for stories like "The Upper Berth," and "The Screaming Skull." Eight of his stories are included, including tales of ghosts and supernatural creatures. Four stories by H. B. Marriott Watson are also included, including "The Devil of the Marsh" and "The Stone Chamber."

This volume brings together two classic ghost story collections. The first, Six Ghost Stories by Sir Thomas Graham Jackson (1919) is an antiquarian ghost story delight in the vein of M. R. James. These are fully developed tales of ordinary lives into which the supernatural creeps. The second, Mrs. H. D. Everett’s The Death Mask and Other Ghosts (1920), is a fun and varied collection of fourteen shorter ghost stories, with family haunts, communication from the other side, malevolent curses, and more. These are an excellent addition to the ghost story bookshelf.

Two collections of weird tales pulled from The Novel Magazine were published in 1916 and 1918. This volume brings together all sixteen stories, which include traditional hauntings, vengeful spirits, cursed objects, and aid from the afterlife. Settings vary—a chess game has deadly consequences, unearthly bagpipes predict death for a clan member, a WW1 submarine has a ghostly occupant, and a bestial transformation marks a killer. They are perfect for evening reading when shadows grow dense and nocturnal sounds resonate through the dusky stillness. The stories included are The Unknown Quantity, The Armless Man, The Tomtom Clue, The Case of Sir Alister Moeran, The Kiss, The Goth, The Last Ascent, The Terror by Night, The Tragedy at the Loup Noir, The Mailed Foot, The Pipers of Mallory, Visiting Rounds, The Jungle, The Haunted Chessmen, The Eighth Lamp, and Bill Dixon Stands By.