Ghost Stories: Classic Tales of Horror and Suspense is a masterful collection of ghost stories, including tales by celebrated authors such as Charles Dickens, Sir Walter Scott, Mark Twain, and Edith Wharton, presented with insightful annotations by acclaimed horror anthologists Leslie S. Klinger and Lisa Morton.
The ghost story has long been a staple of world literature, but many of the genre’s greatest tales have been forgotten, overshadowed in many cases by their authors’ bestselling work in other genres. In this spine-tingling anthology, little known stories from literary titans like Charles Dickens and Edith Wharton are collected alongside overlooked works from masters of horror fiction like Edgar Allan Poe and M. R. James.
Acclaimed anthologists Leslie S. Klinger (The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes) and Lisa Morton (Ghosts: A Haunted History) set these stories in historical context and trace the literary significance of ghosts in fiction over almost two hundred years?from a traditional English ballad first printed in 1724 through the Christmas-themed ghost stories of the Victorian era and up to the science fiction–tinged tales of the early twentieth century.
In bringing these masterful tales back from the dead, Ghost Stories will enlighten and frighten both longtime fans and new readers of the genre.
Including stories by:
Ambrose Bierce, Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens, Olivia Howard Dunbar, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry James, M. R. James, Arthur Machen, Georgia Wood Pangborn, Mrs. J. H. Riddell, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, Edgar Allan Poe, Sir Walter Scott, Frank Stockton, Mark Twain, and Edith Wharton.
You can read the introduction here.
“Rising smoothly above the acres of anthologies of 19th- and early-20th-century weird and supernatural fiction, author Morton and anthologist Klinger combine brilliant stories by obscure writers (such as Elizabeth Stuart Phelps’s unflinching “Since I Died”) with obscure stories by famous writers (such as Henry James’s “The Real Right Thing,” in which a dead author may not wish anyone to write his biography) to create an outstanding work that serves equally as scholarship and entertainment…This is a work of art, a pleasure to read, and a serious and welcome contribution to the study of the ghost story in English.” – Publisher’s Weekly (starred review; also a PW Pick of the Week for 4/1/19)
“Odds are better you’ll see a ghost, or at least find yourself spooked to the core, by one of the chilling stories compiled by Lisa Morton and Leslie S Klinger in Ghost Stories: Classic Tales of Horror and Suspense.” – The New York Times Book Review, 3/31/19
” For its varied collection of quality writing, this is a gem, offering insight into human reaction to catastrophic events when death is difficult to accept. The stories also help understand the period between science-oriented Enlightenment, and Spiritualism. ” – Kate Padilla, Writers & Readers Magazine, 7/2/19
“There are few things as comfortably rewarding as settling into a collection of ghost stories…What elevates this compilation are the details provided by Morton and Klinger which add edifying and entertaining elements. Providing historical perspective along with explanations of allusions and deciphering of antiquated speech/language, they enhance the appreciation of the fine authors whose works are included in the book.” – Diabolique Magazine
“Master anthologists Lisa Morton and Leslie S. Klinger deliver a terrific new volume…in a handsome hardcover edition.” – Black Gate
“I really enjoyed every story and think it is a must read for anyone who likes ghost stories.” Naomi Downing, SciFi Movie Page
“…a great addition to a horror-lover’s shelf, as well as for those who want a good introduction to the ghost story genre…Lisa Morton and Leslie Klinger prove themselves masterful anthologists who really put the legwork in on their subject, and I encourage folks to not only pick up this anthology, but some of the others they have worked on separately.” – Melanie R. Meadors, The Once and Future Podcast