Classic horror, ghost stories and supernatural fiction

Book SynopsisAs they relax after dinner on Christmas Eve, the members of a family and their guests turn to telling ghost stories. These ghoulish accounts range from the melancholy to the macabre, and get increasingly bizarre as the ghosts leap out of the tales and make an appearance in the family’s home. Fact and fiction, the real and unreal collide, until the reader is not sure who is haunting whom. A masterful work of comic horror, Jerome K. Jerome’s After-Supper Ghost Stories is a witty look at why Christmas Eve is so perfect for ghost stories and why ghosts love the Yuletide season.Table of ContentsContains: After-Supper Ghost Stories, Evergreens, Clocks, Tea Kettles, A Pathetic Story, The New Utopia.

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Book SynopsisSince Dracula''s rise to power a shadow has swept across the nation, but nowhere is it darker than in the Deep South. Throughout the plantations, swamps, and cities, rumours abound of grotesque rituals, hooded figures, and bizarre creatures. Most terrifying of all, however, are the whispers of ancient magic unspeakable arcane rituals and occult powers that can lead those who wield them towards mystical supremacy or reduce them to gibbering wrecks.This new supplement for Dracula''s America: Shadows of the West introduces two new factions: the corrupt cultists of the Church of Dagon and the Salem Sisterhood, occult practitioners whose history dates back to the early Colonies. New stealth rules allow for all manner of sneaky and underhanded tactics, while expanded rules for arcane powers offer glory but could cost you your sanity. Alongside these are a host of new scenarios, Hired Guns, monsters, skills, and gear to challenge or assist those who dare venture into the De

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Book SynopsisThe modern horror story grew and developed across the nineteenth century, embracing categories as diverse as ghost stories, the supernatural and psychological horror, medical and scientific horror, colonial horror, and tales of the uncanny and precognition. This anthology brings together twenty-nine of the greatest horror stories of the period, from 1816 to 1912, from the British, Irish, American, and European traditions. It ranges widely across the sub-genres to encompass authors whose terror-inducing powers remain unsurpassed. The book includes stories by some of the best writers of the century -- Hoffmann, Poe, Balzac, Dickens, Hawthorne, Melville, and Zola -- as well as established genre classics from M. R. James, Arthur Machen, Bram Stoker, Algernon Blackwood, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and others. It includes rare and little-known pieces by writers such as William Maginn, Francis Marion Crawford, W. F. Harvey, and William Hope Hodgson, and shows the important role played by periodTrade ReviewHorror Stories is a very impressive collection. It includes a number of tales that anyone who has a passionate interest in horror should have on their bookshelf, with staple titles known across horror aficionados as well as some lesser known works from some very prolific authors such as Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker, and E.F. Benson. With a very thorough and analytical introduction from Darryl Jones, you see the origins of these stories and the enduring influence they have had on the genre. You will not be disappointed. * Nick Blackshaw, Starburst *Darryl Jones has crafted a fantastic compilation; there are no fillers, all killers (literally in many cases) ... An added bonus with this collection is the detailed introduction by Jones, providing historical context, and the extensive explanatory notes at the end ... Those that have not dared venture into classic horror should buy this collection immediately, and they'll be hooked and buying coffins filled with Poe and M.R. James anthologies before Christmas. * John Upton, Gore in the Store *Horror Stories is no common schlock-fest. Darryl Jones has skilfully gathered the most beautifully written, unsettling stories in the English language. * Vulpes Libris, Moira Briggs *a beautiful collection of nineteenth-century horror with enough set pieces to educate the novice and enough curiosities to delight the connoisseur. * Kirsty Jane McCluskey, Books of the year 2014, Tablet *It is a beautifully finished book that you just want to take care of ... The content is as good as the production. * Lizzi Thomasson, These Little Words *[A] superb collection of short fiction * John Connolly, Irish Times *As well as the general introduction, which provides a useful history of horror from its Gothic origins through a long nineteeth century, each story in the collection is accompanied by a set of notes explaining when and where it was published as well as providing the usual glosses for unfamiliar terms. This contextual emphasis on the nineteeth century periodicals where the readers would first have encounted the work of a writer such as Dickens is particularly illuminating for those interested in horror stories as a meeting of form and content ... Darryl Jone's anthology is a highly accessible guide to the major developments in horror writing during the nineteeth century, and an intriguing reminder that every aspect of Western societies' push for advancement during this period, from industrialization to colonial expansion, produced its own nightmares in the collective unconscious. * Sophie Devlin, The Times Literary Supplement *As well as the general introduction, which provides a useful history of horror from its Gothic origins through a long nineteenth century, each story in this collection is accompanied by a set of notes explaining when and where it was published as well as providing the usual glosses for unfamiliar terms. Darryl Jones's anthology is a highly accessible guide to the major developments in horror writing during the nineteenth century. * Sophie Devlin, Times Literary Supplement *Editing an anthology of this sort is a delicate balancing act ... Horror Stories does a good job here, and offers a bracing mixture of the classic but familiar and fresher material. This broad-ranging and well-researched anthology of horror is full of gruesome things: haunting, possession, revenge, witchcraft, vampires, crime even disease and madness. * Nicholas Daly, Guardian *This compendium of ghoulish stories from 1816-1912 has a bit of everything. All are fab for reading aloud. * Lizzy Dening, Grazia *Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Text Select Bibliography Chronology E.T.A. HOFFMANN, The Sandman WILLIAM MAGINN, The Man in the Bell JAMES HOGG, George Dobson's Expedition to Hell HONORÉ DE BALZAC, La Grande Bretêche EDGAR ALLAN POE, Berenice SHERIDAN LE FANU, Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE, The Birth-Mark HERMAN MELVILLE, The Tartarus of Maids FITZ-JAMES O'BRIEN, What Was It? CHARLES DICKENS, No. 1 Branch Line: The Signal-Man ÉMILE ZOLA, The Death of Olivier Bécaille RONALD ROSS, The Vivisector Vivisected ROBERT-LOUIS STEVENSON, The Body-Snatcher RUDYARD KIPLING, The Mark of the Beast AMBROSE BIERCE, Chickamauga CHARLOTTE PERKINS GILMAN,The Yellow Wall Paper ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE, The Case of Lady Sannox BRAM STOKER, The Squaw ROBERT W. CHAMBERS, The Repairer of Reputations ARTHUR MACHEN, Novel of the White Powder RICHARD MARSH, The Adventure of Lady Wishaw's Hand W. W. JACOBS, The Monkey's Paw MARY E. WILKINS FREEMAN, Luella Miller M. R. JAMES, Count Magnus FRANCIS MARION CRAWFORD, For the Blood is the Life ALGERNON BLACKWOOD, The Wendigo W. F. HARVEY, August Heat E. F. BENSON, The Room in the Tower WILLIAM HOPE HODGSON, The Derelict Explanatory Notes

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Book SynopsisWith a new introduction, this collection of Japanese ghost stories brings together fantastic tales of vengeful spirits, mountain-dwelling phantoms, man-eating oni, haunted trees, and child-rearing ghosts, with stories such as Yuki-Onna, Hoichi the Earless, The Ghost of O-Kiku from The Bancho Sarayashiki, the sorry tale of O-Iwa from the Yotsuya Kaidan, The Peony Lantern and The Ghost Who Bought Candy. Japan has a long and ancient custom of sharing stories of the supernatural, brought to fashionable prominence in the Kaidan literature of the Edo period, now presented here for the modern reader. FLAME TREE 451: From myth to mystery, the supernatural to horror, fantasy and science fiction, Flame Tree 451 offers a healthy diet of werewolves and mechanical men, blood-lusty vampires, dastardly villains, mad scientists, secret worlds, lost civilizations and escapist fantasies. Discover a storehouse of tales gathered specifically for the reader of the fantastic.

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Book SynopsisAlgernon Blackwood, a founding father of modern ghost and horror stories, is one of the great horror writers of the late Victorian and Edwardian eras. With M.R. James, William Hope Hodgson and Arthur Machen, he inspired generations of writers from H.P. Lovecraft to Shirley Jackson, Robert Bloch to Ramsey Campbell. Although The Willows and The Wendigo are his most well-known, this new collection brings together many of his other finely crafted tales, including 'The Empty House', 'A Haunted Island', 'The Transfer' and 'The Kit-Bag'. The Flame Tree Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales collections bring together the entire range of myth, folklore and modern short fiction. Highlighting the roots of suspense, supernatural, science fiction and mystery stories, the books in Flame Tree Collections series are beautifully presented, perfect as a gift and offer a lifetime of reading pleasure.

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Book SynopsisAfter the events in Coldbay where they sealed the hell hole, Lucy is trying to learn more about it and how to save Murzzzz from eternal damnation. Yes, he’s a demon and all, but he’s also a part of the family. Lucy’s turned to her diocese for guidance but they’ve gone strangely quiet so she persuades the Rooks to drive there so they can sort this out. On the way, they realise something is incredibly wrong with a motorway service station - it’s empty except for lingering, sad ghosts and… oh no, another hell hole has opened up and sucked in a load of people. They know they need to stay until they can rescue them and close it down, but not before they’ve done everything in their collective power to rescue Murzzzz. After all, one man’s hellhole is a family of ghost-hunter’s opportunity to save their demon friend. That’s the expression, right?Trade Review'Gabby is one of the funniest writers I know' Sarah Millican

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Book SynopsisThis selection brings together the fantastic Gothic stories of Vernon Lee, including the landmark collection Hauntings, first published in 1890, along with six additional tales and the 1880 essay 'Faustus and Helena'.Table of ContentsIntroduction Winthrop's Adventure Oke of Okehurst; or, the Phantom Lover Amour Dure Dionea A Wicked Voice The Legend of Madame Krasinska The Virgin of the Seven Daggers Prince Alberic and the Snake Lady The Doll Marsyas in Flanders Appendix I: Faustus and Helena Appendix II: Preface to Hauntings Explanatory Notes

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe overarching mood is of wonder . . . the stories occupy the reverie world our mind projects onto the backs of our eyelids, where the ordinary mingles with the supernatural * Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisMarcus Clapham is an author, editor and anthologizer of nearly twenty books including The Shadow in The Corner & Other Classic Ghost Stories.

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Book SynopsisDesigned to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector’s Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector’s Library are books to love and treasure. This edition of Henry James’s classic ghost stories features an afterword by bestselling author Kate Mosse OBE.A young governess is employed to look after two orphaned siblings in a grand country house. Isolated and inexperienced, she is at first charmed by the children – but gradually suspects that they may not be as innocent as they seem. She soon begins to see sinister figures at the window, but do they exist solely in her imagination, or are they ghosts intent on a terrible and devastating task? The Turn of the Screw by Henry James is one of the most famous and eerily equivocal ghost stories ever written.Owen Wingrave is the story of a son in a long line of military heroes who refuses to follow tradition, yet proves his bravery in a haunted room.Trade ReviewThere are phrases and scenes in the book written with such skill and care and trickery as to make any reader follow it with a great unease . . . It is a very frightening story -- Colm Tóibín * Guardian *In this age of anxiety, in which a child may be in her room and yet, through a laptop, can be anywhere in the world, The Turn of the Screw is particularly resonant – every parent’s battle to protect their children from unnamed malevolence -- Gillian Flynn * New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisWorld-renowned illustrator Seth returns with three new Christmas ghost stories for 2020. Retired officer Colonel Mortimer takes a lease on the mansion of Brentwood, the grounds of which share the ruins of an older house, including a strange, vacant doorway, but eerie events begin to unfold and Mortimer’s son falls ill. As the supernatural takes hold, Mortimer resolves to do what he must to save his son even as he ventures further into an increasingly horrifying place.Trade ReviewPraise for Seth's Christmas Ghost Stories “[This] series of Christmas ghost stories, miniature books chosen and illustrated by the cartoonist Seth … [offers] chills—and charm.”—John Williams, New York Times Book Review “I just bought my set of these and they … are … PERFECT. I hope they do these every year.”—Patton Oswalt “These are beautiful little books … [My family’s] been reading them at home, and we’ve actually put them away so we can re-read them on Christmas Eve.” —Matt Galloway, CBC’s Metro Morning “For Seth, this is really a labour of love.” —Peter Robb, Ottawa Citizen “The two classic Christmas ghost stories that Seth and Biblioasis fashioned last year were a huge success for us. Nifty packaging, striking design—so Seth.” —Ben McNally, Ben McNally Books, Toronto, ON “Seth’s Christmas Ghost Stories series resurrects the legacy of fireside tales at Christmas with these beautifully illustrated editions.”—John Toews, McNally Robinson Booksellers, Winnipeg, MB

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Book SynopsisEnter the haunted world of Ancient Japan in this spine-tingling collection of ghostly tales told and retold across the centuries. From Goblin infested caves and haunted Tombs, to vengeful spirits and strange, sinister happenings, Ancient Japan was a country and culture that lived with between realms: the world of everyday and the world of supernatural.It was a time and place where men could be brought down by karmic forces or lured into deadly danger by ghostly apparitions, and where the land held sorrowful secrets or stories that long-awaited an opportunity to reveal them and seek reparation.The Snow Ghost and Other Tales brings together some of the best and scariest tales that endured across centuries of folk lore in one new beautiful hardback collection. Finally commited to writing during the turn of the twenieth cenutry by a unique set of folklorists, the ghost stories presented in this new anthology will transport readers to a time of magic and mystery, and let them relish in the spine-tingling traditions of Japanese culture largely lost now to modernity.For readers of Haruki Murakami, David Mitchell and Shirley Jackson

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Book SynopsisA mysterious tale of crime, witchcraft and the supernatural. The House of the Seven Gables is a gloomy New England mansion, reeking of past sins and malevolent threats. The Pyncheon family that lives there has inherited the curse of centuries-old accusations of witchcraft, and is haunted by the ghosts of the sinful dead who still live within the terrifying shadows of the imposing house. A truly ingenious blend of the supernatural and the romantic, Hawthorne weaves a gothic tale that threatens to impale the family and the local townsfolk with its destructive power. FLAME TREE 451: From mystery to crime, supernatural to horror and fantasy to science fiction, Flame Tree 451 offers a healthy diet of werewolves and mechanical men, blood-lusty vampires, dastardly villains, mad scientists, secret worlds, lost civilizations and escapist fantasies. Discover a storehouse of tales gathered specifically for the reader of the fantastic. Each book features a brand new biography and glossary of Literary, Gothic and Victorian terms.

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Book SynopsisEdgar Allan Poe, the original master of the macabre and dark Romantic writer of Gothic novels, detective stories, poetry, short stories and satires is synonymous with themes of premature burial, death, madness and mysticism. His life was intriguing and his early death at 40 was appropriately mysterious – dying in delirium (possibly opium, alcohol, rabies or syphilis induced) in someone else's clothes on the streets of Baltimore.One of the most recognizable and widely referenced literary figures, outside of the enormous popularity of his literature, Poe also became a compelling popular culture figure, especially for literary, horror and sci-fi fans. The Little Book of Edgar Allan Poe is made up of fascinating, poignant, witty and occasionally disturbing quotes from across the breadth of Poe's work, as well as comments from his contemporaries, extracts from letters and interesting facts about the man's life and works. It adds up to a fascinating overview of this unique literary character and the incredible fiction he produced.SAMPLE QUOTE: 'Tis the wind and nothing more! Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter, In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore' - The Raven, 1845.SAMPLE FACT: American football team the Baltimore Ravens are name after Poe's classic poem, The Raven.Table of ContentsGaffy: The Early Years - Letters, writings, and quotations from Poe's formative years. Tomahawk Man: Criticism and Comment - Edgar Allan Poe started writing literary criticism and theory, the former earning him the “Tomahawk” nickname. E. A. Poe: Master of the Macabre - Quotes from Poe's most famous works, in short story and longer form, as well as critiques about him by contemporaries and modern commentators. Eddy: The Man behind the Myth - Poe wrote many letters to friends, lovers and family. Many excerpts are featured, as well as replies and other comments. Quarles: Poetry - Famous for his long-form poetry, Poe was a master of that art as well as prose. Wisdom and Wit - An absolute master of words, meaning, inference and wit, this section features cutting quotes from Poe's pen.

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Book SynopsisA chilling medieval ghost story, retold by bestselling historian Dan Jones. Published in a beautiful small-format hardback, perfect as a Halloween read or a Christmas gift. One winter, in the dark days of King Richard II, a tailor was riding home on the road from Gilling to Ampleforth. It was dank, wet and gloomy; he couldn't wait to get home and sit in front of a blazing fire. Then, out of nowhere, the tailor is knocked off his horse by a raven, who then transforms into a hideous dog, his mouth writhing with its own innards. The dog issues the tailor with a warning: he must go to a priest and ask for absolution and return to the road, or else there will be consequences... First recorded in the early fifteenth century by an unknown monk, The Tale of the Tailor and the Three Dead Kings was transcribed from the Latin by the great medievalist M.R. James in 1922. Building on that tradition, now bestselling historian Dan Jones retells this medieval ghost story in crisp and creepy prose.Trade ReviewDan Jones is best known for his epic histories, which makes his first foray into fiction a surprising but effective change of direction. He has adapted a medieval tale of the supernatural (which was transcribed from the Latin by MR James in 1922); his tight, chilling account of an unsuspecting tailor and the terrifying shenanigans in which he is embroiled compares favourably with James's own ghost stories, the author's grasp of historical detail giving it welcome verisimilitude * Observer *An interesting glimpse into a world that almost reads as Fantasy today. I found that the origins and background to the story were as intriguing as the story itself, which creates a nice little shiver and then allows the reader to move on. One for readers looking for a brief, classic read at Halloween * SFF World *Atmospheric chamber piece * BBC History Magazine *Put another log on the hearth (or its nearest 21st-century equivalent) and settle in for Dan Jones's eerie, evocative retelling of a medieval ghost story * History Revealed *A chilling yarn * The Tablet *This is a great story and has grown in the telling * The Ampleforth Journal *

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Book SynopsisA classic ghost story illustrated by acclaimed cartoonist, Seth.Retired officer Colonel Mortimer takes a lease on Brentwood, a mansion in Scotland that shares grounds with the ruins of an older house – including a strange, vacant doorway. When his son falls ill and eerie events begin to unfold, Mortimer must face his fears in order to save his son.

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Book SynopsisGorgeous collectable edition of Robert Louis Stevenson''s timeless, classic adventure.This new dark Collectable edition brings a fresh perspective on Stevenson''s dark, celebrated evocation of duality: polite society undermined by the weakness deep within itself. Three of Stevenson’s other dark tales reveal him to be a shrewd and skillful storyteller - The Body Snatcher, The Pavilion on the Links, The Story of a Lie.Little treasures, the FLAME TREE COLLECTABLE CLASSICS are chosen to create a delightful and timeless home library. Each stunning, gift edition features deluxe cover treatments, ribbon markers, luxury endpapers and gilded edges. The unabridged text is accompanied by a Glossary of Victorian and Literary terms produced for the modern reader.

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Book SynopsisLittle treasures, the FLAME TREE COLLECTABLE CLASSICS are chosen to create a delightful and timeless home library. Each stunning, gift edition features deluxe cover treatments, ribbon markers, luxury endpapers and gilded edges. The unabridged text is accompanied by a Glossary of Victorian and Literary terms produced for the modern reader. The young, beautiful and highly susceptible Dorian Gray is pulled into the hedonistic haze of London’s high society, where he falls under the pernicious influence of Lord Henry Wotton. Oscar Wilde’s nightmarish tale gorges on pleasure and sin, corruption and vanity, as the story takes further dark twists and a Faustian deal threatens Gray’s very soul. He will go to any lengths to keep his fleeting beauty and youth, but his painted portrait reveals the truth of his dark and twisted nature, changing its appearance at every misdeed, until the monstrous horror of Dorian’s scarred soul is too much for him to bear.

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Book SynopsisNathanael remains haunted by his childhood fear that the lawyer Coppelius, a strange night-time visitor who used to come to his house to conduct alchemical experiments with his father – the latter dying as a consequence of one of these sessions – was none other than the Sandman, a mythical figure who was said to steal the eyes of children who refused to go to sleep. When a mysterious Italian salesman comes to town, Nathanael’s suspicions are reawakened, pushing him to the brink of madness as extraordinary events unfold. First published in 1816, this classic of German Gothic fiction has enthralled generations ever since, and has spawned countless interpretations by critics intrigued by its powerful symbolism. Sigmund Freud famously examined the novella in relation to his concept of the “Uncanny”, and an extract from this analysis is included in this volume.Trade ReviewE.T.A. Hoffmann belongs to the eternal guild of poets and visionaries who take revenge on the life that is tormenting them by showing it examples of forms more colourful and diverse than reality can manage to convey. - Stefan ZweigTable of ContentsThis edition contains a note on the text, notes and an extract from Sigmund Freud's The Uncanny

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Book SynopsisThe most popular of all ghost stories was first published on 17 December 1843, and by Christmas Eve 6, 000 copies had been sold at a published price of five shillings. The story of Scrooge, a miser who becomes a different man when he is presented with visions of past, present and future by Marley's ghost, was an immediate success and has remainded so ever since. It is a book to read on Christmas Eve beside a blazing fire - and the best introduction to Dickens for young readers not quite ready for his longer novels. Arthur Rackham, master of the fantastic, illustrated the story in 1915.

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Book SynopsisPsychic Surveys tackle the resistant spirit of an old man, who refuses to relinquish his hold on 44 Gilmore Street. The press getting involved, they gleefully report each failed attempt to evict him. It's not just them watching their progress, however, someone else is in the shadows, waiting to strike too.

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Book SynopsisFrom John Polidori's iconic short story 'The Vampyre' and tales of parasitic female companions to experimental and freshly thrilling takes by Robert Bloch, Angela Carter and Anne Rice, this new collection sets out to present the enrapturing range of the vampire story and our undying fascination with the monster at its heart.

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Book SynopsisDublin-born Bram Stoker lived in London, meeting other notable authors such as Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde. Apart from the ground-breaking Dracula Stoker wrote supernatural horror short stories, many of which, including ‘The Judge’s House’ and ‘Dracula’s Guest’, are featured here with extracts from his longer works.

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Book Synopsis"This book is amazing." Halloween might seem like the spookiest time of year, but Charles Dickens felt otherwise. He was among the many authors who set their scariest stories during the dim and shivering days of--yes, Christmas. First published in 1866 for a special yuletide issue of All the Year Round, Dickens' "The Signalman" has since fallen into obscurity. An eerie story of isolation, dread, and supernatural visitation, this book is a small treasure, meant to be read aloud on a cold, dark winter night.

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Book SynopsisAn antique collector hears of an ancient woman with a large collection of china. Hoping to complete a particular set, the collector pays a visit to the woman's ramshackle house, where she makes a terrifying discovery. This 1933 story confirmed Marjorie Bowen as one of our best ghost story writers.

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Book SynopsisWith stories from modern writers, and the founding fathers of horror fiction, weird or cosmic horror combines the dark brooding shadows of the night with the presence of elder gods at the edges of our world. Algernon Blackwood, M.R. James, H.P. Lovecraft and Ramsey Campbell sit alongside new tales by new writers from open submissions. New, contemporary and notable writers featured are: Ramsey Campbell, Daniel Carpenter, Micah Castle, Kevin M. Folliard, Anastasia Garcia, Timothy Granville, Steve Hanson, Maria Haskins, Nyx Kain, Shona Kinsella, Lena Ng, Reggie Oliver, Jason Parent, Bonnie Quinn, Eric Reitan, Cody Schroeder, Lucy A. Snyder, Richard Thomas, Chris Wheatley, and Maria Wolfe. These appear alongside classic stories by Louisa May Alcott, Robert Bloch, William Hope Hodgson, Fritz Leiber, Clark Ashton Smith and more. The Flame Tree Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales collections bring together the entire range of myth, folklore and modern short fiction. Highlighting the roots of suspense, supernatural, science fiction and mystery stories, the books in Flame Tree Collections series are beautifully presented, perfect as a gift and offer a lifetime of reading pleasure.

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Book SynopsisEdgar Allan Poe's extraordinary Gothic tales are classics of horror fiction, and created many of the conventions which still dominate the genre of detective fiction. This selection places the most popular against travel narrative, essays, and political satires.Trade ReviewI picked up The Pit and The Pendulum and Other Stories by Edgar Allan Poe, a collection which just got a convenient small hardcover reprint from Oxford University Press. * John DeNardo, Kirkus Reviews *With scholarly annotations and bibliography, an informative introduction, and useful chronology, Oxford University Press has produced a highly attractive volume suitable for all species of reader. * Chris Hill, The Fortean Times *Bound in glorious purple, this new edition of Edgar Allan Poe's tales from Oxford World's Classics reprints some neglected Poe tales among the usual classics. * Oliver Tearle, Interesting Literature *This is a fine introduction to not only the man himself but also the genre of Gothic fiction... Check it out if you have not already. * Ian Macleod, Frightfest *Table of ContentsIntroductionMS Found in a BottleBerenicëMorellaLigeiaThe Man That Was Used UpThe Fall of the House of UsherWilliam WilsonThe Man of the CrowdThe Murders in the Rue MorgueEleonoraThe Masque of the Red DeathThe Pit and the PendulumThe Mystery of Marie RogêtThe Tell-Tale HeartThe Gold-BugThe Black CatA Tale of the Ragged MountainsThe Purloined LetterThe Systems of Doctor Tarr and Professor FetherThe Imp of the PerverseThe Cask of AmontilladoThe Domain of ArnheimHop-FrogVon Kempelen and his DiscoveryExplanatory Notes

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Book SynopsisThe finest works of H P Lovecraft, renowned as one of the great horror writers of all time.

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Book SynopsisWHEN THE END OF THE WORLD COMES, WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING?The classic horror that inspired a genre: if you haven''t read this yet, you need to. If you have, you''ll want to again. Includes a brilliant and exclusive introduction from Simon Pegg.When there is no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth.George A. Romero''s iconic film and novel terrified generations.Now Dawn of the Dead is back to terrify once more.The world is being devastated by zombies. No one knows how far they have spread, or how to stop them. And as the living fight to save themselves, society collapses. Four people escape the chaos of downtown Philadelphia and find shelter in a shopping mall. As the survivors exhaust their greed and the undead scrape at the doors, the refuge becomes a prison.And soon there will be nowhere left to hide . . .

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Book SynopsisWhat a study in contrasts is the friendship between Henry Jekyll and his boon companion, Edward Hyde. Where Jekyll is a handsome and respected man of science, Hyde is a surly and brutish misanthrope. Nevertheless, Jekyll has allowed Hyde free access to his home and laboratory and, surprisingly, made him the sole beneficiary of his will. Given the closeness of their bond, it seems peculiar that no one has ever seen the two men together in public. And yet they share a remarkable chemistry . . . First published in 1886, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale of the duality of human nature and his iconic presentation of what would come to be referred to as the split personality.

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Book SynopsisAgnes has been drifting away from herself. People look through her, her husband doesn’t understand her, and lately, she’s begun losing the sensations in her body. When a tube of shoplifted lipstick awakens her back to life, an impulse for stealing emerges that leads her to a court-ordered service at a camp for grieving children. While initially hoping only that the time there will help her give up stealing, Agnes soon learns that she can use objects to connect grieving children with the spirits of their parents. She must navigate the choice between using her compulsion for her own pleasure and helping the bereaved. Luminaries is about the things we take and about the things that are taken from us. It asks what it means to exist in lives filled with loss, to reach for the things we hope will restore us, and the risks we’re willing to take to ward off yearning—both in our material lives and social lives.Luminaries is the winner of the Omnidawn Fabulist Fiction Novelette/Chapbook Prize, selected by Kellie Wells.Trade Review“A story all the more devastating for its moving luminosity, Luminaries is a darkly tender meditation on the difficulties of being and remaining connected to others, even after death, and the deep ambivalence a person can feel toward their own substance, their own materiality, in a world of loss. Agnes, who works at a camp for grieving children, learns how to tap her own burgeoning emptiness in an effort to connect the substantial with the insubstantial, the grieving with the absent. The story is lovely in its yearning insights, and builds, masterfully, with emotional precision, toward a stunning and resonant conclusion, beautifully evoking the eternal and aching thereness of the no-longer-there. I choose this story because it made me sleepless, as I thought about all the losses that have given my life shape, and the ones yet to come, and the acute sorrows I have never found the language to properly express.” -- Kellie Wells, author of God, the Moon, and Other Megafauna

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Book SynopsisA beautiful new edition of Mary Shelley's Gothic horror classic, FrankensteinINCLUDES A CULTURAL HISTORY OF FRANKENSTEIN’S MONSTER BY JEANETTE WINTERSONNavigating the Arctic, the captain of a ship rescues a man wandering near death across the ice caps. How the man got there reveals itself a story of ambition, murder and revenge. As a young scientist, Victor Frankenstein pushed moral boundaries in order to cross the final frontier and create life. But his creation is a monster stitched together from grave-plundered body parts who has no place in the world, and his existence can only lead to tragedy.**One of the BBC’s 100 Novels That Shaped Our World**Trade ReviewA masterpiece -- Philip PullmanA haunting, melancholy work of gothic beauty * Independent *The most famous of all horror stories still packs a punch * Daily Mail *Frankenstein launched an entire genre of dystopian fiction, and a legacy of horror at the consequences of unbridled experimentation * Daily Telegraph *More relevant today than ever -- Benjamin Zephaniah

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Book SynopsisThis collection of chilling horror stories from the maestro of suspense contains nearly 20 of Edgar Allan Poe''s best known stories, including "The Fall of the House of Usher", "The Masque of the Red Death" and "The Pit and the Pendulum". For readers who have never come across the work of Poe before, it is a great introduction to some of his finest work.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Arcturus Classics series brings together high-quality paperback editions of classics works, presented with contemporary graphic cover designs. Together they make a wonderful collection which is perfect for any home library.

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Book SynopsisA delightful collection of Chinese ghost stories such as The Painted Skin, The Laughing Ghost, The God of the City, The Magic Sword, The Dangerous Reward and more.Ghost Story Anthologies. Ghost stories appear in most traditions around the world, with tales of the supernatural and the presence of ancestors felt around the campfires of storytellers. With new introductions, these specially curated collections bring together the twisting narratives of Charles Maturin, H.P. Lovecraft, Edith Wharton, Algernon Blackwood and many more classic and ancient sources.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisWilbur Whateley is born in strange circumstances in the small, isolated village of Dunwich. He is shunned by the local community and turns to shadowy rituals and the study of witchcraft. When a ghastly monster is released, it is not just the people of Dunwich who are threatened, but the very existence of the human race...This collection includes three other works of terrifying genius in "The Whisperer in Darkness," "The Shadow Out of Time," and "The Haunter of the Dark." Both nightmarish and ingenious, these tales are sure to keep every reader up all night.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Arcturus Classics series brings together high-quality paperback editions of classics works, presented with contemporary graphic cover designs. Together they make a wonderful collection which is perfect for any home library.

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Book SynopsisA new collection of Irish Ghost Stories selected and introduced by Dr Stephen Carver.

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Book SynopsisMonuments collects three interactive fiction adventures.Quest 1: The Watchtower - The tower is high, though it looked higher before you scaled the rock-face which supports it. You have been chosen for your skills, and you must not fail.Quest 2: Vents! - You wake with a start, confused by all the noise. There are at least two different alarms blaring, and you can hear people moving around on the spaceship. Clearly, this was not the best space faring vessel to stowaway on.Quest 3: Entombed - You awake and everything is dark. The ground beneath you is cold and hard, and when you turn your hands over and press your fingers into it, it feels like stone. Not only, that, but your elbows scrape against more stone either side of you, and the air, well, there''s nothing fresh about it.All you need to play is a pencil and two six-sided die.

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Book SynopsisDracula, Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic vampire story, needs no introduction - a perennial on syllabuses and screens alike, generations have been enchanted and enthralled by the Count from Transylvania. But few of Dracula's fans have heard of Dracula's Guest, a short story following - it is thought - Jonathan Harker, as he makes his way to Transylvania, and falls prey to Walpurgis Nacht terrors when he stops off in Munich. Unpublished until after Stoker's death, when it was collected in a volume of short stories by his widow Florence, who revealed that Stoker had intended for it to be the opening section of his great work, Dracula's Guest is the missing chapter that will captivate all fans of Stoker's 'dangers from snow and wolves and night'.Trade Review'The very best story of diablerie which I have read for many years.' - Arthur Conan DoyleTable of ContentsPreface Dracula's Guest Note on the Text Extra Material Appendix: The Opening Diary Entry from Bram Stoker's Dracula

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