Ghost Stories: Classic Tales of Horror and Suspense

by Leslie S Klinger (Editor), Lisa Morton (Editor)

Overview

A masterful collection of ghost stories that have been overlooked by contemporary readers—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 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 as well as new readers of the genre.

Including stories by:

Charles Dickens, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry James, M. R. James, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, Edgar Allan Poe, Sir Walter Scott, Mark Twain, Edith Wharton, and more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643131191
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	04/02/2019
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Leslie S. Klinger is one of the world's foremost authorities on Sherlock Holmes. He is the editor of the three-volume set The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes. The first two volumes, The Complete Short Stories, won the Edgar for "Best Critical/Biographical" work. He has just completed The New Annotated H. P. Lovecraft. Klinger is a member of the Baker Street Irregulars and lives in Malibu.

Lisa Morton is a screenwriter, anthologist, and the author of Calling the Spirits: A History of Seances and Ghosts: A Haunted History. She is a six-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award, a recipient of the Black Quill Award, and winner of the Grand Prize from the Halloween Book Festival. A lifelong Californian, she lives in North Hills, California, and can be found online at www.lisamorton.com.

Editorial Reviews

04/01/2019

Editors Morton and Klinger collect chilling suspense tales from the 18th to early 20th centuries. There are stories of haunted towns and people told from the perspectives of the ghosts themselves and the people interacting with them. The editors provide historical context by including information before every story, including the original publication date and other notable works by the author. They also feature footnotes to further assist in the understanding of words and concepts unrecognizable in contemporary language. From the poetic writing of Elizabeth Stuart Phelps to the more straightforward prose of Wilkie Collins, there is something here to please any reader. Stories from well-known authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and Charles Dickens will draw readers in to discover tales from those less well-known. VERDICT This collection is sure to delight and terrify horror fans and classics enthusiasts.—Natalie Browning, Longwood Univ. Lib., Farmville, VA

Library Journal

"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

"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. Some of my favorite 19th-and-early-20th-century writers—Edith Wharton, Edgar Allan Poe, Wilkie Collins—are found in this collection . . . But the real fun of reading this book was in discovering writers I had not known before."

New York Times Book Review

"A terrific new volume of neglected spooky tales."

Black Gate

"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. Some of my favorite 19th-and-early-20th-century writers—Edith Wharton, Edgar Allan Poe, Wilkie Collins—are found in this collection . . . But the real fun of reading this book was in discovering writers I had not known before."

Danielle Trussoni

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. Some of my favorite 19th-and-early-20th-century writers—Edith Wharton, Edgar Allan Poe, Wilkie Collins—are found in this collection . . . But the real fun of reading this book was in discovering writers I had not known before.

Danielle Trussoni - New York Times Book Review