CHRISTMAS GHOST STORIES were a traditional part of the season’s festivities, and was greatly influenced by Washington Irving, most famous for his tale set in Sleepy Hollow. Above is Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, a place Irving incorporated into his own tale. “When I returned to the drawing-room, I found the company seated around the […]
The Kit Bag by Algernon Blackwood
Algernon Blackwood (14 March 1869 – 10 December 1951) wrote more ghost stories than about anyone else, and more great ones as well. A novelist known just as much for his horrific short stories, this Londoner had the heart of a mystic. He wrote in a letter to a friend “My fundamental interest, I suppose, […]
Between The Lights by E.F. Benson
An unusual gothic horror story, written in 1912 and set in the sunlight rather than the dark and taking place on the day before Christmas. A tale of looking back and the healing power of Christmas. A prime example of the British tradition of Christmas ghost stories. +++ The day had been one unceasing fall […]
Ligeia by Edgar Allan Poe
“The death… of a beautiful woman” is “unquestionably the most poetical topic in the world” Edgar Allan Poe Ligeia is a curious one in the Poe canon. Published in 1838, scholars are still debating how to take it. Some see it as a tale reminiscent of reincarnation, others a supernatural tale and quite possibly the […]
The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe
I first read The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe in high school. I was lucky enough to attend a school which gave the option of studying the literature of Poe and Twain in more depth, and I jumped at the chance. My teacher, Gary Harrison loves both authors, but was particularly animated about Poe. […]
The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen
The Great God Pan, a novella by Welsh born Arthur Machen (3 March 1863 – 15 December 1947), was cited by Stephen King as maybe the best horror story in the English Language. Originally decried for its strong sexual and horror content, it is almost tame in comparison to today’s literature of the same genre. […]
