Mammoth Book of Modern Ghost Stories [Paperback]

Peter Haining (Author)

Book Description

Series: Mammoth | Publication Date: September 27, 2007

Over 25 short story masterpieces from writers such as Louis de Bernieres and Ian Rankin - modern literary tales to chill the blood. This spine-chilling new anthology of 20th and 21st century tales by big name writers is in the best traditions of literary ghost stories. It is just a little over a hundred years ago that the most famous literary ghost story, "The Turn of the Screw" by Henry James, was published and in the intervening years a great many other distinguished writers have tried their hand at this popular genre - some basing their fictional tales on real supernatural experiences of their own.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'A first rate list of contributors... Hair raising!' Time Out 'All we need say is buy it.' Starlog"

About the Author

Peter Haining is a leading authority on horror fiction, with a particular emphasis on early Gothic and on the classic English ghost story. He has edited a large number of horror, crime and fantasy anthologies published over the past three decades.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Robinson Publishing; First Edition edition (April 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1845294769
• ISBN-13: 978-1845294762
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,224,207 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Full of Gems, November 5, 2007

By 

hauntedpen "hauntedpen" (The South) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mammoth Book of Modern Ghost Stories (Paperback)

Many of the large ghost story anthologies seem to repeat a lot of familiar stories, but Peter Haining has included in this one many stories I've never read before -- both historical and contemporary. Among my favorites are "The Man from Glasgow" by Somerset Maugham about an olive merchant in Spain, "The House at Treheale" by A.C. Benson about a haunted composer, "The Prescription" by Marjorie Bowen about a doctor's strange night, "Haunted" by Joyce Carol Oates about the misfortune that befalls two young girls, "Video Nasty" by Philip Pullman about an eerie viewing of a snuff film, and "The Richpins" by E.G. Swain about a haunted field. I was also pleased to find Daphne Du Maurier's "The Pool" included here. It's a story I've searched out to read before without much success of finding it, since it was not included in her "Don't Look Now" collection.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ghost story or not, a great collection., May 26, 2008

By 

J. Mark Beaver "El Castor" (Pasadena, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mammoth Book of Modern Ghost Stories (Paperback)

I have to credit my good friend Tom for hooking me onto this one. Incredibly compiled collection of great writing, ghost stories or not. Somerset Maugham, Daphne DuMaurier, Joyce Carol Oates, even John Gielgud before he was a "Sir." Most of them deliver genuine creeps, but the whole collection was SO well selected. I will read more in this series.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Consistently Eerie, October 2, 2010

By 

Richard Gazala (Vienna, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mammoth Book of Modern Ghost Stories (Paperback)

Editor Peter Haining does a good job choosing the selections for this collection of ghost stories. Rather than emphasizing pieces featuring moaning phantoms, clanking chains and other staple but simplistic fare common to the genre, Haining sought stories heavy with eerie mood and tone. As with any anthology like this one, some vignettes are better or more effective than others. That said, the overall quality of the selections is consistently high. Some of the tales surely will curdle a reader's blood late in the dead of a stormy night. The compilation makes clear ghosts are as often specters within us as without, and there can be no haunting absent the haunted.