Famous Modern Ghost Stories

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

15143

Title

Famous Modern Ghost Stories

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This anthology presents a collection of famous modern ghost stories, ranging from the terrifying to the humorous. Featuring tales by renowned authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Guy de Maupassant, and Ambrose Bierce, the volume explores the enduring fascination with the supernatural. With an introduction by Dorothy Scarborough, Ph.D., these narratives examine how ghosts have evolved from solitary specters to complex entities reflecting modern anxieties, scientific advancements, and the human psyche.

Summary up to 500 words

Dorothy Scarborough's introduction to *Famous Modern Ghost Stories* posits that ghosts are the true immortals, having evolved from primitive specters into complex entities with personalities, democratic interests, and even scientific knowledge. Scarborough argues that modern literature reflects a vast increase in ghostly vitality, where spirits utilize transportation methods like limousines and airplanes, and employ wireless communication. These contemporary revenants range from invisible presences to those retaining physical disfigurements, such as missing limbs or freckles, illustrating a spectrum from cosmic horror to domestic unease and even humor. The collection features Algernon Blackwood's *The Willows*, which explores the terrifying potential of spirits of air and fire. Mary E. Wilkins Freeman's *The Shadows on the Wall* and Robert W. Chambers' *The Messenger* further demonstrate the diversity of the supernatural. Leonid Andreyev's *Lazarus* presents a resurrected man whose knowledge of death terrifies Emperor Augustus, leading to the emperor's blinding and exile; Lazarus returns to the desert as a blind figure, his cursed knowledge of the void haunting him. W.F. Harvey's *The Beast with Five Fingers* recounts a boy's visit to a blind man, Adrian Borlsover, who possesses uncanny tactile powers and blesses the child despite his blindness. Guy de Maupassant's *A Ghost* describes a soldier haunted by a woman in white at a deserted chateau. She begs him to comb her hair before vanishing, leaving her hair on his clothes. The soldier later discovers his friend has disappeared, and despite a thorough search, the mystery remains unsolved. Other stories include Edgar Allan Poe's *Ligeia*, Arthur Machen's *The Bowmen*, and Ambrose Bierce's *The Middle Toe of the Right Foot*, where a dead woman returns to haunt her murderer with a missing toe. Olivia Howard Dunbar's *The Shell of Sense* and Wilbur Daniel Steele's *The Woman at Seven Brothers* also contribute to the volume's rich tapestry. Together, these narratives illustrate the enduring fascination with the supernatural, maintaining a grip on the reader through vivid imagery and psychological depth, proving that ghosts are not merely shadows of the past but active, evolving forces in the modern imagination.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Short Stories
• Horror