The Mammoth Book of Modern Ghost Stories

Appendix

A Century of Ghost Novels

1900–2000

1902: THE HAUNTED MAJOR by Robert Marshall

Inspired by the new craze for golf that had developed at the dawn of the 20th century, this comic story recounts the efforts of sports-mad Major Gore to beat Lindsay, a young golf champion. The Major receives supernatural assistance in his cause from the ghost of Cardinal Smeaton, a Scottish renaissance figure who is still nursing a grudge against his opponent’s family.

1904: THE GREY WORLD by Evelyn Underhill

When little Cockney Jimmy Rogers dies of typhoid fever he finds himself in a grey world of wraith-like beings. Here he learns that it is possible to return to the real world and reincarnates himself into another quite different person whose behaviour leads him into the path of mysticism and a series of bizarre encounters.

1907: THE GHOST by Arnold Bennett

In pursuit of Rosetta Rose, a beautiful singer, Carl Foster survives a series of disasters: a train crash, a shipwreck and even attempted murder. On each occasion he sees a sinister figure, who proves to be the ghost of Lord Clarenceux, once in love with Rosa and now deeply jealous of his rival. It takes the intervention of the girl herself to enable Carl’s love to succeed.

1907: ALICE FOR SHORT by William De Morgan

A beautiful woman in 18th century clothes and a man with a sword repeatedly re-enact a murder haunt in an old house in Soho. The arrival of little orphan Alice Kavanagh eventually leads to the discovery of the woman’s bones buried in the basement as well as a surprising revelation about the child’s ancestry.

1909: THE GHOST PIRATES by William Hope Hodgson

The old ship, the Mortzestus, is beset by mysterious phenomena – shadowy figures emerging from the sea, men hurled from aloft by invisible hands and the vessel itself seemingly trapped in a world of mist. The horrors reach a climax when ghost pirates swarm aboard to sink the ship and only one man survives to tell the story.

1911: AN EXCHANGE OF SOULS by Barry Pain

Dr Daniel Myas is carrying out experiments in order to transfer human souls. When the doctor dies suddenly from an overdose of drugs, his special apparatus transfers him to the body of his fiancée, Alice. The girl herself dies shortly afterwards in a train crash and the ghosts of the two endeavour to resolve their endless future.

1911: THE WHITE PEOPLE by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Isobel Muircarrie grows up in the Scottish Highlands where her gift of “Second Sight” enables her to see the phantom White People and communicate with a ghost child. When she moves to London as an adult and falls in love with a stricken young man, Hector MacNairn, who dies shortly afterwards of a heart attack, her ability enables her to “see” him as a spirit.

1911 THE HAUNTED PYJAMAS by Francis Perry Elliott

After spending three years in England, the Harvard educated narrator returns to America with a pair of pyjamas said to be over 4,000 years old. These can transform the wearer into a phantom-like figure and the young man uses them in a number of seductive exploits with very unexpected results.

1912 THE GODS OF THE DEAD by Winifred Graham

Matilda Turnus has inherited the poise and beauty of an Egyptian princess as well as ancient supernatural powers that she uses to great effect. Aware of a ghostly figure hovering over her in moments of crisis, she uses her ability to fend off unwanted suitors and advance the career of her young lover into the highest echelons of society.

1918 THE GHOST GARDEN by Amelia Rives

The ghost of a wilful and vicious young woman, Melany Horsemanden, haunts a house in colonial Virginia. When, years later, another young girl named Melany settles in the house and attracts a lover, the spirit of the deceased woman intervenes to frustrate their courtship. Ultimately, only the power of love can overcome the vampire-like powers of the undead.

1919 SINISTER HOUSE by Leland Hall

The ghosts of a man and woman haunt the new housing development at Forsby near Boston, sapping the vitality of a young wife, Julia Grier. They are identified as the former owners of the land who have been tricked out of their property by fraud. It requires a cruel revelation and the fortitude of Julia to finally lay the two spirits to rest.

1920 FROM THE VASTY DEEP by Marie Belloc Lowndes

A ghost that is initially seen only by the servants disturbs a house party at Wyndfell Hall. However, when the spirit appears more distinctly to several of the guests, it is recognised as the deceased owner of the property. Holding a séance provides the resolution to an old and terrible crime.

1921 THE HAUNTING by Catherine Dawson-Scott

Set in 19th-century Cornwall, Gale and Pascoe Corylon are half-brothers drawn together in an uneasy alliance carrying out shady deals in which both suspect the other of making more profit. When Gale poisons Pascoe, he suffers a series of hauntings that finally drive him to seek a desperate solution in a sea cave.

1921 THE SHADOW OF FEAR by Nina Toye

An old abbey reputed to be haunted and a swamp that lures unsuspecting victims to their death, play upon the emotions of an ill-matched couple who live nearby. The neurotic wife gradually succumbs to the supernatural powers and is only just prevented from killing her husband by the new love in his life.

1922 THE HAUNTED WOMAN by David Lindsay

Runhill Court is situated over an ancient Saxon burial ground and haunted by supernatural forces. When Henry Judge inherits the property it brings him into contact with lovely Isobel Loment and together they delve into the mystery of a secret stairway, the adventure putting their lives at risk while also causing them to fall in love.

1924 COLD HARBOUR by Francis Brett Young

The small Worcestershire inn that Ronald and Evelyn Wake stumble on when their car breaks down proves to be beset by poltergeist phenomena. The open-minded couple are intrigued and try to get to the bottom of the supernatural presence, ultimately deciding that the area is still in the grip of an ancient evil from Roman times that requires exorcism.

1925 THE GREEN ROOM by Walter de la Mare

In the back room of an old bookshop, a young man sees the ghost of a woman reading some papers. It transpires that she is the author of a manuscript of poems recording her love for a previous owner of the building. When the young man finds the poetry and decides to publish it, he quickly discovers the ghost’s reaction very different to the one he had expected.

1926 THE NEW TERROR by Gaston Leroux

After his marriage to the beautiful Cordelia, the narrator discovers that a portrait of his bride painted by a mystical English artist seems to be obsessing her. He comes to realize his wife is so haunted by the picture that only by killing the painter can he free her – but by doing so he fatally threatens Cordelia’s life.

1926 TOPPER by Thorne Smith

Classic novel in which harmless American banker Cosmo Topper is haunted by a group of immoral ghosts who turn him on to the delights of alcohol, drugs and sexual freedom. His riotous escapades with the spirits and everyone they come in contact with inspired a popular film and an equally successful sequel, Topper Takes A Trip (1932).

1928 THE GENERAL’S RING by Selma Lagerlof

The town of Hedby is badly haunted by the ghost of an old general. Although the descendants of the military man take the story rather casually, his grandson believes there is some truth in it. The young man has to survive being put into a trance by the powerful spirit, but manages to find the ring which is the cause of the haunting and return it to the old soldier’s grave.

1931 THE JEALOUS GHOST by L. A. G. Strong

Middle-aged Stewart finds when he returns to his ancestral home near Skye that things have changed in many respects. But the ability to fall in love has not, and he falls for a local girl much younger than himself. His infatuation is, however, dashed when another girl, a ghost from his past, warns him off.

1931 THE LADY WHO CAME TO STAY by Robin Spencer

When widowed Katherine and her little daughter move in with her late husband’s wealthy maiden sisters, she soon becomes the object of their enmity and dies. The abuse continues against the child, but Katherine is able to return as a ghost and protect her daughter as well as bringing an end to the evil ways of the old sisters.

1935 BEGINNING AT DUSK by Ross Williamson

Every year, on Midsummer Eve, the ghosts of Kitzbrook rise and mingle with the living. Among them are two lovers, Hedwig and Stefan, who cause a commotion in the spirit world by carrying out erotic escapades, involving people in the real world. The pair prove to have an honourable intention: to avenge a murder before they can live in peace – in the grave – together.

1936 THE CROQUET PLAYER by H. G. Wells

The inhabitants of Cainmarsh are suffering from breakdowns and fear, which leads to an outbreak of violence and crime. A young doctor, Finchatton, recognizes the symptoms as being caused by shadows from the past affecting the minds of susceptible individuals. There is no hope of the haunting ending, the doctor declares, unless mankind changes its warlike ways.

1937 NIGHTMARE FARM by Jack Mann

An elemental ghost with vicious powers, which has already killed one person, is haunting an old house in Knightsmere in Shropshire. Occult detective Gees investigates and discovers that the terrible manifestation is located in a secret compartment of the building. His attempts to dislodge the ghost involve a near fatal attack on his life and the necessity to exorcise a spirit from a young woman.

1940 MISS HARGREAVES by Frank Baker

While on a visit to Ireland, the critic Norman Hunter finds himself pursued by the ghost of an octogenarian poet, Miss Hargreaves, who he has made the mistake of describing as “imaginary”. When the lady follows him back to England, the hapless young man has to find a way of luring her across the Irish Sea to lay her peacefully to rest.

1940 CASTLE COTTAGE by Horace Horsnell

Miss Lavinia Bligh, a retired maid, discovers that the Regency-style Castle Cottage she is asked to look after is haunted by a pair of ghosts from the Napoleonic period. They are obviously lovers denied happiness by the young man’s death during the conflict. The kind-hearted Lavinia tries to unite the two spirits, but finds that she must destroy the cottage to achieve her objective.

1941 UNEASY FREEHOLD by Dorothy Macardle

A house on the Bristol Channel appears to be the ideal location for Roderick Fitzgerald to write his new play. But when he and his sister settle in, they are soon being subjected to the depredations of two warring ghosts and after séances and physic researchers have failed to drive the pair away, the couple are forced to create a dramatic confrontation of their own.

1941 THE GHOST OF MR BROWN by Ashley Sampson

Mr Brown is a ghost and condemned to haunt a house for no apparent reason he can deduce. He tries to make contact with the occupants and even falls in love with one of the female tenants. However, when the girl gets engaged to another man, Mr Brown is overcome with rage, kills her and finds himself even more damned than before.

1941 THE REMARKABLE ANDREW by Dalton Trumbo

A young book-keeper, Andrew Jackson Long, of Shale City, Colorado discovers a plot to defraud the city. When he feels himself being sucked into the conspiracy, he is able to summon up the spirit of his great ancestor along with a number of other ghosts including George Washington and Ben Franklin. Together they lure the conspirators into a confession and clear Andrew’s name.

1944 THE NIGHT OF THE WORLD by Frederick Rose

Ken Favery is blown up while fighting a desperate action with the British forces in North Africa. He wakes to find himself surrounded by the ghosts of soldiers killed during the battle and is so moved by their terrible accounts of the foolishness of war that he vows to write down his thoughts and hope that they are found with his body.

1945 ALL HALLOWS’ EVE by Charles Williams

Two young women who have died in a plane crash find themselves as spirits in London where they are able to intervene in the lives of both their friends and adversaries. They become embroiled in a great act of magic where their own supernatural powers are tested to the fullest before the self-defeating nature of evil is exposed.

1945 THE GHOST AND MRS MUIR by R. A. Dick

The recently widowed Mrs Muir takes a little house near the English Channel that is haunted by its previous owner, Captain Gregg, an old sea dog who does not welcome the new tenant. She is made of sterner stuff, though, and after a series of exchanges, they both agree to share the property – until Mrs Muir dies and joins the Captain on the Other Side.

1946 DEATH INTO LIFE by Olaf Stapledon

While flying over Germany, the crew of a British bomber are shot down and killed. Almost immediately, the ghost of the rear-gunner rises above the wreckage and begins a journey of discovery that reveals the futility of war and enables him to grow spiritually before he is finally reunited with his comrades.

1947 THE MEMOIRS OF A GHOST by George W. Stonier

During a German bombing raid over London, the narrator is killed and finds himself turned into a ghost able to see and hear everything while remaining unseen by everyone else in the city. Gradually, however, his energy begins to diminish as the war draws to a close and he becomes no more than a memory.

1947 A NAME FOR EVIL by Andrew Lytle

When Brent buys a rundown plantation in the American South, his attempts to make the property viable are hampered by the intransigence of his workforce and their fear of the ghost of a former owner. Brent soon finds his young wife is also being subjected to the attentions of the evil phantom and has to wage a desperate battle to keep her from being spirited away.

1947 THE MASTER OF THE MACABRE by Russell Thorndike

In the days of Richard I, the ghost of a lewd and wicked monk weaves itself into an ancient cup that once belonged to Mohammed. Centuries later, the cup is obtained by the mysterious “Master of the Macabre” and almost at once finds himself embroiled in a dangerous plot by a group of Orientals to reclaim the relic.

1948 THE HAUNTING OF TOBY JUGG by Dennis Wheatley

The supernatural manifestations that plague Toby Jugg while he is convalescing in Wales prove to be only the start of a plot involving black magicians determined to bring about the downfall of his huge industrial empire. Visions of a giant spider and the Face of Astoroth also cross Toby’s path as he struggles to outwit and smash the diabolists.

1950 BRIMSTONE IN THE GARDEN by Elizabeth Cadell

A trio of ghosts, Frobisher, Telemachus and Captain Verlander haunt Elinor Stirling’s house in a small West Country English village. When she invites a group of relatives and friends to stay with her, they have to compete with the attentions of the phantoms as well as their own mixed emotions about one another in order to resolve the situation.

1954 BRIEF CANDLES by Francis Gaite

Jeremy and Sally Latimer are visiting a district of France where two of their forebears were killed in 1870. Their presence activates the ghosts of the long-dead man and woman and a series of phenomena convince the couple that the spirits are trying to pass on a message. It is only when Jeremy and Sally discover the location of a lost family treasurer that peace can be restored.

1954 MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS by Amos Tutuola

A child, who has escaped from slave traders stalking the African bush, finds himself in “The Bush of Ghosts” where he goes through a succession of terrible experiences that prepare him for manhood. Eventually, with the help of a pair of native ghosts, he returns home and there creates “The Secret Society of Ghosts”, dedicated to ending the persecution of his people.

1957 THE STRANGE CASE OF MR PELHAM by Anthony Armstrong

Pelham, an innocuous little book-keeper, becomes increasingly unnerved when friends report seeing him at places he has never visited and with people he has never met. When he is accused of seducing his secretary and orchestrating a series of dubious business deals, Pelham sets about tracking down his “double” and finds “him” to be a spirit of incredible power.

1957 AMOROUS GHOST by Pierre Bessand-Massenet

A young writer, Michel Panouche, is living in an old office building in Paris when he discovers it was once part of a Royal Palace and is haunted by the ghosts of a group of courtesans. One of these, the pretty Rosette, falls in love with him and it takes all the feminine wiles of Panouche’s real-life lover, Annik, to break the spell and free her man.

1958 A STIR OF ECHOES by Richard Matheson

Tom Wallace has lived an ordinary life until the day he is hypnotized by a friend and begins to “hear” the thoughts of everyone around him. His existence becomes a living nightmare when he starts to receive haunting messages from an entity beyond the grave and finds himself compelled to try and solve a crime of almost unthinkable violence.

1959 THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE by Shirley Jackson

Arguably the finest ghost novel of the century. Hill House has a reputation for being plagued by spirits and has changed very little since the 1880s. A psychic researcher invites a group of people to stay in the property to test his theories about the manifestations. Messages smeared in blood, bumps in the night and horrifying phenomena crowd one upon another until a finger of suspicion begins to point at one of the guests.

1960 A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE by Peter Beagle

Jonathan Rebeck lives in a tomb in the Bronx where he has learned to see and talk to ghosts. Some of his most interesting conversations are with Michael Morgan, who claims his wife murdered him, and a beautiful young woman named Laura. When the beguiling widow, Mrs Klapper, induces Jonathan to leave the cemetery, he has to first find time for a little matchmaking between his ethereal friends.

1969 THE GREEN MAN by Kingsley Amis

Maurice Allingham, the owner of a medieval coaching inn, finds his life of debauchery and drinking suddenly affected by the malevolent reappearance of the ghost of Dr Thomas Underbill, a notorious 17th-century practitioner of black magic. Driven by curiosity and a desire to save his own sanity, Allingham has to uncover the secret to the doctor’s evil purpose.

1973 BURNT OFFERINGS by Robert Marasco

The Rolfe family from New York are hoping for a happy summer in a beautiful, secluded country mansion with a pool and private beach on Long Island. But it does not take the four people long to realize that the place is haunted by terror and they are plunged into a nightmare from which there seems to be no escape.

1975 JULIA by Peter Straub

Julia Lufting is still mourning the death of her only child and hoping against hope that the future will bring her better luck. Then her nights begin to be haunted by the ghost of a child. Not her own lost infant, apparently, but a quite terrifying little girl, and Julia finds herself driven to discover the unspeakable way in which the youngster died.

1977 SWEETHEART, SWEETHEART by Bernard Taylor

To all intents and purposes Gerrard’s Hill Cottage, deep in the English countryside surrounded by meadows, trees and rose bushes, is an idyllic spot, promising rest and relaxation to anyone who visits. Instead, just beneath the surface, a malevolent female spirit is at large weaving an aura of murder, madness and betrayal around those who cross the threshold.

1977 THE SHINING by Stephen King

Snowbound Overlook Hotel is intended to be a home-away-from home for writer Jack Torrance, his wife Wendy and their son Danny, when Jack accepts the post of janitor for the winter. But their stay turns to madness when ghosts of the past start to come to life and those gifted with the “shining” have to do battle with the darkest evils.

1978 THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR by Anne Rivers Siddons

It seems like such a good idea for Walter and Colquitt Kennedy to buy the piece of land adjoining their house and build their “dream home” on it. But once work begins, mishaps start to occur with wildlife being killed, pets going missing and strange sights in the neighbourhood. The couple’s conviction they may have created a “haunted house” moves rapidly from suspicion to terrifying reality.

1979 GHOST STORY by Peter Straub

There is a secret never mentioned when the five life-long friends in Milburn, NY meet each week as “The Chowder Society” to swap ghost stories. The mystery concerns Eva, a young girl the group accidentally killed in a car and dumped in the local lake when they were teenagers. Now a shape-shifting ghost has begun to haunt all their dreams and kill them one by one unless drastic action is taken.

1982 THE WOMAN IN BLACK by Susan Hill

Arthur Kipps is a junior solicitor in Victorian England who attends the funeral of a client and during the service glimpses a mysterious woman in black. Later in the day, he sees the figure again and also hears the terrifying sounds of an adult and child sinking into a quicksand. To resolve the mystery he has to remain overnight in ancient Eel Marsh House and face the greatest horror of all.

1988 HAUNTED by James Herbert

Ghost hunter David Ash is invited to investigate the hauntings taking place in an old house called Edbrook. Three nights the young man spends in the gloomy property with maleficent and blood-chilling events occurring one after another. On the third night, David has to face the enigma of his own past before the secret of Edbrook itself is revealed.

1991 THE MIST IN THE MIRROR by Susan Hill

Sir James Monmouth is obsessed with the life and career of a mysterious traveller named Conrad Vane whose ghost has been seen about London. Monmouth’s research establishes that Vane was a man of evil deeds involving terrible cruelty to children. Now his curse threatens the lives of all those who become drawn to his legend.

1993 GHOSTS by Noel Hynd

Following two unexplained deaths on sleepy Nantucket Island, a number of ghostly disturbances have started to upset the residents and visitors. Timothy Brooks, a detective assigned to investigate the killings, begins to suspect the ghost may be that of a stage actor killed in the 1920s and the deaths are in some way connected to him. It takes a mixture of sleuthing and “ghost-busting” to solve the mystery.

1994 THE GHOSTS OF SLEATH by James Herbert

A second enquiry for ghost hunter David Ash takes him to the quiet and peaceful village of Sleath in the Chiltern Hills. This calm has been disturbed by reports of ghost sightings and some frighteningly bizarre events. Once again Ash has to confront secrets from his own past on a night of horror when awesome and malignant forces are unleashed on the helpless community.

1994 REVENANT by Melanie Tern

The ghost town of Revant is where spirits congregate: the mother who talks to her dead children, the father with an image of his son before a fatal accident and a girl mourning her phantom aborted baby. But there is also a presence in Revenant, ancient, powerful and hungry waiting to feed on the souls in torment and free more terrifying spirits into the darkness.

1996 A FACE AT THE WINDOW by Dennis McFarland

A man who is sober after years of alcohol abuse undergoes a mid-life crisis while staying in a haunted hotel. There he encounters several ghosts: a violent drunken man, an unpleasant small boy and an adolescent girl with a split personality. However, when he becomes engrossed in the details of the girl’s former life he is unaware that he is also endangering his own life and that of his family.

1996 NAZARETH HILL by Ramsey Campbell

Amy is an unhappy teenager whose mother died when she was a child and now lives with her controlling father in newly renovated Nazareth Hill. When she begins to see and hear strange sights and sounds, Amy realizes the secret behind the events lies somewhere in her childhood. Her attempts to discover the truth, however, drive her father increasingly nasty and turn Nazareth Hill into a hell on earth.

1996 THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT by Graham Masterton

Despite the fact that the old mansion, Valhalla, is known to echo with the sounds of terrible sobbing, Craig Bellman is determined to live there. His frightened wife hires a spiritualist to try and rid the place of its fearsome vibrations. But even when death and injury continue to disturb Valhalla, Bellman’s obsession drives him relentlessly towards a terrible conclusion.

1997 FOG HEART by Thomas Tessier

When two couples are haunted by, respectively, the father of one wife and messages from the dead daughter of the other, they consult a powerful young medium named Oona. The four people and their guide have to endure a number of psychic attacks and sadistic disturbances before Oona’s conviction that the four are somehow connected finally enables them to resolve the frightening situation.

1998 BAG OF BONES by Stephen King

Mike Noonan has mourned for his beloved wife Jo for some time when he meets a young widow, Mattié and her daughter, Kyra. He agrees to help them in a custody case being brought by Mattie’s wealthy father-in-law and soon finds himself being haunted by a vengeful ghost. The spirit is that of a black woman gang-raped and forced to witness the murder of her child and it is through her that the custody case is won.

1999 SUSPICION by Barbara Rogan

Ghost story writer Emma Roth hopes that the old Victorian house on the North Shore of Long Island will help her work. Instead, cruel remarks begin appearing on her computer, her manuscript is tampered with and there is every indication the house is haunted. But Emma remains sceptical and begins to wonder whether she is losing her mind or – perhaps – someone very close is trying to destroy her.

2000 MISCHIEF by Douglas Clegg

Harrow Academy is a private boy’s school located in an old haunted mansion. Young Jim Hook is in his first year when the ghost of his brother, recently killed in a car accident with their father, visits him one night with a warning. A secret group of students try to induct Jim into their Cadaver Society and he has a powerful battle to wage against them and the other even more powerful force that inhabits the building before his life can return to normal. Clegg has written two further titles to complete the Harrow Academy series: The Infinite (2001) and Nightmare House (2003).