Ghost Stories and other Gothic Stories That Focus on Terror

[Dillard]

I am sure that stories within this genre have been discussed in the horror thread but given that I am not a huge horror fan (emphasis on revulsion, things seen) but AM a fan of terror (emphasis on dread, things not seen, but suggested), I wonder whether others felt the same way. Currently I am making my way through a penguin collection of ghost stories all of which come from the Uk, Ireland, and America from the mid-nineteenth to early twentieth century. I have also recently read Dani Cavallaro's The Gothic Vision which I found esepecially helpful for thinking about genre distinctions when it comes to "dark" narratives.

Do you guys have favorite ghost stories or gothic stories that focus on terror? I'd love suggestions. My favorite author of late has been M.R. James.

[D_Davis]

I'd recommend just about anything from MR James (which you already like), Arthur Machen, Algernon Blackwood, Robert W. Chambers, Oliver Onions, Sheridan Le Fanu, Lord Dunsany (more fairytale-like stuff) and William Hope Hodgson.

For some newer authors, you might also enjoy Thomas Ligotti.

[D_Davis]

"The Drunkard's Dream," by Sheridan Le Fanu is one of my favorite ghost stories of all time.

http://www.online-literature.com/lefanu/1775/

[Dead & Messed Up]

I've recently fallen in love with Clark Ashton Smith. His short story "The Maker of Gargoyles (http://www.eldritchdark.com/writings/short-stories/121/the-maker-of-gargoyles)" isn't as dark-fantasy as his other work. Pretty Gothic. Pretty radical too.

[D_Davis]

I've recently fallen in love with Clark Ashton Smith. His short story "The Maker of Gargoyles (http://www.eldritchdark.com/writings/short-stories/121/the-maker-of-gargoyles)" isn't as dark-fantasy as his other work. Pretty Gothic. Pretty radical too.

Yep - just came to add him to the list as well. :)

A lot of the first authors of the weird tales movement embraced the ideas and conventions of the gothic ghost stories.

A lot of CAS's stuff is available for free online, and a lot of these ghost stories in general are now in public domain, and you can get free e-reader versions all over the place.

CAS also wrote poetry.

Another to add to the list is A. Merrit. His story, "The People of the Pit," is a masterpiece of this style. While not gothic, it still maintains a lot of what you are looking for. This must have been a pretty big influence on Lovecraft.

http://www.horrormasters.com/Text/a1833.pdf

[D_Davis]

Oh, and David Morrell's (author of First Blood!) story, "Orange is for Anguish, Blue for Insanity," is an absolute masterpiece of the genre. Just an absolutely blisteringly-good weird tale. It haunted me for weeks.

You can find that in this collection here:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51QADP26JJL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Although the rest of the stories are more straight horror.

[D_Davis]

I also have collections of traditional ghost stories from Edith Wharton and Murial Spark, but I haven't read them yet.

[D_Davis]

I would definitely check these out:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71AG7A9365L._SL500_AA300_.gif

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/410bsdYxt5L._BO2,204,203,200_P Isitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/416g7aDz7xL._BO2,204,203,200_P Isitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CYSJV0QWL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51EG8UZ0VxL._BO2,204,203,200_P Isitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51A4QAQJXJL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

[Dillard]

This is AWESOME guys! Thanks. Keep the suggestions coming. Collections are great too.

[D_Davis]

This is AWESOME guys! Thanks. Keep the suggestions coming. Collections are great too.

Do you have an e-reader, or are you opposed to reading online?

A ton of this stuff is in public domain, so it is available for free.

For instance, a kindle edition search for William Hope Hodgson shows the following:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_2_12?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=william+hope+hodgson&x=0&y=0&sprefix=William+Hope%2Caps%2C1 55

You can get almost everything for nothing or next to it.

Also, tons of free stuff here:

Ghost Stories
http://www.manybooks.net/categories/GHO

Gothic
http://www.manybooks.net/categories/GOT

Classic Horror
http://www.manybooks.net/categories/HOR

[D_Davis]

Another great modern ghost story is William Peter Blatty's Elsewhere. It's a novella collected in the anthology, 999. Highly recommended - it's a fantastic haunted house tale.