Smoke Ghost: Other Apparitions

by Fritz Leiber

A collection of supernatural horror stories by a multiple award-winning master of the fantastic. From the author of Swords and Deviltry and many other classic novels, a recipient of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards, this is a treasure trove of horrific tales, many of which remained out of print for decades after appearing in such magazines as Unknown, Thrilling Mystery, Startling Stories, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and the acclaimed horror specialty magazine Whispers 13–14. In addition to the title story, this collection also “Cry Witch!” (1951), “I’m Looking for Jeff” (1952), “Ms. Found in a Maelstrom” (1959), “The Button Molder” (1979), “Dark Wings” (1976), and “The Enormous Bedroom” (2001), which is original to this volume.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Science Fiction, Supernatural, Science Fiction Fantasy, Collections

347 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. was one of the more interesting of the young writers who came into HP Lovecraft's orbit, and some of his best early short fiction is horror rather than sf or fantasy. He found his mature voice early in the first of the sword-and-sorcery adventures featuring the large sensitive barbarian Fafhrd and the small street-smart-ish Gray Mouser; he returned to this series at various points in his career, using it sometimes for farce and sometimes for gloomy mood pieces--The Swords of Lankhmar is perhaps the best single volume of their adventures. Leiber's science fiction includes the planet-smashing The Wanderer in which a large cast mostly survive flood, fire, and the sexual attentions of feline aliens, and the satirical A Spectre is Haunting Texas in which a gangling, exo-skeleton-clad actor from the Moon leads a revolution and finds his true love. Leiber's late short fiction, and the fine horror novel Our Lady of Darkness, combine autobiographical issues like his struggle with depression and alcoholism with meditations on the emotional content of the fantastic genres. Leiber's capacity for endless self-reinvention and productive self-examination kept him, until his death, one of the most modern of his sf generation.

Used These Alternate Names: Maurice Breçon, Fric Lajber, Fritz Leiber, Jr., Fritz R. Leiber, Fritz Leiber Jun., Фриц Лейбер, F. Lieber, フリッツ・ライバー

Reviews

[Carla Remy · Rating 4 out of 5]

10/2016

Dirt, detritus, flakes and dust of modern urban life obsess Leiber (here and also in his novel Our Lady of Darkness). Many stories here are only horror in that they're strange and dark and don't seem sane. I love that. The Hill and the Hole was creepy. Black Glass was about an old man surreally observing Manhattan in the 1970s; it seems eerie now because the climax takes place at the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. My favorite is Black Ewe. I love the writing and the non literal story.

[Denny]

Too dated stories for me.

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been on a real short-story kick lately and Leiber's are top rate. I love his horror better than his sci-fi/fantasy and he's a master of short-form fiction. This was a wonderful collection touching on midcentury terrors of science run amok and the brutal isolation of contemporary life

[Carl Palmateer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightful collection of horror stories from Mr. Leiber. Well crafted with gems for all. To say much more is to introduce spoilers and who wants that?

[Jeffrey Powanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkably varied collection of 18 fantasy, supernatural, and macabre stories from the Forties through the Seventies that highlight Leiber's impressive range of literary skills: erudition, insight, imagination, eroticism, lyricism, urbanity, and wit. Many of the stories are thrilling purely for Leiber's sophisticated narrative voice. Leiber could write a story about his digital alarm clock and make it fascinating and emotionally engaging. His genius as a storyteller lies in his focus on the personal. After all, even the most baroque fantasy or horror story is dull unless we can understand what the characters think and feel about the experience.

Here are my favorite stories in the collection:

Smoke Ghost- The protagonist is in the grip of an elemental spirit conjured out of the city's filth.
The Power of the Puppets - In this hard-boiled story, a femme fatale tells a private detective that her husband's puppets are alive.
Black Glass - An urban fantasy set in Manhattan featuring tower-destroying time travelers, with an eerie climax at the observatory at the World Trade Center.
The Button Molder - Autobiographical story set in San Francisco in the Seventies, concerning rooftop astronomy and a ghostly apparition. The perfect companion to Leiber's final novel, Our Lady of Darkness.
Dark Wings - Fantasy story of two identical twin women, rooted in Jungian psychology.

[Strega · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderful collection of dark tales

[Adam Meek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of good stories from across the Leiber's career, the earliest from 1941 and the latest published in 1990. Not all of them are ghost stories.

[N. R. Gravel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent short story. It had me guessing the whole time.

[Malachi]

As found in Otto Penzler's Big Book of Ghost Stories
Goodreads does not make it easy to add books so this is my record of this story