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The Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories #18
The Eighteenth Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories
The Chair • (1978) • shortstory by R. Chetwynd-Hayes
Above and Beyond • shortfiction by Charles Brameld
Kecksies • (1925) • shortstory by Marjorie Bowen
Streets of the City • shortstory by Tony Richards
The Old Rectory Well • shortfiction by Patricia Moynehan
Bad Company • (1955) • shortstory by Walter de la Mare
The New Old House • shortfiction by Robert Solomon
The Ferries • shortstory by Ramsey Campbell
The Summer House • shortfiction by Heather Vineham
Off the Deep End • shortfiction by Phillip C. Heath
The Empty Schoolroom • (1950) • shortstory by Pamela Hansford Johnson
Outside Agency • shortfiction by Daphne Froome
The Ankardyne Pew • (1928) • shortstory by William Fryer Harvey [as by W. F. Harvey ]
Kindred Spirits • shortfiction by Rick Kennett
Housewarming • shortfiction by Steve Rasnic Tem
Eye to Eye • shortfiction by Roger F. Dunkley
Introduction (The Eighteenth Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories) • essay by R. Chetwynd-Hayes
Above and Beyond • shortfiction by Charles Brameld
Kecksies • (1925) • shortstory by Marjorie Bowen
Streets of the City • shortstory by Tony Richards
The Old Rectory Well • shortfiction by Patricia Moynehan
Bad Company • (1955) • shortstory by Walter de la Mare
The New Old House • shortfiction by Robert Solomon
The Ferries • shortstory by Ramsey Campbell
The Summer House • shortfiction by Heather Vineham
Off the Deep End • shortfiction by Phillip C. Heath
The Empty Schoolroom • (1950) • shortstory by Pamela Hansford Johnson
Outside Agency • shortfiction by Daphne Froome
The Ankardyne Pew • (1928) • shortstory by William Fryer Harvey [as by W. F. Harvey ]
Kindred Spirits • shortfiction by Rick Kennett
Housewarming • shortfiction by Steve Rasnic Tem
Eye to Eye • shortfiction by Roger F. Dunkley
Introduction (The Eighteenth Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories) • essay by R. Chetwynd-Hayes
- GenresHorror
Paperback
First published December 23, 1982
53 people want to read
About the author
R. Chetwynd-Hayes
139 books58 followersRonald Henry Glynn Chetwynd-Hayes aka Angus Campbell.
Ronald Chetwynd-Hayes was an author, best known for his ghost stories. His first published work was the science fiction novel The Man From The Bomb in 1959. He went on to publish many collections and ten other novels including The Grange, The Haunted Grange, And Love Survived and The Curse of the Snake God. He also edited over 20 anthologies. Several of his short works were adapted into anthology style movies in the United Kingdom, including The Monster Club and From Beyond the Grave. Chetwynd-Hayes' book The Monster Club contains references to a film-maker called Vinke Rocnnor, an anagram of Kevin Connor, the director of From Beyond the Grave.
He won the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement for 1988, and the British Fantasy Society Special Award in 1989.
Ronald Chetwynd-Hayes was an author, best known for his ghost stories. His first published work was the science fiction novel The Man From The Bomb in 1959. He went on to publish many collections and ten other novels including The Grange, The Haunted Grange, And Love Survived and The Curse of the Snake God. He also edited over 20 anthologies. Several of his short works were adapted into anthology style movies in the United Kingdom, including The Monster Club and From Beyond the Grave. Chetwynd-Hayes' book The Monster Club contains references to a film-maker called Vinke Rocnnor, an anagram of Kevin Connor, the director of From Beyond the Grave.
He won the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement for 1988, and the British Fantasy Society Special Award in 1989.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 9, 2021
3.5
How to give this an overall marking? Of all these collections this is the one that is most variable in quality – ranging from the excellent, to the bloody awful! Apart from one (Walter de la Mare’s fine enough ‘Bad Company’), all the others could easily be placed into one of two drawers, labelled ‘Very Good,’ or ‘Don't Waste Your Time.’ There are sixteen stories. Here are the seven I would place into the ‘Very Good’ drawer:-
‘Outside Agency’ (by Daphne Froome) – A man discovers a buried putter on a golf course which seems to have powers. This is the fourth story from this author in these collections and the first that I’ve liked. The story in itself is slight; it’s the characters that give it its light – particularly the mild antagonism between father and daughter-in-law. The ghostly grey figure, clapping at the side of the green with gloved hands, adds the atmosphere.
‘The Summer House’ (Heather Vineham) – The mother of a young girl is horrified every time her daughter climbs over a neighbour’s fence and vanishes. The neighbour tells the mother of his own boy who was killed in the war… So much better than this writer’s effort which appeared in the previous book. This is clear and enjoyable, haunting, and has a reasonable degree of characterisation.
‘The New Old House’ (Robert Solomon) – A father and son move into an old house and the son becomes fascinated by the creepy basement. Meanwhile, the father is seeing his son’s teacher. I enjoyed this. It’s just well told story, and straightforward in fashion.
‘Streets Of The City’ (Tony Richards) – A ghost story set in the city. People die soon after coming into contact with a man. Tony Richards maybe a find in these latter Fontana books. His stories stand out from the sometimes stale and overly traditional ones that are included. You can tell this is the work of the writer of ‘After Dark’ from the previous collection – it’s a crisp, solidly written story that is full of stylishly brooding atmosphere. [On the strength of a couple of stories I’ve just bought four of his collections for my Kindle].
‘Kecksies’ (Marjorie Bowen) – Two upper-classed gents behave abominably when seeking shelter at the modest home of Goody Boyle. This supremely well written story is a classic of the genre and is understandably much anthologised. Very rich in atmosphere and characterisation. Chetwynd-Hayes describes it thus in his intro: ‘In Kecksies by Marjorie Bowen we are back in Gothic Country again, that wind-swept realm where young esquires come riding from Canterbury, jolly and drunk, rolling in their saddles as they follow the winding road across the downs. I am inclined to believe that swopping places with a dead man is not a healthy pastime, and the practice of tossing the corpse into a dark bed of Kecksies (hemlock) should be avoided. My word, this is a nasty, shivering, sweat-producing, nightmare-creating, comfort-bereft story.’
‘Above And Beyond’ (Charles Brameld) – A batty woman and hauntings in a modern residential block. Another modern story which avoids the traditional and so sets it apart from a number of the others. Also has some memorable characterisation (ie. the batty woman!).
‘The Chair’ (R. Chetwynd-Hayes) – A man buys an old chair for his bedroom, and on some nights sees a beckoning woman sitting in it. Wanting to get to the bottom of it, he visits an old woman who lived in the house from which it came. Chetwynd-Hayes is one of my favourite writers in the horror genre. Hugely enjoyable when he’s at his best. ‘The Elemental & Other Stories’ and ‘Tales Of Fear & Fantasy’ are fine collections. A number of his stories were filmed. ‘The Chair’ displays his usual quirky characterisation, rich atmosphere, and distinctive humour. He also edited this series from volumes nine to twenty – for which he should be applauded (and receive a few rotten tomatoes!). His intros usually make for entertaining reads also. Here he talks of a very specific type of ghost, the very common ‘fear ghost:-’
'You move into a house that has the reputation of being haunted by an old man carrying a lighted candle. While the sun shines through the nylon curtains you can afford to laugh at this nonsensical idea and even talk bravely of blowing his candle out, should he put in an appearance. But when long shadows creep across the garden and strange shapes appear in obscure corners, a little grey snake uncoils in your brain. You may possibly remember that someone (me) once said that every house harbours at least one ghost, even if the living inhabitants are too blind to see it.’
This book is more of a roller-coaster than most in the series; the good stories however are very good and make the read worthwhile.
[For me, the ones to avoid are: ‘Eye To Eye,’ ‘Housewarming,’ ‘Kindred Spirits,’ ‘The Ankardyne Pew,’ The Empty Schoolroom,’ ‘Off The Deep End,’ ‘The Ferries,’ and ‘The Old Rectory Well.’ In my notes regarding these stories, the words that I have constantly written down are – flat, dull, ‘never takes off,’ formulaic, ‘awkwardly written,’ and ‘rattled off.’].
How to give this an overall marking? Of all these collections this is the one that is most variable in quality – ranging from the excellent, to the bloody awful! Apart from one (Walter de la Mare’s fine enough ‘Bad Company’), all the others could easily be placed into one of two drawers, labelled ‘Very Good,’ or ‘Don't Waste Your Time.’ There are sixteen stories. Here are the seven I would place into the ‘Very Good’ drawer:-
‘Outside Agency’ (by Daphne Froome) – A man discovers a buried putter on a golf course which seems to have powers. This is the fourth story from this author in these collections and the first that I’ve liked. The story in itself is slight; it’s the characters that give it its light – particularly the mild antagonism between father and daughter-in-law. The ghostly grey figure, clapping at the side of the green with gloved hands, adds the atmosphere.
‘The Summer House’ (Heather Vineham) – The mother of a young girl is horrified every time her daughter climbs over a neighbour’s fence and vanishes. The neighbour tells the mother of his own boy who was killed in the war… So much better than this writer’s effort which appeared in the previous book. This is clear and enjoyable, haunting, and has a reasonable degree of characterisation.
‘The New Old House’ (Robert Solomon) – A father and son move into an old house and the son becomes fascinated by the creepy basement. Meanwhile, the father is seeing his son’s teacher. I enjoyed this. It’s just well told story, and straightforward in fashion.
‘Streets Of The City’ (Tony Richards) – A ghost story set in the city. People die soon after coming into contact with a man. Tony Richards maybe a find in these latter Fontana books. His stories stand out from the sometimes stale and overly traditional ones that are included. You can tell this is the work of the writer of ‘After Dark’ from the previous collection – it’s a crisp, solidly written story that is full of stylishly brooding atmosphere. [On the strength of a couple of stories I’ve just bought four of his collections for my Kindle].
‘Kecksies’ (Marjorie Bowen) – Two upper-classed gents behave abominably when seeking shelter at the modest home of Goody Boyle. This supremely well written story is a classic of the genre and is understandably much anthologised. Very rich in atmosphere and characterisation. Chetwynd-Hayes describes it thus in his intro: ‘In Kecksies by Marjorie Bowen we are back in Gothic Country again, that wind-swept realm where young esquires come riding from Canterbury, jolly and drunk, rolling in their saddles as they follow the winding road across the downs. I am inclined to believe that swopping places with a dead man is not a healthy pastime, and the practice of tossing the corpse into a dark bed of Kecksies (hemlock) should be avoided. My word, this is a nasty, shivering, sweat-producing, nightmare-creating, comfort-bereft story.’
‘Above And Beyond’ (Charles Brameld) – A batty woman and hauntings in a modern residential block. Another modern story which avoids the traditional and so sets it apart from a number of the others. Also has some memorable characterisation (ie. the batty woman!).
‘The Chair’ (R. Chetwynd-Hayes) – A man buys an old chair for his bedroom, and on some nights sees a beckoning woman sitting in it. Wanting to get to the bottom of it, he visits an old woman who lived in the house from which it came. Chetwynd-Hayes is one of my favourite writers in the horror genre. Hugely enjoyable when he’s at his best. ‘The Elemental & Other Stories’ and ‘Tales Of Fear & Fantasy’ are fine collections. A number of his stories were filmed. ‘The Chair’ displays his usual quirky characterisation, rich atmosphere, and distinctive humour. He also edited this series from volumes nine to twenty – for which he should be applauded (and receive a few rotten tomatoes!). His intros usually make for entertaining reads also. Here he talks of a very specific type of ghost, the very common ‘fear ghost:-’
'You move into a house that has the reputation of being haunted by an old man carrying a lighted candle. While the sun shines through the nylon curtains you can afford to laugh at this nonsensical idea and even talk bravely of blowing his candle out, should he put in an appearance. But when long shadows creep across the garden and strange shapes appear in obscure corners, a little grey snake uncoils in your brain. You may possibly remember that someone (me) once said that every house harbours at least one ghost, even if the living inhabitants are too blind to see it.’
This book is more of a roller-coaster than most in the series; the good stories however are very good and make the read worthwhile.
[For me, the ones to avoid are: ‘Eye To Eye,’ ‘Housewarming,’ ‘Kindred Spirits,’ ‘The Ankardyne Pew,’ The Empty Schoolroom,’ ‘Off The Deep End,’ ‘The Ferries,’ and ‘The Old Rectory Well.’ In my notes regarding these stories, the words that I have constantly written down are – flat, dull, ‘never takes off,’ formulaic, ‘awkwardly written,’ and ‘rattled off.’].
Want to read
November 27, 2022PLACEHOLDER REVIEWS
In "Kecksies," by Marjorie Bowen, two ne'er do well young noblemen, caught out riding in bad weather, shelter in the cottage of a witchy old woman. The woman informs them that she is harboring the body of one of the squire's bitter rivals, who incessantly pestered the nobleman's wife after they were married and was eventually, legally, driven out into the countryside, where he died. Hearing that the dead man's friends will be gathering later, and drinking heavily, the two nobles concoct a prank in which the nobleman will replace the body of the dead man with his own, and frighten the congregation. But things do not go as planned... This is a nasty, creepy, powerfully effective story (would have made a great episode of 70s BBC "Ghost Stories At Christmas"), that contains revenants and even sexual assault. Nasty but a good read!
"The Ankardyne Pew" by William Fryer Harvey - told as a series of diary entries and letters, we follow the Rev. Thomas Prendergast and friend, and their record of the occurrences in 1890 at Ankardyne House - and the titular "pew" (a separate sub-building of the Church - itself next to Ankardyne house - built long in the past so that the squire could have personal services). But Miss Ankardyne confides that there is something evil and haunting about the house, vague and indeterminate - which bothers her (and the Reverend's) sleep, so that he sends her away and calls a friend, who seems to have knowledge of the supernatural, to visit...
While in many ways this feels like a standard M.R. James British Antiquarian Ghost Story (an old chiseled inscription proves to have been changed after the fact, the eerie night-cry of a strange bird), there are some modern flourishes (the House and Chapel are described early as looking like "a wicked uncle, setting off for a walk in the woods with one of the babes" which seems strikingly modern in its language and implication) and a willingness to "cut to the chase," as it were - revealing a wicked ancestor and his hideous actions (and death) in the past. Solid.
In "Kecksies," by Marjorie Bowen, two ne'er do well young noblemen, caught out riding in bad weather, shelter in the cottage of a witchy old woman. The woman informs them that she is harboring the body of one of the squire's bitter rivals, who incessantly pestered the nobleman's wife after they were married and was eventually, legally, driven out into the countryside, where he died. Hearing that the dead man's friends will be gathering later, and drinking heavily, the two nobles concoct a prank in which the nobleman will replace the body of the dead man with his own, and frighten the congregation. But things do not go as planned... This is a nasty, creepy, powerfully effective story (would have made a great episode of 70s BBC "Ghost Stories At Christmas"), that contains revenants and even sexual assault. Nasty but a good read!
"The Ankardyne Pew" by William Fryer Harvey - told as a series of diary entries and letters, we follow the Rev. Thomas Prendergast and friend, and their record of the occurrences in 1890 at Ankardyne House - and the titular "pew" (a separate sub-building of the Church - itself next to Ankardyne house - built long in the past so that the squire could have personal services). But Miss Ankardyne confides that there is something evil and haunting about the house, vague and indeterminate - which bothers her (and the Reverend's) sleep, so that he sends her away and calls a friend, who seems to have knowledge of the supernatural, to visit...
While in many ways this feels like a standard M.R. James British Antiquarian Ghost Story (an old chiseled inscription proves to have been changed after the fact, the eerie night-cry of a strange bird), there are some modern flourishes (the House and Chapel are described early as looking like "a wicked uncle, setting off for a walk in the woods with one of the babes" which seems strikingly modern in its language and implication) and a willingness to "cut to the chase," as it were - revealing a wicked ancestor and his hideous actions (and death) in the past. Solid.
November 4, 2024
One of these stories made me SOB!!! I was looking to be creeped out, not go on an emotional rollercoaster!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews