The Wimbourne Book of Victorian Ghost Stories: Volume 5

by Alastair Gunn, Thomas Street Millington, Walter Besant

Wimbourne Books presents the fifth in a series of rare or out-of-print ghost stories from Victorian authors. With an introduction by author Alastair Gunn, Volume 5 in the series spans the years 1872 to 1901 and includes stories from a wide range of male authors; British, French and American. Includes tales by Henry James, Arthur Conan Doyle and Rudyard Kipling. Readers new to this genre will discover its pleasures; the Victorian quaintness, the sometimes shocking difference in social norms, the almost comical politeness and structured etiquette, the archaic and precise language, but mostly the Victorians’ skill at stoking our fears and trepidations, our insecurities and doubts. Even if you are already an aficionado of the ghostly tale there is much within these pages to interest you. Wait until the dark of the stormy night arrives, lock the doors, shutter the windows, light the fire, sit with your back to the wall and bury yourself in the Victorian macabre. Try not to let the creaking floorboards, the distant howl of a dog, the chill breeze that caresses the candle, the shadows in the far recesses of your room, disturb your concentration. Includes the stories; No Living Voice (1872) – Thomas Street Millington; Lady Kitty (1876) – Walter Besant & James Rice; The Ghostly Rental (1876) – Henry James; The Transferred Ghost (1882) – Frank Richard Stockton; Apparition (1883) – Guy de Maupassant; Selecting a Ghost (1883) – Arthur Conan Doyle; No. 11 Welham Square (1885) – Edward Masey; The House of Strange Stories (1886) – Andrew Lang; By Word of Mouth (1887) – Rudyard Kipling; A Set of Chessmen (1890) – Richard Marsh; The Haunted Mill (1891) – Jerome K. Jerome; The Haunted Station (1892) – Hume Nisbet; Pallinghurst Barrow (1892) – Grant Allen; The Man Who Was Not on the Passenger List (1892) – Robert Barr; The Saving of a Soul (1893) – Sir Richard Francis Burton; No 252. Rue M. le Prince (1895) – Ralph Adams Cram; The Red Room (1896) – H. G. Wells; Colonel Halifax’s Ghost Story (1897) – Sabine Baring-Gould; The Haunted Burglar (1897) – William Chambers Morrow; The Case of Vincent Pyrwhit (1901) – Barry Pain.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Gothic

263 pages, Paperback

Published December 17, 2019

About the author

ALASTAIR GUNN is an author, musician and professional astrophysicist based in the UK and is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. As well as an active scientist, Alastair is an experienced and popular public lecturer on astronomy and is known for his accessible (though challenging), light-hearted, and visually stunning lectures. He has made guest appearances on many TV and radio shows around the world and has hosted a regular astronomy program on radio. Alastair writes a regular column for BBC Science Focus magazine and has written for The Daily Telegraph, The Independent and The Guardian and is a contributor to many astronomy magazines including Astronomy Now, BBC Sky at Night and StarDate. His fiction includes ghostly short stories, a collection of supernatural stories called Ballymoon and his debut novel, The Bergamese Sect.

Reviews

[Charlene Morris]

No Living Voice (1872) – Thomas Street Millington;
Lady Kitty (1876) – Walter Besant & James Rice;
The Ghostly Rental (1876) – Henry James;
The Transferred Ghost (1882) – Frank Richard Stockton;
Apparition (1883) – Guy de Maupassant;
Selecting a Ghost (1883) – Arthur Conan Doyle;
No. 11 Welham Square (1885) – Edward Masey;
The House of Strange Stories (1886) – Andrew Lang;
By Word of Mouth (1887) – Rudyard Kipling;
A Set of Chessmen (1890) – Richard Marsh;
The Haunted Mill (1891) – Jerome K. Jerome;
The Haunted Station (1892) – Hume Nisbet;
Pallinghurst Barrow (1892) – Grant Allen;
The Man Who Was Not on the Passenger List (1892) – Robert Barr;
The Saving of a Soul (1893) – Sir Richard Francis Burton;
No 252. Rue M. le Prince (1895) – Ralph Adams Cram;
The Red Room (1896) – H. G. Wells;
Colonel Halifax’s Ghost Story (1897) – Sabine Baring-Gould;
The Haunted Burglar (1897) – William Chambers Morrow;
The Case of Vincent Pyrwhit (1901) – Barry Pain.

[David Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best Volume Yet of the Wimbourne series

A very enjoyable read, decidedly better than the earlier volumes. The telling of ghost stories definitely improved with these authors.