ROBERT AICKMAN • ISAAC ASIMOV • GARDER DOZOIS • JACK DANN • MICHAEL SWANWICK • MARY WILKINS FREEMAN • CHARLES L. GRANT • PARKE GODWIN • W.W. JACOBS • RUSSELL KIRK • J.H. RIDDELL • TANITH LEE • STEPHEN MINOT • C.L. MOORE

As long as people have gathered together to tell late-night stories around the fire, or listened to the mysterious creaks of old houses in the dark hours, ghosts have dwelled in the human imagination. In this shivery collection, wraiths cry out to the living for vengeance…spirits are bound to the earth by the strength of their love…and powers are conjured up to claim final justice. All cast their spells on our minds, and no matter how frightened, we eagerly seek more tales about these phantom denizers of darkness. And now this wish has been granted in fourteen blood-chilling ghost stories by masters of the macabre…who give us a terrifying glimpse of what lies in store when the body is no more.…

It’s hard to dislike any anthology that has “Author! Author!” in it—and virtually impossible to dislike this one. There are some weak stories here, but a number of surprisingly strong ones (with “Author! Author!”) no doubt the best. Most notable are Russell Kirk’s “Invasion of the Church of the Holy Ghost” and “Touring” by the trio of Elvis, Janis, and Buddy—er, Gardner Dozois, Jack Dann, and Michael Swanwick. A surprisingly good anthology, it’s definitely worth the effort to own.

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