Comments   Summary   Author Notes

Summary: A collection of classic ghost stories from the visionary master of supernatural fictionM. R. James referred to by H. P. Lovecraft as 'one of the few really creative masters in his darksome province,' was a pioneer in the history of the English ghost story, transforming the ghost from a wispy, ethereal figure into an aggressive, malevolent, and all too palpable force of evil. The only annotated edition of M. R. James's writings currently available, Count Magnus and Other Ghost Stories is both the culmination of the nineteenth-century ghost story tradition and the inspiration for much of the best twentieth-century work in this genre. Included in this collection are such landmark tales as 'Count Magnus,' set in the wilds of Sweden; 'Casting the Runes,' a richly complex tale of sorcery that served as the basis for the classic horror film Curse of the Demon; and ' 'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad,' ' one of the most frightening tales in literature. The appendix includes several rare texts, including 'A Night in King's College Chapel,' James's first known ghost story.Edited with an Introduction by S. T. JOSHI