M.R. James Ghost Stories by M.R. James

M.R. James's celebrated ghost stories resonate still, their chilling narratives drawing us unsuspecting into the deadly shadows. His tales are haunted, bleak disturbances of the soul, carefully crafted from the stuff of human fears. A towering presence in literature, TV and the movies, his work is much admired today. A deluxe edition, this sinister new collection offers many of his most famous tales, with some of the less well known, including: 'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad', 'Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book', 'The Mezzotint', 'The Fenstanton Witch', 'The Experiment' and 'Wailing Well'.

The Flame Tree Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales collections bring together the entire range of myth, folklore and modern short fiction. Highlighting the roots of suspense, supernatural, science fiction and mystery stories, the books in Flame Tree Collections series are beautifully presented, perfect as a gift and offer a lifetime of reading pleasure.

M.R. James (1862-1936) was an absolute master of the ghost story, and foundation stone of modern horror. His work influenced authors such as H.P. Lovecraft, Ramsey Campbell and Stephen King. He dispensed with the traditional techniques of ghost story construction, instead using realistic contemporary settings for his works. A medieval scholar, his story collections, including Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, remain popular today.

Robert Lloyd Parry (foreword) is an actor and storyteller. In 2005 he started 'The M.R. James Project', with a solo performance of 'Canon Alberic's Scrap-book' and 'The Mezzotint' in James's old office in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. To date the Project has yielded five more one-man theatre shows, several DVDs and audiobooks, two documentaries, a guided walk, numerous magazine articles and Ghosts of the Chit-Chat, an anthology of stories by James's contemporaries for Swan River Press. For more information visit www.nunkie.co.uk