Ghost Stories

E. F. Benson wrote a great many novels and short stories, and the Mapp and Lucia novels are among his best-known work, but his ghost stories are what he is perhaps most famous for. This collection gathers them, and they vary widely in tone. "The Dust-Cloud" is a quietly atmospheric tale set on a country road. "Caterpillars" offers slick, gruesome body horror. "Mr. Tilly's Séance" is a satire that aims for laughs. "The Room in the Tower" delivers Gothic terror and may be Benson's most famous ghost story.

Most of these stories first appeared on their own in various magazines, and his publisher later assembled them into a series of collections. They are now regarded as a foundation of the genre and have influenced writers for decades.