Undeservedly, the weird and chilling ghost stories of Arthur Christopher Benson and Robert Hugh Benson have been neglected for far too long. As exercises in the art of luring the reader into a state of unease, they are as potent as they were when the ink was barely dry on the page.

Like its companion volume, "The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction", this massive reference of 4,000 entries covers all aspects of fantasy, from literature to art.

Over 25 short story masterpieces from writers such as Louis de Bernières and Ian Rankin - modern literary tales to chill the blood. This spine-chilling new anthology of 20th and 21st century tales by big name writers is in the best traditions of literary ghost stories. It is just a little over a hundred years ago that the most famous literary ghost story, The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, was published and in the intervening years a great many other distinguished writers have tried their hand at this popular genre - some basing their fictional tales on real supernatural experiences of their own.

This collection offers some of the best stories from authors who influenced James, such as Sheridan Le Fanu and Augustus Jessopp, stories from his contemporaries, such as T.G. Jackson and D.N.J., and tales from more recent practitioners, including Fritz Leiber and Terry Lamsley. The collection also includes a checklist of writers in the Jamesian tradition.