'...revealing great shining fangs more than three inches long.' Some of the most macabre and wonderful of all Chinese stories, including 'The Golden Goblet', 'Scorched Moth the Daoist' and 'The Black Beast' Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions. Pu Songling (1640-1715). Pu Songling's Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio is available in Penguin Classics.

It all began like this.... We were about to start a boring Thursday afternoon lesson when the sky outside suddenly turned black and threatening like a big storm was gathering. 'It was a day like this when Edward disappeared.' The teacher said. 'What happened to him?' We asked curious to discover his fate. 'I can't tell you. The dreadful events of that dark day are too frightening to talk about. You'd be too scared to walk home and when the time came to go up to your bedrooms your legs would turn to jelly and your heart freeze with fear.' 'But we're not afraid of ghosts! You must tell us what happened to poor Edward!' 'Your mums will complain that you've been too terrified to sleep, that you've lain awake all night long crying in fear.' 'No, we won't, we're brave, we won't say a word to our mums, we promise.' 'Alright then, if you promise. It all began like this ......'

M. R. James was born in Kent, England in 1862. James came to writing fiction relatively late, not publishing his first collection of short stories - Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1904) - until the age of 42. Modern scholars now see James as having redefined the ghost story for the 20th century and he is seen as the founder of the 'antiquarian ghost story'. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions with a brand new introductory biography of the author.

Discover the spine-chilling history of ghosts and the supernatural across the world in this illustrated guide. A History of Ghosts, Spirits and the Supernatural charts the extraordinary narrative of one of the most fascinating and controversial subjects in the world, covering everything from Neolithic ancestor worship and ancient necromancy to modern-day ghost-hunting and creepypasta tales and from the Japanese onryo to the La Llorona of Latin America. The perfect introduction to the subject, this spellbinding volume details the numerous ways in which spirits and the spirit world have been depicted in myth and religion, folklore, art, and literature. In this ghostly novel, you will find: Recounts of infamous tales of haunted houses and ghost ships, séances and mediumships, poltergeists, possessions, and demonic encounters. Feature profiles for other ghostly or undead beings, such as vampires and werewolves. The numerous reasons that ghost stories and tales of the uncanny are a common feature of cultures the world over. A serious but reader-friendly overview of a fascinating and controversial subject that explores the supernatural across the world and throughout history. The most holistic history of the subject available, A History of Ghosts, Spirits, and the Supernatural will shock and delight you in equal measure - whether you are a believer or a skeptic.

Considered by many to be the most terrifying writer in English, M.R. James was an eminent scholar who spent his entire adult life in the academic surroundings of Eton and Cambridge. His classic supernatural tales draw on the terrors of the everyday, in which documents and objects unleash terrible forces, often in closed rooms and night-time settings where imagination runs riot. Lonely country houses, remote inns, ancient churches or the manuscript collections of great libraries provide settings for unbearable menace, from creatures seeking retribution and harm. These stories have lost none of their power to unsettle and disturb. This edition presents all of James's published ghost stories, including the unforgettable 'Oh, Whistle and I'll Come to You, My Lad' and 'Casting the Runes', and an appendix of James's writings on the ghost story. Darryl Jones's introduction and notes provide a fascinating insight into James's background and his mastery of the genre he made his own. --! From publisher's description.

Could a spirit of the dead really come back to haunt the living? If tales of ghosts are just fictional stories, why do so many people report seeing these supernatural beings? What would it be like to be the restless spirit of someone who has died, and how can you tell if ghosts inhabit the house you live in? In Ghosts and Other Spirits of the Dead, children will read historical stories and modern-day accounts of ghostly encounters. Kids will get all the information they need to help them spot or sense the spirits of the dead and to protect themselves from being haunted by ghosts. Children will also investigate the truth behind ghost stories by first exploring the fears and superstitions of different cultures that might explain the origins of the stories, and then looking at the scientific facts that might explain the seemingly unexplainable. If you love a spine-chilling horror story but also want to investigate the truth behind these myths, this is the book for you!

The identity of the original author of this ancient Sanskrit story cycle has been lost to history, but the spooky ambiance of these tales has been rendered exquisitely in this expert translation by respected scholar of Sanskrit Arthur W. Ryder. Twenty-Two Goblins is sure to send a chill down the spine of even the most stalwart reader, and those with an interest in ancient folklore will be particularly pleased.

The world's only kid consulting detective is on the trail of the supernatural. Ghosts, ghouls, witches - indeed all manner of phantasmagoria - beware because Sheerluck, his sister Watson and the atomic sprite Mycroft have your details! In this volume: ZOMBIES CURSED PAINTINGS SLENDER MAN DOPPELGANGERS Are they real? Or what? You will thrill to the terrifying and frankly bizarre cases Sheerluck and co have dealt with. So sit down, strap in and unexpect the expected!