7th Best Ghost Story 1st half of 19th Century is "The Old Maid in the Winding Sheet" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) penned what may be the 7th best ghost story from 1800-1849 when he published "The Old Maid in the Winding Sheet" during 1837. This story is included in The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849: a Classic Ghost Anthology with comments and story background. The scary story is truly chilling throughout and for that reason shines above "Lady Eleanor's Mantle," which I believe to be his second best ghost story. Hawthorne, of course, is no stranger to the supernatural genre. "The Minister's Black Veil" is one of the fine tales found in The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology. For the record, Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Wilhelm Hauff are the only authors to have stories in each anthology.

Review of "Coffee with Poe: A Novel of Edgar Allan Poe's Life"

From time to time I post reviews of my books. A recent one has been posted on Barnes & Noble about Coffee with Poe: A Novel of Edgar Allan Poe's life. In it I tried to bring Poe to life with actual letters from his foster father, three fiancees and wife. It is available in both print and ebook formats. Here is the 5 star review:

Really Good In-Depth Look at the Life of Edgar Allan Poe: This book is really well written and always held my interest . . . Prepare yourself because you have trouble putting it down once you begin.

And since I am counting down the Top 10 ghost stories for the first half of the 19th century, this raises the question about Poe's ghost stories. He didn't write many. His best is "The Mask of the Red Death," and it will soon make an appearance in my scary story countdown.

Book About Edgar Allan Poe at Barnes & Noble

Book About Edgar Allan Poe at Amazon

9th Best Ghost Story for 1st Half of 19th Century is "Adventure of the German Student" by Washington Irving

Washington Irving gifted us with the "Adventure of the German Student," which I pick as the 9th best ghost story from 1800-1849. This short scary story was published in 1831 and it is has one of the most surprising endings for any of the Top 10 ghost stories picked in The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Ghost Anthology.

Best Ghost Story 10 from 1800-1849 is The Tapestried Chamber by Sir Walter Scott

The Top 10 ghost stories for the 1st half of the 19th century starts with The Tapestried Chamber by Sir Walter Scott that floats in at spot 10. You can find the scary story (including story background and annotations) in my recently published anthology of the best ghost stories for this period.

The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849 on Amazon/Kindle

The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849 on Google Books

The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849 at Barnes & Noble/Nook

Informal Poll of the Best Horror Short Stories

Before I countdown the Top 10 ghost stories for the first half of the 19th century, I started a discussion at the Kindle forums for people's favorite horror short stories. Here is the list, in no particular order:

Edgar Allan Poe: The Black Cat (2), The Cask of Amontillado (4), The Fall of the House of Usher, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar, The Pit and the Pendulum
Washington Irving: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Algernon Blackwood: The Willows (2)
Robert Chambers: The King in Yellow, The Yellow Sign
Charlotte Perkins Gilman: The Yellow Wallpaper
Neil Gaiman: Don't Ask Jack, October in the Chair
Clive Barker: The Body Politic, Hellbound Heart
Shirley Jackson: The Summer People (2), The Lottery
Mary E Wilkins: The Wind in the Rose-Bush
Joyce Carol Oates: Night-Side
Robert Bloch: Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper, The Night Before Christmas
Ray Bradbury: The Crowd, The Veldt
Edward Bulwer-Lytton: The Haunters and the Haunted
Theodore Sturgeon: Vengeance is
Peter Straub: A Short Guide to the City
Cortozar: House Taken Over
E.F. Benson: The Room in the Tower
George R.R. Martin: Sandkings
Stephen King: Quitters Inc. (2), Mrs. Todd's Shortcut (2), Crouch End (2), Breathing Method, One for the Road, The Reaper's Image, The Reach, The Mangler, Rainy Season, The Ledge, The Jaunt, Survivor Type, The Mist, Sundog
James Everington: A Writer's Words, The Other Room
Jeffrey Deaver: Beautiful
H.P. Lovecraft: In The Vault, The Call of Cthulhu, The Colour out of Space (2), Dreams in the Witch House, The Outsider, The Music of Eric Zann, Shadow Over Innsmouth
Arthur Machen: The Great God Pan (2), Haunter of the Dark
R.L. Stevenson: The Merry Men
Charles Grant: This Old Man, The Garden of Blackred Roses
T.E.D. Klein: Children of the Kingdom
Sheridan Le Fanu: Carmilla, Green Tea
Nathaniel Hawthorne: Young Goodman Brown, The Minister's Black Veil
Robert E. Howard: Pigeons From Hell
A.M. Burrage: The Waxwork
H.R. Wakefield: He Cometh and He Passeth By
Ramsey Campbell: The Guide, The Companion (2)
M. R. James: Oh Whistle and I'll Come to you My Lad, The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral, Count Magnus
L. M. Boston: Curfew
Roger Johnson: The Wall Painting
R. H. Malden: The Sundial
Michael Shea: The Autopsy
Robert Aickman: The School Friend, Into the Wood, The Swords
Guy N Smith: Last Train
Nigel Kneale: Minuke
Ken Aldman: The Papal Magician
John Collier: Evening Primrose
Roald Dahl: Slaughter, Pig
F. Paul Wilson: Soft
Orson Scott Card: Eumenides, In The Fourth Floor Lavatory
Peter Watts: The Things
William Hope Hodgson: The House on the Borderland, The Voice in the Night

You can few of these scary stories in The Best Horror Stories Anthology that I edited, which was a finalist in the anthology category of the Indie Book Awards.

Best Ghost Story 11 from 1800-1849 is The Ghostly Visiter, or The Mysterious Invalid

On February 27, 1833 a horrific ghost story was published by the title The Ghostly Visiter; or, The Mysterious Invalid. The scary story was printed anonymously in The Penny Story-Teller, a British pulp magazine that came out every Wednesday.

The Penny Story-Teller and others were called "penny dreadfuls" given the frightening contained within their pages. In these rages is where horror short stories first took root in the UK. "The Ghostly Visiter" is one of the finest examples of a ghost story to come out of these papers and I waste no time in placing in spot 11 of my countdown of the Top 40 ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century. In my next post I will reveal the Top 10 ghost stories, which are contained in The Best Ghost Stories book that I recently edited. 

 

Best Ghost Story 12 from 1800-1849 is "The Spectre-Smitten" by Samuel Warren

We are into the Top 12, the scary dozen, ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century. Number 12 was penned by Samuel Warren (1807-1877), a practicing lawyer and former medical school student. His haunting short story "The Thunderstruck and the Boxer" was included in The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology and you can find analysis of it there. From 1831-1837 Warren anonymously published a series of stories in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, which were later collected in "Passages from the Diary of a Late Physician." This popular collection was claimed by other authors, which forced Warren to come clean as to its authorship.

But this is a ghost stories countdown and Warren penned one of the best for the period under review. The scary story is The Spectre-Smitten. It is one of the finest ghost stories of insanity and the supernatural. The protagonist is a law student and Warren certainly drew on his experience as a law student in February 1831 when the story was published in Blackwood's. Enjoy!

www.AndrewBarger.com

  

Best Ghost Story 13 from 1800-1849 is "A Night in a Church" by Cornelius Felton

Thirteen is a very lucky number when it comes to this countdown of the Top 40 ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century. That's because the story in spot 13 is one of the most horrific of its kind and it has a storied (every pun intended) past. The scary story was published anonymously under the initials C.C.F. After conducting a bit of sleuthing, I was able to learn that Cornelius Conway Felton (1807-1862) used this pseudonym early in his career.  

The ghost story is A Night in a Church and it was published in 1831 when Felton was 24 years old. Three years later he would graduate Harvard College and from 1860-1862 become its president. After reading "A Night in a Church" you will agree that this story is the most frightening ever penned by a future Harvard president in the first half of the nineteenth century (perhaps ever). It had a nice publication run, being republished as late as the 1870s.

If you want to read the Top 10 ghost stories for this period, they are contained in The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Ghost Anthology that I recently edited with story background and a list of ghost stories read. 

Best Ghost Story 14 from 1800-1849 is "Peter Rugg: The Missing Man" by William Austin

At spot 14 in my countdown of the scariest ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century is Peter Rugg: The Missing Man by William Austin (1778-1841). Austin was a Harvard educated attorney who grew up in Massachusetts. He influenced Nathaniel Hawthorne, among others. He is remembered today for penning one of the most popular ghost stories for this period, which is derived from the popular theme of The Wandering Jew. Published between 1824 and 1826 in the New England Galaxy magazine, "Peter Rugg" recounts the horrific tale of a man who forever wanders the earth in search of something, but never to find it just as the Flying Dutchman forever sails the seas in search of land. The scary story is well written and Peter Rugg is one of the most vibrant characters brought to life in the first part of the nineteenth century. For these reasons it is selected as one of the best for this period. 

Best Ghost Story 15 from 1800-1849 is "The Collier's Family" by Friedrich Motte Fouque

It's October and the perfect month to finish my countdown of the Top 40 ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century. So let's get on with it.

The 15th best ghost story is The Collier's Family by Baron Friedrich Heinrich Karl de la Motte Fouque (1777-1843), who just happens to have the scariest name in the countdown. This horror gem was first published in English in "Popular Tales and Romances of the Northern Nations," which was published in 1823. This three volume collection of tales by mostly German authors also contained "Wake Not the Dead." This is the third vampire short story we have on record and many attribute it to Ludwig Tieck, though this has not been proven as the story was never found among his papers.

Fouque is best known today for his novel "Undine" where a water spirit marries a knight in shining armor. In 1814 ETA Hoffmann, who appeared at spot 17 with "Mines of Falun" and whose horror story "The Deserted House" appears in The Best Horror Short Stories for this same period, translated "Undine" into an opera. But it is "The  Collier's Family" that is the focus here, which includes a scary phantom brownie creature that haunts the collier's family. Collier is antiquated term for a coal miner and this story tops the other miner ghost story on the countdown, which is the previously mentioned "Mines of Falun," if for nothing else than originality.

In my short story collection Mailboxes - Mansions - Memphistopheles there is "The Brownie of the Alabaster Mansion" if you want to read a modern take on this creature that you are sure to find interesting! Tomorrow I will post a link to ghost story 14, so read quickly.  

Best Ghost Story 16 from 1800-1849 Lady Eleanor's Mantle by Nathaniel Hawthorne

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Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) was no stranger when it came to telling a scary ghost story. His "Legends of the Province House" was mentioned as being exemplary by H.P. Lovecraft and his 1835 story titled "Graves and Goblins" is quite good. But this post is about Lady Eleanor's Mantle, which floats in at the 16th spot in my countdown of the scary ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

"Lady Eleanor's Mantle" is a ghostly tale of pestilence and because of that it draws certain parallels to Edgar Allan Poe's "Mask of the Red Death," which is included in my recently published book: The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Ghost Anthology. Without giving away too much, the horror story contains an insane person and is well worth a read on a moonlit night. Enjoy.  

Best Ghost Story 17 from 1800-1849 is "The Mines of Falun" by Ernst Hoffmann

Ernst T.A. Hoffmann (1776-1822), one of the earliest progenitors of supernatural stories, wrote the excellent The Mines of Falun. I pegged it as #17 in the greatest ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century. It was first published in 1819 and is set in the storied mines of Falun, Sweden. Many scary stories link the mines to the supernatural and a rumored tunnel to the center of the earth.

While in my estimation this is Hoffmann's greatest ghost tale, it is not his most original. He admits in Die Serapion Bretheren, Vol. 1, of 1819, that it involves a "well-known thema of a miner at Falun." Regardless, it is the first ghost story I have found in a mine and is well written right to its horrific ending.

What ghost storied did I like better than The Mines of Falun? Read The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849 and find out.

#MinesofFalun #BestGhostStories #GhostStories #MineGhostStories #ClassicGhostStories #ETAHoffmann

Best Ghost Story 18 from 1800-1849 is "Monos and Daimonos"

Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873) is known in supernatural circles for penning one of the greatest ghost stories of the nineteenth century: "The Haunted and Haunters." This scary story is not in consideration for this countdown of the best ghost short stories from 1800-1849, however, as it was published in 1857. H.P. Lovecraft called it "one of the best short haunted house tales ever." But enough about "The Haunted and Haunters."

Bulwer-Lytton's second best ghost story is Monos and Daimonos, which floats in at 18 on the countdown. It was published in 1830. The horror story involves a shipwreck, a murder and . . . well . . . a relentless ghost set out for revenge. I hope you enjoy it!

Read my new book: The Best Ghost Stories 18800-1849: A Classic Ghost Anthology  

Best Ghost Story 19 from 1800-1849 is Albert Werdendorff; or, The Midnight Embrace by Sarah Wilkinson

Although Albert Werdendorff; or, The Midnight Embrace is not the most artful name in this countdown of the Top 40 best ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century, but the story itself is little diminished by it. Penned by Sarah Wilkinson over 200 years ago in 1808, this scary story makes a person think twice about being hugged at midnight. Wilkinson was a early author of the Gothic school along with other stars like Mathew Gregory "Monk" Lewis and Horace Walpole and Ann Radcliffe. I hope you enjoy it.

Best Ghost Stories Anthology

  

Best Ghost Stories Anthology for $.99

Want to be frightened over the weekend? For a limited time the Kindle version of The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Ghost Anthology has been dropped to $.99. Read it tonight for a buck. And for those of you in the United States--have a great long weekend!

Best Ghost Story 20 from 1800-1849 is "The Ghost with the Golden Casket" by Allan Cunningham

This is an exciting time because we have reached in the countdown the Top 20 ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century. This first scary story does not disappoint as it comes from Allan Cunningham (1784-1842) who was right at home in telling a supernatural yarn.

Cunningham is less than popular today, but in the early nineteenth century he was a popular author and poet. He kept company with Sir Walter Scott and James Hogg (the "Ettrick Sheppard) who appeared at spot 29 in the ghost short story countdown with "Mary Burnet". Each of these Scottish authors forged new ground when telling supernatural tales. It is Allan Cunningham, however, who penned one of the best ghost stories apart from Scott's "The Tapestried Chamber," which I included in The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Ghost Anthology.

In The Ghost with the Golden Casket readers are immediately transported into Scotland of old where they can visualize, through Cunningham's fine prose, Caerlaverock Castle, smell the conifers and greensward, feel rocky hillocks underfoot, and hear the crash of the green ocean waves. But let's be honest, the thick accents of the peasant speakers are challenging in modern times. Still, I am hard pressed to find a true to life Scottish ghost story for the first half of the nineteenth century than this. Get ready to be scared after you are transported to Scotland from your favorite reading chair!       

Best Ghost Story 21 from 1800-1849 is The Haunted Manor-House of Paddington by Charles Ollier

Ghost story 21 of the Top 40 from 1800-1849 is The Haunted Manor-House of Paddington by Charles Ollier (1788-1859). "The Haunted Manor-House of Paddington: A Tale for November" was published in Bentley's Miscellany during 1841 at a time when Ollier was associated with the literary magazine. The haunted manor, which has fallen into "gloomy ruin" in the scary story, is based on an actual house in the Paddington borough of Westminster, England where Ollier lived. The house was ideally situated next to a cemetery and was demolished nearly 200 years ago, as a footnote in the story admits. The story's building terror and heard but not seen ghost nearly place it in the Top 20 ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century. But I believe there is much more to this horror tale than meets the eye.  

For my observant followers of this countdown you have already noticed that the photo provided is of Charles Dickens (1812-1870). This is not a mistake of the Charles. One reason is because there are no known photos/illustrations of Charles Ollier. More importantly, is what I believe is a link from this scary ghost story to Boz; or more specifically to his famous novella: A Christmas Carol. This most famous ghost story of our modern age was published on December 17, 1843. This was a mere two years after Ollier published "The Haunted Manor-House of Paddington." This is unremarkable in itself, except that the later ghost story contains a ghost or spirit that warns of the future visit of a more horrid ghost. Dickens was clearly familiar with the magazine. He was its first editor from 1836-1839. During this same period Charles Ollier was employed by Richad Bentley, founder of the magazine. It is very likely that Dickens read Ollier's ghost story and the rest, as they say, is history.

Buy the Book: The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Ghost Anthology

Best Ghost Story 22 from 1800-1849 is "Allan M'Tavish" by Caroline Norton

One of the first and few scary ghost stories by a female author takes spot 22 in my countdown of the Top 40 ghost short stories for the first half of the nineteenth century. The story is Allan M'Tavish and it is set in Ireland. It is a ghost story of the sea and includes the appearance of a waith or warning ghost, without giving too much of the story away. The horror tale was published in 1833 by Caroline Norton (1808-1877) whose full name was Caroline Elizabeth Sarah (Sheridan) Norton. She was an accomplished poet and novelist. Her portrait below gives her an uncanny resemblance to Virginia Poe, Edgar Allan Poe's only wife.

 

If you would like to skip ahead in the countdown, the top 10 scary ghost stories from this period are laid out with story backgrounds in my newly edited book: The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Ghost Anthology ----> AndrewBarger.com/BestGhostStories1800.html

Best Ghost Story 23 from 1800-1849

Horace Smith (1779-1849) was an English stockbroker, poet and novelist. When he became independently wealthy trading stocks, he turned to writing full time. One can also add to his resume: ghost short story writer.

Floating in at spot 23 in my countdown of the Top 40 ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century is Horace Smith's Sir Guy Eveling's Dream. This scary story first appeared in The New Monthly Magazine of 1823. Smith later collected it in his compilation of short stories and essays titled Gaieties and Gravities in 1826. Nine years later Washington Irving would publish his much anthologized "Adventure of the German Student," which has a similar construct as "Sir Guy Eveling's Dream." I won't give away anymore than that!

The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Ghost Anthology is now available on Kindle, Nook or through the iBookstore.

Best Ghost Story 24 from 1800-1849 is "The Water Spirit"

Joseph Snowe's ghost story "All Soul's Eve" appeared at spot 30 in my countdown of the Top 40 ghost stories from 1800-1849. His next appearance on the countdown is at spot 24 with The Water Spirit. This scary story about a mid-wife who is summoned by the spirit world is very well written. It first appeared in Vol 1 of the 1839 collection of short stories titled The Rhine, Legends, Traditions, History from Cologne to Mainze by Snowe. Long before the movie Jaws, this ghost story taps into our hidden fears about what lurks beneath the water. I hope you enjoy it. 

Best Ghost Story 25 from 1800-1849

Coming in at spot 25 in my countdown of the Top 40 ghost stories published in the  English language for the first half of the nineteenth century is The Sexton of Cologne by George Soane (1789-1860). It was first published in 1826 and was still being published as late as 1871. The scary ghost story is based upon old legend and George Soane was the first to codify it into the English language. Given its high level of writing, compelling characters and shocking ending, it is one of the best ghost stories for this period.

This is the only known picture of George Soane, the son and rebel family member of the famous architect, John Soane. From my research, I peg him as one of the most underrated authors of the supernatural from 1800-1849. I selected his horror story "The Lighthouse" to be included in The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849. "The Sexton of Cologne" is his best ghost story and I hope you enjoy it. 

Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Ghost Anthology Published!

In my last post I promised exciting news. Well, here it is. The Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Ghost Anthology is published and available on Kindle. In the coming weeks I'll let you know when it is available at the iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, etc. The physical book is still at the designer's and I hope to have it published in time for the Halloween season. Next week I'll also post the stories and authors in the book. Believe me, I have picked the most well-written scariest ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century. It's reasonably priced at $2.99 and also available for Kindle UK and Germany. Enjoy!

Best Ghost Story 26 from 1800-1849: "The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton" by Charles Dickens

The 26th best ghost story of the fifty year period in review comes to us by the venerable Charles "Boz" Dickens (1812-1870). The scary story was first published in 1836 and later appeared as Chapter 29 in The Pickwick Papers. The ghost story is both funny and horrific in parts, reminiscent of A Christmas Carol in this regard.

The name of the story is The Goblins Who Stole a Sexton and it is one of Dickens's best ghost stories. The protagonist is one Gabriel Grub, a "sexton and grave-digger" who is going about his business on Christmas Eve when horror strikes among the gravestones. I will let you read it for yourself.

In closing, be ready for an exciting announcement in my next post that you will not want to miss! 

Scary Story in Nashville - U2 Concert

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Best Ghost Story 27 from 1800-1849: The Chase

In October of 1833 a scary ghost story was published in The Western Monthly Magazine, a publication that was unafraid to publish supernatural stories. The story was simply titled The Chase and beneath it, it claims to be from "the log book of Richard Mizen, Q. S." I have been unable to find a "Richard Mizen" listed elsewhere in the literature and this captain is likely a fiction. Regardless, "The Chase" is one of the best ship battle stories for the first half of the nineteenth century. The writing is at a high level. The dialogue snaps and feels real. The drama builds to a climatic end and it is one of the best anonymous ghost stories in the countdown of the Top 40 ghost stories from 1800-1849. I hope you enjoy it.

AndrewBarger.com 

Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849: Story 28 is Solange by Alexander Dumas

The 28th best ghost story for the first half of the nineteenth century is Solange by the esteemed Alexander Dumas (1802-1870). This is the best ghost story by Dumas given its plot, style and characters. It is also his scariest ghost story with the plot building to its climatic end, which I won't give away here. The full title of the tale is "Solange: Dr. Ledu's Story of the Reign of Terror" and it was published in 1849. Most of the Top 40 ghost stories I have picked for this countdown have a ghostly presence throughout. In Solange, however, the ghost appears near the end, but it's effect is horrific just the same.

The portly Alexander Dumas is best known for creating such memorable characters as the Three Musketeers and Quasimodo. He is not considered a player in the realm of supernatural tales. None of his stories made my list of the Top 40 horror stories for the period in review and, obviously, none of them reached the level of the dozen picked for The Best Horror Stories 1800-1849 that I edited. He did pen "The Vampire of the Carpathian Mountains," which is thought to be the first vampire story set in the ominous mountain range of Europe. He also wrote a werewolf story by the title of "The Wolf Leader" in 1857.  

Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849; Mary Burnet by James Hogg

It's been awhile since I last posted scary ghost story 30, maybe too long. Without further delay I pick James Hogg's (1770-1835) Mary Burnet as the 29th best ghost story for the first half of the nineteenth century. The scary story is the classic case of an "innocent maiden" who is wronged and, well . . . I'll let you read for yourself what happens. 

James Hogg, commonly known by his penname "The Ettrick Shepard," was self-educated. He eventually made his way out of the rustic life of country living in Scotland. He began writing short stories and articles for Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine and befriended Sir Walter Scott. While Hogg's novels did not leave a deep mark on literature, his short stories were penned at a very high level. In my estimation he is greatly overlooked as a writer of horror and ghost stories in this important half century. Two of his stories made my list of the Top 40 horror short stories for the period in review, but none rose to the level of the top dozen that I include in The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849, which recently won a literary award. Hogg has a way with dialogue that takes one back to the old Scottish brogue and in the scary story of "Mary Burnet" he does not disappoint in this regard. 

"Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849" Finalist Award Winner in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards

Those of you who read my blog on a regular basis know that I recently published The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology. The book was well received by the horror community and the reviews were favorable (some are posted below); so I entered it in a book contest to see how it would do against the big publisher and best selling authors.

I am pleased to let you know that the book was just selected as a finalist awards winner in the anthology category for the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. The physical book is annotated and sells for $12.99 at major online book retailers. The ebook is not annotated and can be had for $2.99, the price of a cup of coffee and it will entertain for hours. Even cheaper still, Amazon has just selected it as one of its best selling Kindle books and discounted it to only $.99 only as part of its "sunshine sale." Of course, there's not a lot of sunshine in this classic scary story horror book!

Best Horror Stories at Amazon/Kindle

Best Horror Stories at Barnes & Noble/Nook

Best Horror Stories at Borders/Kobo 

 

The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849 is a book for anyone who loves a classic horror story.

Thanks to Edgar Allan Poe, Honoré de Balzac, Nathaniel Hawthorne and others, the first half of the nineteenth century is the cradle of all modern horror short stories. I read over 300 horror short stories and compiled the dozen best. A few have never been republished since they were first published in leading periodicals of the day such as Blackwood’s and Atkinson’s Casket.

At the back of the book I include a list of all short stories I considered along with their dates of publication and the author, when available. I even include background for each of the stories, author photos and annotations for difficult terminology.

 

‘The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849’ will likely become a best seller . . .What makes this collection (of truly terrifying tales!) so satisfying is the presence of a brief introduction before each story, sharing some comments about the writer and elements of the tale. Barger has once again whetted our appetites for fright, spent countless hours making these twelve stories accessible and available, and has provided in one book the best of the best of horror short stories. It is a winner.

GRADY HARP - AMAZON TOP TEN REVIEWER

 

Through his introduction and footnotes, Barger aims for readers both scholarly and casual, ensuring that the authors get their due while making the work accessible overall to the mainstream.

BOOKGASM

 

[a] top to bottom pick for anyone who appreciates where the best of horror came from.

MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849 Scary Story 30 is All Souls Eve by Joseph Stowe

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When researching scary stories for any fifty year period of the modern age, Halloween has to figure into the equation at some point. This is one of them. To fully understand the title of the ghost story I picked for spot 30 of the Top 40 for the first half of the nineteenth century, a background in how the Halloween name was derived is helpful.

It all starts with All Souls' Day, this is the traditional day when the living remember and pray for the souls of the dead. The day is still celebrated in parts of Europe and Mexico (Day of the Dead). Often food is left for the dead and candles lit in the windows so the ghosts can find their way. All Souls' Day is one of love and remembrance. Easy enough.

But then All Souls' Eve began to come into pagan fashion. On this night before All Souls' Day the evil dead return to earth. These ghosts are not out for a good meal, but to exact revenge. All Souls' Eve was also called Hallow Evening and eventually the words were put together to form Hallow'en. In one part of the legend, any person who came in contact with ghosts on Halloween, and left a piece of their clothing behind, would be sure to die.

That brings us to scary story 30, which is All Souls' Eve. Published in 1839 by Joseph Stowe in his collection titled The Rhine, Legends, Traditions, History from Cologne to Mainz. The ghost story is derived from German legend, and it is the first in the English language to address the clothing issue described above. Enjoy this congregation of the dead!

#allsoulseve #halloweenstories #vintagehalloweenstories #classichalloweentales #bestghoststories

        

Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849 - Scary Story 31 is An Adventure Near Granville

An Adventure Near Granville is one of the best ghost stories you have never read and it weighs in at spot 31 in my countdown of the Top 40 scary ghost stories for the 50 year period in review. It was published in George Soane's (1789-1860) collection of short stories "The Last Ball and Other Stories" in 1843. "An Adventure Near Granville" (more aptly titled "A Horror Near Granville") is a warning for anyone moving into a foreign old house. I hope you enjoy it.

  

When considering scary ghost stories, I am convinced that George Soane is one of the most underrated ghost writers for the first half of the nineteenth century. Who on earth is George Soane? He was the son of the famous English architect, John Soane (1753-1837). George was the black sheep of the family. Much like Edgar Allan Poe, he shunned business and followed the arts. His family disowned him as a result. Yet George turned out to be an excellent short story writer. I picked his "Lucy Ellis" (also called "The Lighthouse") as one of the top dozen horror stories in The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology. Any of his stories in "The Last Ball"' are worth your time.   

Best Scary Ghost Story 33 from 1800-1849 Posted

The next tale in my countdown of the Top 40 ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century is an anonymous story titled The Legend of Marseilles. This scary ghost story was first published in 1826 and was subsequently reprinted in a number of ghost anthologies. Without giving away too much, let's suffice it say that it proves not knowing when you are going to die is best.

Best Werewolf Stories 1800-1849 Book eBook Price Drop

I've been feeling beastly as of late and as a result I've decided to drop the price of The Best Werewolf Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Werewolf Anthology to $.99. Buy this transformation of the werewolf book for a buck while you can. I hope you enjoy it!

Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849, 33rd Best Scary Story

I place The Death's Head in spot 33 of my countdown of the Top 40 ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century. Published anonymously in 1827, "The Death's Head"--this particular "species of phantasmagoria"--is perhaps the first short story that contains a talking skull. It also the only scary story in this countdown that involves ventriloquy. The scene where spirits are conjured is heart pounding horrific. I hope you enjoy it.   

Best Horror Stories 1800-1849 ebook Price Dropped to $.99 for a Limited Time

I am in a horrific mood of late and as a result have just dropped the price of The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology to $.99 on: Best Horror Stories on Kindle Enjoy!

Best Ghost Stories 1800-1850 Scary Story 34 of the Countdown

It's time to get back to my countdown of the Top 40 scary ghost stories from 1800-1849. Some of you may be wondering when Edgar Allan Poe will make in appearance in the countdown. Well, you do not have to wait any longer. At spot 34 in the countdown is Poe's best ghost story--Ligeia. The tale was first published in the September 1838 issue of the American Museum. In two volumes of the Broadway Journal that Poe gave to Sarah Helen Whitman, one of his fiancés, he noted a reference to “Ligeia” and “To Helen”: The poem which I sent you contained all the events of a dream which occurred to me soon after I knew you. Ligeia was also suggest by a dream. Observe the eyes in both tale & poem.

Poe gained ownership of the Broadway Journal for a three-month period (Oct. 25, 1845 – Jan. 3, 1846). It closed given financial troubles. As Poe proved time and time again throughout his life, he was a great literary artist and poor businessman. “Ligeia” is Poe at the height of his gothic powers. The narrator indulges in opium, the beautiful Ligeia dabbles in alchemy and her room is shaped like a pentagon. Best of all for our countdown, this tale ends in ghostly twist. Poe thought highly of it. You will be surprised to hear me say that (omitting one or two of my first efforts) I do not consider any one of my stories better than another. There is a vast variety of kinds and, in degree of value, these kinds vary–but each tale is equally good of its kind. The loftiest kind is that of the highest imagination– and, for this reason only, “Ligeia” may be called my best tale. In my view it was Edgar Allan Poe's best ghost story and perhaps his only ghost story. I argue that "Morella" is not a ghost story and neither is the creature in "The Masque of the Red Death," but rather a monster foretelling doom.

  

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Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849 Countdown - Scary Story 35 Link

35

As the author of the fictional Edgar Allan Poe biography Coffee with Poe and editor of Edgar Allan Poe Annotated Short Stories and Poems, I am sometimes asked if Poe had a favorite ghost story. Truth be told, Poe was quiet clear on his favorite ghost story--or at least his favorite by an American, which I believe is a dig at Charles Dickens and his bias toward British literature. It is by William Gilmore Simms and is titled: Murder Will Out. I don't, however, agree with Poe since I have placed it in spot 35 in my Top 40 countdown of the scariest ghost stories from 1800-1849. This is what Poe had to say about it in his review (published posthumously in 1850) of Simm's collection of short stories: "The Wigwam and the Cabin."

     All the tales in this collection have merit, and the first has merit of a very peculiar kind. “Grayling, or Murder will Out,” is the title. The story was well received in England, but on this fact no opinion can be safely based. “The Athenæum,” we believe, or some other of the London weekly critical journals, having its attention called (no doubt through personal influence) to Carey & Hart’s beautiful annual “The Gift,” found it convenient, in the course of its notice, to speak at length of some one particular article, and “Murder Will Out” probably arrested the attention of the sub-editor who was employed in so trivial a task as the patting on the head an American book — arrested his attention first from its title, (murder being a taking theme with a cockney,) and secondly, from its details of southern forest scenery. Large quotations were made, as a matter of course, and very ample commendation bestowed — the whole criticism proving nothing, in our opinion, but that the critic had not read a single syllable of the story. The critique, however, had at least the good effect of calling American attention to the fact that an American might possibly do a decent thing, (provided the possibility were first admitted by the British sub-editors,) and the result was first, that many persons read, and secondly, that all persons admired the “excellent story in ‘The Gift’ that had actually been called ‘readable’ by one of the English newspapers.”

Now had “Murder Will Out” been a much worse story than was ever written by Professor Ingraham, still, under the circumstances, we patriotic and independent Americans would have declared it inimitable; but, by some species of odd accident, it happened to deserve all that the British sub-sub had condescended to say of it, on the strength of a guess as to what it was all about. It is really an admirable tale, nobly conceived and skilfully carried into execution — the best ghost-story ever written by an American — for we presume that this is the ultimate extent of commendation to which we, as an humble American, dare go.

The other stories of the volume do credit to the author’s abilities, and display their peculiarities in a strong light, but there is no one of them so good as “Murder Will Out.”

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