Edward Frederic Benson

The terrifying presence of a restless spirit on the top deck of a London bus; a possession at the bridge table on a cruise up the Nile; a nightmare encounter with druidic sacrifice in the innocuous setting of a terraced back garden . . . E F Benson's "spook stories" pushed the boundaries of the ghost story tradition by exploring new, previously "out of bounds" settings--such as public transport and even hauntings by daylight--to frighten his readers from the 1890s to the 1930s. Benson delighted in twisting every idea and image and experimenting with the unexpected; this new collection of short stories from across his long career in writing draws together the most innovative, satisfyingly dark, and still resonant tales to thrill anew. This edition also features a detailed introduction containing the fascinating story of Benson's life, and the never before-republished story "Billy Comes Through."

And Other Dark Tales by E F Benson

The Outcast

this might be the best collection in the series that i have read so far. e.f. benson's mastery over the genre is clear; the stories are scary and atmospheric, creative and intriguing.

there were strong themes and motives that ran through the stories; for example, the ghost as an evidence of a murder was one, and so was the malevolent presence that persists after death. it was interesting to see them play out in so many different ways.

my favourite entries were 'a dummy on a dahabeah', 'between the lights', 'the thing in the hall', 'the passenger', 'the light in the garden', 'the outcast', 'the face', 'the corner house' (those being a standout trifecta for me), 'the flint knife'. 'pirates' and 'billy comes through' i enjoyed to a lesser degree but i found something very sweet about them and felt a mention was due.

The Outcast And Other Dark Tales by E F Benson

Reviews