Showing results for "MR James" in Short Stories

Beginning with the unforgettable title story—a wry and chilling horror tale about cloning and alien invasion that inspired the classic teleplay "The Duplicate Man" from the television series The Outer Limits—Simak propels the listener on a breathtaking journey across the galaxies and into the future. He then enthralls us with the strange chronicle of twin siblings, one tied to the Earth, the other drawn to the stars; imaginings of a volatile reunion of two former enemies who must join forces on Jupiter's moon or face extinction; and the story of a house in the middle of nowhere.

Montague Rhodes James is cited as perhaps the greatest English writer of ghost stories, an opinion few would disagree with. Many of his elegant yet terrifying tales were created by discarding the prevailing gothic clichés and placing his characters and narrative in a realistic setting. Thereby the stories gained atmosphere and menace on a grand scale and he was famed as the originator of the antiquarian ghost story. Although story-telling and writing these 30 or so tales was a hobby, when published their effect transformed the genre and still chill the bones in our more modern times.

Step into the chilling world of M. R. James, the master of the English ghost story, with this anthology of his finest supernatural tales. From mysterious rooms in curious inns to cursed manuscripts and vengeful spectres, James’s stories weave an atmosphere of dread and suspense that lingers long after the final tick

A child's memory, a shadowed path, a glimpse of something that should not be. In A Vignette, M. R. James offers a final brushstroke of quiet terror—intimate, elusive, and disquietingly real. This short, unsettling piece lingers like a half-remembered dream, evoking the moment when the everyday slips into the uncanny. With masterful restraint and emotional undercurrent, James reminds us that the most chilling hauntings are those born in the mind—and never truly forgotten.

On a winter's night, as the old year slips silently into the new, shadows stir in forgotten corners, and the past refuses to rest. In The Experiment, M. R. James once again proves himself a master of quiet horror—where the chill creeps not from the cold, but from something far older, and far less forgiving. Subtle, strange, and unsettling, this is a tale that whispers its secrets, if you dare to listen. Perfect for a solitary listen by candlelight, just as midnight strikes.

A mournful cry, a well that echoes the past, and an invitation to remember the forgotten. In Wailing Well , M. R. James crafts a haunting tale of mystery and spectral terror, where the quiet of a rural landscape is disturbed by a cry from the past—an eerie wail that resonates through time. As James unearths the secrets buried in the forgotten well, he masterfully builds a sense of creeping dread and inevitable doom, reminding us that some things—once heard—can never be forgotten.

There are rooms best left unopened. In Rats, M. R. James guides us into one such space—silent, neglected, and waiting. Known for his restrained, academic horrors, James delivers here a tale that creeps up slowly and lingers uncomfortably. With a master's touch, he suggests far more than he shows, letting unease breed in the shadows and silence. This story is a quiet descent into something primal and cold, where the mundane turns menacing, and a moment's curiosity opens a door to ancient fear. Listen carefully—some noises can't be explained.

A new Latin master. A strange sentence. A figure at the window. When boys at a quiet English school begin seeing things that shouldn't be there—and writing things they don't understand—a mystery begins to unfold, darker than any textbook could explain. In A School Story, M. R. James blends scholarly detail with creeping dread to deliver a haunting tale of the past refusing to stay buried. Quiet horror with a bite.

Horror, mystery and suspense abound in this second collection from the king of ghostly tales, M. R. James. Featuring stories that have haunted listeners for more than 100 years, such as 'Lost Hearts' and 'Casting the Runes', this collection is read by critically acclaimed star of screen and stage Sir Michael Hordern.

M. R. James (1862-1936) was provost of King's College, Cambridge, and Eton College. He was a highly regarded scholar and academic in his time but today is remembered for his ghost stories, which are considered among the finest in the genre. Here is one of them: "Casting the Runes".

This is a story from the "Great Ghost Stories" collection.

This is a story from the Chilling Ghost Stories collection. In Rats by M. R. James, Mr. Thompson comes to regret his decision to investigate a locked room in a country inn.

A young antiquary and archaeologist named Paxton is on vacation in the south-east coast of England when he hears the legend of the three holy crowns. According to the legend, England was kept safe from being invaded when three crowns were buried long ago at sites near the coast. One of the crowns was later dug up, one is now beneath the sea but one still remains buried in the earth and keeps England safe from invasion. Members of a family named Ager long guarded the site where the crown was buried.

An association rejects a paper entitled 'The Truth of Alchemy'. The author of the paper, Mr Karswell, does not take the rejection well. After his appeals fail, he begins to make inquiries about the expert behind the decision. The expert, Edward Dunning, soon begins to experience strange and disturbing events. He eventually becomes convinced that Karswell has placed a curse on him.

A ghost story about a non-existent room 13 in an inn. The occupant of room 12 and the inn-keep hear noises next door, but it’s not coming from room 14. When they do discover the door to number 13, strange things start happening....

Tracey Copeland had been looking for something or someone to break up the monotony of her life and when that didn't happen, she begins to feel like she was losing at the game of life. In one of her most impulsive moves to date, she changes her life for what seems like the worse. But fate intervenes and brings her into the path of a man so big, he shakes her life up, and all she can do is hope to land on her feet. Fearful of the consequences, she has to decide what to do next: run once again or stick to her guns and see what hand life deals her.