The

CLASSIC HORROR BLOG

Literary Essays on Horror, Ghost Stories, & Weird Fiction

— from Mary Shelley to M. R. James —

by M. Grant Kellermeyer

E. Nesbit's Number 17: A Two-Minute Summary and Literary Analysis

The following story is one of the most time-honored tropes of British supernatural fiction: a ghost story told over the fire of an inn...

E. Nesbit's The Shadow: A Two-Minute Summary and Analysis

“The Shadow” is Nesbit’s worthiest bid for the literary ghost story – that rare genre of powerful, elegant supernaturalism that thunders...

Edith Nesbit's The Mystery of the Semi-Detached: A Two-Minute Summary and Analysis

Nesbit mastered the late Victorian clairvoyant tale, and this very short sketch – almost flash fiction – is an underappreciated jewel of...

E. Nesbit's Man-Size in Marble: A Two-Minute Summary and Literary Analysis

E. Nesbit’s grim ghost stories almost always involve a sexual tension and frustration as a major theme. They typically involve an...

E. Nesbit's John Charrington's Wedding: A Two Minute Analysis of the Classic Ghost Story

Other than “Man-Size in Marble,” no horror tale of Nesbit’s has received wider circulation and acclaim than “John Charrington’s Wedding.”...

E. Nesbit's Savagely Confrontational, Feminist Ghost Stories

One of the most psychologically fascinating horror writers of her time, Edith Nesbit, perhaps more so than any of her peers, invested...

31 Classic Horror Stories Every Fan Should Read in October: A Literary Advent Calender for Halloween

Why should Christmas have all the fun? Oldstyle Tales proudly presents a literary advent calendar for your favorite season. Each day has...

7 Great Victorian Ghost Story Writers

The Victorian Age brings with it a tremendous amount of associations, baggage, and stereotypes that make it one of the most colorful...