In turns both hilarious and tragic, two worlds collide in The Meddling Ghosts. A cast of inept ghosts, some of them centuries old, and a modern, dysfunctional family, hooked on technology and social media, co-habit Cuckoo House, a former inn. Meet the Berridges: Elaine and Hugh – teetering on the brink of a marriage break-up – and their teenage children, Leah and Jake. Elaine is chronically depressed, and spends most of her time asleep or on Facebook. Hugh has become dependent on alcohol. Leah seeks solace in a perilous online world, Jake on his Xbox. The ghosts – a disparate bunch led by Colonel Pine, who still looks at everything as a military operation – have a mammoth task on their hands to stop the Berridge family from self-destructing. But will their meddling be enough?

This collection offers some of the best stories from authors who influenced James, such as Sheridan Le Fanu and Augustus Jessopp, stories from his contemporaries, such as T.G. Jackson and D.N.J., and tales from more recent practitioners, including Fritz Leiber and Terry Lamsley. The collection also includes a checklist of writers in the Jamesian tradition.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A mad scientist's concoction of teen detectives, H. P. Lovecraft, and a love of Americana, this is a story filled with rich horror, thrilling twists, outright hilarity, and surprising poignancy. "While this is obviously an ode to Scooby Doo... fans will love the idea of a group of mystery hunters coming back together after leaving the business.” —Bustle “Filled with high jinks both terrorizing and hilarious.” —USA Today In 1977, four teenagers and a dog—Andy (the tomboy), Nate (the nerd), Kerri (the bookworm), Peter (the jock), and Tim (the Weimaraner)—solved the mystery of Sleepy Lake. The trail of an amphibian monster terrorizing the quiet town of Blyton Hills leads the gang to spend a night in Deboën Mansion and apprehend a familiar culprit: a bitter old man in a mask. Now, in 1990, the twenty-something former teen detectives are lost souls. Plagued by night terrors and Peter's tragic death, the three survivors have been running from their demons. When the man they apprehended all those years ago makes parole, Andy tracks him down to confirm what she’s always known—they got the wrong guy. Now she'll need to get the gang back together and return to Blyton Hills to find out what really happened in 1977, and this time, she's sure they're not looking for another man in a mask.

Lambda Literary Award Winner for Best Gay Romance 2021 Bad enough the big old house Charlie Muir inherits is next door to Ian Gregg, the most gorgeous guy he’s ever seen—it also happens to be occupied by Rachel, the ghost who keeps running off his dates. It’s impossible to get any loving when the bed starts shaking…and not because you’re having fun in it. When Ian helps Charlie search for the source of strange noises in his house, they stumble upon a stack of photographs hiding century-old secrets. Curious of the friendship between the two men pictured, Charlie and Ian set off to solve the mystery of their relationship. With the help of the meddling ghost, a magical mirror, and a way too Smart TV, they find answers…and more. And as things heat up between Charlie and Ian, they begin to wonder if Rachel's meddling has gone too far. Doesn’t Rachel know Ian is straight? Or is he? That kiss they shared the other night sure didn't seem like it. Or the one after that…

Seventeen all-new stories illuminate the steampunk world of fog and fear! Modern masters of the supernatural weave their magic to revitalize the chilling Victorian and Edwardian ghostly tale: here are haunted houses, arcane inventions, spirits reaching across the centuries, ghosts in the machine, fateful revelations, gaslit streets scarcely keeping the dark at bay, and other twisted variations on the immortal classics that frighten us still.

At one time or another, most people have experienced a creepy, spine-tingling sensation they can’t explain. Science may rationalize these fears, blaming a natural fear of the unknown, an open window or a drafty doorway, but millions of people believe there is much more to it than that – and who can say they are wrong? Glamis Castle in Scotland, made famous by Shakespeare’s Macbeth is said to be haunted by a whole host of ghostly residents. Dracula’s castle in Transylvania, another spooky literary hub, is perhaps one of the most nerve-wracking places on earth. Ghosts traces the cultural and literary origins of the paranormal, uncovers the dark secrets beneath the myths and untangles the enigma of the supernatural. Contents: ghosts and poltergeist, the afterlife and immortality. Ghost messengers paranormal/supernatural:exorcisms, vampires. ghost-hunting Halloween, seances, ouija board. True ghost stories: Amityville Murders, Tower of London, Resurrection Mary, Pendle Hill, Glamis Castle, Dracula’s Castle. Films: Ghost, The Ring, The Grudge, The Woman in Black, Poltergeist, The Sixth Sense, What Lies Beneath, Just Like Heaven, Sleepy Hollow, White Noise, Ghostbusters.