Grafton, £3.50, ISBN 0-586-21184-5
Horror, 1991 (Reissue)

Long before Harry D’Amour, Fox Mulder, and other brooding, chain-smoking investigators of the spooky and occult, there was Thomas Carnacki.

He is a paranormal sleuth, master of the Electric Pentacle, and quite possibly the most self-satisfied man to ever face spectral horrors.

Created by William Hope Hodgson, Carnacki appeared in nine short stories originally published in various periodicals, later corralled into a single collection like a herd of unruly ghosts being politely asked to haunt in an orderly fashion.

Carnacki himself is an interesting figure. He’s brilliant, he’s prepared, he’s practically omniscient, and his only “weakness”—a supposed germophobia—feels more like a minor quirk than an actual obstacle. More crucially, because these tales are framed as post-case dinner conversations where Carnacki regales his rapt audience, they read less like thrilling encounters with the unknown and more like a paranormal TED Talk. You can practically hear him saying, “And that, gentlemen, is how I single-handedly outwitted an entity of pure evil. No need for applause.”

Now, to be fair, some of these tales are genuinely fascinating. The Whistling Room is a standout, if only because the idea of an eldritch room whistling ominously is delightfully bonkers. The Hog and The Gateway of the Monster are closer to cosmic horror, tapping into Mr Hodgson’s knack for dreamlike, unsettling imagery.

But here’s the rub: the framing device sucks a lot of the terror out of them. Whenever Carnacki finds himself in mortal peril—trapped in a supernatural snare, facing horrors unknown—he miraculously remembers that, oh yes, he just so happens to have the exact ancient knowledge or gadget required to escape. It’s like listening to that one friend who insists that they would have made the game-winning goal if their shoelace hadn’t been untied.

That’s not to say the collection Carnacki the Ghost-Finder isn’t enjoyable. The stories are short, quick reads, perfect for dipping into when you want a touch of ghostly weirdness without committing to a full-on novel. They just feel Hodgson-lite, a watered-down version of the vivid, oppressive horror that defines his longer works like The House on the Borderland. If you’re new to Mr Hodgson, these stories might be a fun introduction, but if you really want to experience his imagination in all its eerie glory, you’re better off diving into his more expansive nightmares.

In short, Carnacki may be the ghost-finder, but he’s also the ultimate that guy, the one who conveniently has all the answers, all the time. Fun? Sure. Genuinely scary? Only if you find overconfidence terrifying.