Poisoned Pen Press, £14.99, ISBN 978-1-4642-1515-
Horror, 2021 (Reissue)

MR James is often hailed as the master of eerie, slow-burn horror with an academic twist. His stories are full of ancient tomes, mysterious artifacts, and things that should absolutely not have been disturbed. His cosmic horror leans more toward unknowable supernatural forces rather than tentacled monstrosities, but the dread and creeping inevitability are definitely there.

Well, that’s what the academics and “serious fiction” people say… on paper.

In reality, Ghost Stories of an Antiquary started out as stories written for Christmas Eve readings for his fellow academics at King’s College, Cambridge because nothing says “holiday cheer” like spectral vengeance and malevolent entities lurking in the shadows. A bold choice for Yuletide entertainment, but one we can respect. The stories are short, easily digestible in a single sitting, and, most importantly, do not overstay their welcome.

Which is good, because they all follow a suspiciously similar structure:

1. Intriguing premise? Check.
2. An ungodly amount of background details? Absolutely.
3. A sudden, abrupt ending where something terrifying happens, but nobody really seems to care all that much? Oh, you bet.

The stories in this collection include:

• Canon Alberic’s Scrap-Book. A scholar acquires an ancient manuscript… and something comes with it. One of James’s earliest and most Lovecraftian stories.
• Lost Hearts. A dark, unsettling tale involving a sinister aristocrat and some… very young victims.
• The Mezzotint. A cursed engraving that changes when no one is looking. A great slow-burn horror story.
• The Ash-tree. Witchcraft, revenge, and creatures you really don’t want in your bedroom.
• Number 13. A classic haunted hotel room story with a reality-bending twist.
• Count Magnus. A traveler gets way too curious about an old tomb. Features one of the creepiest pursuers in horror fiction.
• Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad. Possibly his most famous tale, a man finds an old whistle in a Templar ruin, blows it, and soon deeply regrets it.
• The Treasure of Abbot Thomas. A greedy scholar digs for hidden gold and finds something far worse.

On paper, the premises are fantastic. The execution, however, often makes them feel more like eerie campfire tales—stories that linger because of their concept rather than their delivery.

Yes, MR James’s influence on horror is undeniable, inspiring legions of authors who refined his ideas into stronger, more fully realized narratives. And yet, reading his work can sometimes feel like listening to an excitable yet easily distracted old man who forgets he’s telling a ghost story halfway through.

Nonetheless, this collection is absolutely worth a look for fans of horror and occult fiction, if only to see how one of the OGs did his thing. Some of the stories feel half-baked by today’s standards, and yes, sometimes you wish Mr James had an editor willing to nudge him toward a more satisfying conclusion—but there’s no denying the imagination and grotesquerie on display.

If you love atmospheric horror, British academia, and a general sense of “well, that’s unfortunate” when something terrible happens, this is your jam.