The Outcast And Other Dark Tales by E F Benson

The terrifying presence of a restless spirit on the top deck of a London bus; a possession at the bridge table on a cruise up the Nile; a nightmare encounter with druidic sacrifice in the innocuous setting of a terraced back garden . . . E F Benson’s "spook stories" pushed the boundaries of the ghost story tradition by exploring new, previously "out of bounds" settings—such as public transport and even hauntings by daylight—to frighten his readers from the 1890s to the 1930s. Benson delighted in twisting every idea and image and experimenting with the unexpected; this new collection of short stories from across his long career in writing draws together the most innovative, satisfyingly dark, and still resonant tales to thrill anew. This edition also features a detailed introduction containing the fascinating story of Benson’s life, and the never before-republished story "Billy Comes Through."

Mike Ashley is an expert on popular fiction of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Introduction by Mike Ashley 7
Dummy on a Dahabeah 21
A Winter Morning 41
Between the Lights 47
The Thing in the Hall 62
The Passenger 78
The Light in the Garden 88
The Outcast 100
The Top Landing 123
The Face 130
The Corner House 148
By the Sluice 165
Pirates 180
The Secret Garden 202
The Flint Knife 209
The Bath-Chair 224
The Dance 244
Billy Comes Through 261
Story Sources 283