A Frightful Birthday

It's a bit outside our normal conversation...but I think it's worth noting that today marks the 148th anniversary of the birthday of M. R. James, author of some of the most effective and frightening horror stories ever written, born August 1, 1862.

I tend to feel about horror stories the way I do about most mysteries: the more that is left to the imagination, the more effective the story will be. Montague Rhodes James was the master of understatement in his stories. In the best ones, the reader rarely sees anything (and is usually profoundly grateful that he or she cannot see more clearly).

James' ghosts are uniquely malevolent and generally quite dangerous. His stories generally follow a pattern: the central character - usually a scholar or antiquarian - inadvertently attracts the attention of some evil force or person, with disastrous results.

James, whose best stories appeared between 1904 and 1925, was a tremendously important influence on the course of the horror genre, and his stories hold up remarkably well today. I recommend the collection called "Count Magnus and Other Ghost Stories (The Complete Ghost Stories of M. R. James, Vol. 1)," which contains most of his best stories. Read "The Mezzotint." Or "Casting the Runes." Or "Oh Whistle and I'll Come To You, My Lad," which the book's blurb describes accurately as "one of the most frightening tales in literature." Then try to get a good night's sleep.