I love ghost stories. When I was in the boy scouts, stories around the campfire were not proper stories unless they had a ghost in them. Disappointed in the tales I heard, I took it upon myself to learn as many ghost stories and take over the job. Happily there was no dearth of ghost stories to explore; people have been telling ghost stories for thousands of years. Just about every famous author has written at least one. So I dug in to find the gems.
I was quickly amazed and disappointed to discover there were so many bad ones. Spo-fans know I frequently use the word ‘rubbish’ but this was particularly applicable to the majority of ghost stories I read. Curiously, some of the greatest writers wrote some of the worst ghost stories. There were silly or boring. Boring is the worst you can say about a ghost story.
What made them bad was their failure to scare. A proper ghost story should give you the creeps. You should be disturbed. Over the decades of reading ghost stories I’ve discovered the best ghost stories often don’t have a ghost in them at all; you merely sense its presence or see the results of its actions. If there is a ghost it doesn’t seem ‘ghostly’ but as an ordinary person.
Another intriguing finding: nearly half of the best ghost stories were written by women. When it comes to ghost stories the female sex almost beats the men. I still wonder why is this. Perhaps the ladies have more flair for the uncanny?
For those interested in a truly scary and creepy read, I recommend one of the following. They are guaranteed to give you the willies.
The Upper Berth – F. Marion Crawford
Afterward – Edith Wharton
Harry – Rosemary Timperley
In the tube – E.F. Benson
The Sweeper – A. M. Burrage
The Signalman – Charles Dickens
The Telephone – Mary Treadgold
A bonus: a perfect example of what a good ghost story should do, from one of best: Shirley Jackson’s “The Haunting”
Spo-Reflections 
10 comments
October 28, 2013 at 10:51 PM
Raybeard
All those on your list, apart from the Dickens, I haven’t read – or, indeed, even been aware of. I think one needs a particular enthusiasm for the genre (which you clearly own) to seek them out especially. Having said that I do think such stories work better when heard as recitations by another rather than read directly from the printed page, so I would imagine the concentrated intensity of flickering faces around a campfire would have been ideal to help generate the appropriate spookiness.
October 29, 2013 at 6:38 AM
domanidave
” A proper ghost story should give you the creeps. You should be disturbed.”
Not for reading (who has time for that;-) but for watching, there’s ‘The Others’ with Nicole Kidman. Creepy and disturbing, as I remember. I think I saw the ‘surprise’ coming with ‘The Others’, but I confess I did not see it coming with another swell ghost story, ‘The Sixth Sense’ (‘I see dead people’) also creepy and disturbing.
October 29, 2013 at 7:41 AM
Laurent
You should visit the garden of the Furies here in Trastevere just a few blocks away from our hotel. Since antiquity this site is said to be the place where the Furies dwell, sort of spooky.
October 29, 2013 at 7:45 AM
Urspo
Is that anything like Cleveland?
October 29, 2013 at 9:44 AM
Greg
I recommend One of the Missing or Chickamauga from Ambrose Bierce and anything from Algernon Blackwood.
October 29, 2013 at 5:44 PM
Ron
As I was reading your post I thought “Where is Shirley Jackson and “The Haunting?” then I saw your video. You are so right, Shirley Jackson was the best. After seeing the movie “The Haunting” I got her book. Although shorter than I would have expected, it was still excellent. To me the best ghost stories are the ones where the “ghost” is in your imagination and fears. Excellent post.
October 29, 2013 at 6:24 PM
Jay M.
Neat post! Thank you! I remember hearing and telling ghost stories around the campfire on scout outings. Some of the best left even the “invincible” me scared to DEATH!
Peace ❤
Jay
October 30, 2013 at 2:59 AM
Mitchell is Moving
I love a good ghost story. Thanks for the list of recommendations!
November 22, 2013 at 9:51 PM
Erik Rubright
I’m not a fan of the ghost stories, mostly because I already have an overactive imagination as it is.
July 11, 2015 at 3:36 AM
Kato
I don’t like ghost stories anymore but used to especially round a campfire. I still am a big Dr Who fan and can manage that level of spookiness. Do you ever get Dr Who?