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The Collected Supernatural and Weird Fiction of E. G. Swain & Ralph Adams Cram: The Stoneground Ghost Tales & Black Spirits and White-Fifteen Short Ta
Two classic books of supernatural tales by masters of the genre
These two collections of supernatural short stories have been brought together in this special Leonaur edition because of their relatively small sizes and because each, in its way, has links to that great master of the academically inspired literature of the other worldly, M. R James. Swain's connection is quite straightforward-he knew and was a friend of James. They came from similar backgrounds, were academics and shared common interests-particularly concerning the church and its history. There can be little doubt that Swain was an ardent admirer of James' writing and while it is true that his own literary efforts are not in the class of the grand-master of the genre, to criticise him for that would be to forget that very few writers of supernatural tales have consistently risen to James' standard. Nonetheless, Swain's 'Stoneground Stories' are wonderfully charming. The principal character of these tales is, of course, based on Swain himself; he is a cleric whose benefice-like Swain's own at Stanground-sat close by the railway city of Peterborough in the English East Midlands. Those who relish a good ghost story will find much to enjoy in Swain's tales and little to regret. Cram was a renowned American architect by profession. He too was no stranger to the world of academia, since among many other important commissions of an ecclesiastical and collegiate nature he worked on the design for the military academy at West Point. Both these books are rare in their original editions and Leonaur has brought them together in this good value form so that enthusiasts may enjoy them.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.
These two collections of supernatural short stories have been brought together in this special Leonaur edition because of their relatively small sizes and because each, in its way, has links to that great master of the academically inspired literature of the other worldly, M. R James. Swain's connection is quite straightforward-he knew and was a friend of James. They came from similar backgrounds, were academics and shared common interests-particularly concerning the church and its history. There can be little doubt that Swain was an ardent admirer of James' writing and while it is true that his own literary efforts are not in the class of the grand-master of the genre, to criticise him for that would be to forget that very few writers of supernatural tales have consistently risen to James' standard. Nonetheless, Swain's 'Stoneground Stories' are wonderfully charming. The principal character of these tales is, of course, based on Swain himself; he is a cleric whose benefice-like Swain's own at Stanground-sat close by the railway city of Peterborough in the English East Midlands. Those who relish a good ghost story will find much to enjoy in Swain's tales and little to regret. Cram was a renowned American architect by profession. He too was no stranger to the world of academia, since among many other important commissions of an ecclesiastical and collegiate nature he worked on the design for the military academy at West Point. Both these books are rare in their original editions and Leonaur has brought them together in this good value form so that enthusiasts may enjoy them.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.
212 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2011
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About the author
E.G. Swain
29 books7 followersAKA: Edmund Gill Swain (1861-1938) was an English cleric and author. As a chaplain of King's College, Cambridge, he was a colleague and contemporary of the scholar and author M.R. James, and a regular member of the select group to whom James delivered his famous annual Christmas Eve reading of a ghost story composed specially for the occasion. Swain collaborated with James on topical skits for amateur performance in Cambridge, but he is best known for the collection of ghost stories he published in 1912, entitled The Stoneground Ghost Tales. He also wrote a history of Peterborough Cathedral.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 5, 2023
The Stoneground Ghost Tales by E. G. Swain
Swain was a contemporary and friend of M. R. James and this book is dedicated to James. Though the first story, "The Man with the Roller," seems indebted to "The Mezzotint," I don't recognize anything else as drawing directly from James, and Swain is a kinder, gentler ghost story teller. Set in the village of Stoneground, the 3rd person narrator of the stories focuses on the experiences of the vicar, Mr. Batchel. For a taste of the narrator's voice and perspective,
... [Richpin's] way of resenting injury was to complain of it to the next person he met, and such complaints as he found no other means of discharging, he carried home to his wife, who treated his conversation just as she treated the singing of the canary, and other domestic sounds, being hardly conscious of it until it ceased.
Charming reading for this time of year.
Black Spirits and White by Ralph Adams Cram
Cram was also an admirer of James and if not as accomplished a writer, these are still fine ghost stories. Cram’s narrator -- unidentified but apparently the same in each story -- is engaging and Cram's familiarity with architectural styles and his eye for composition adds a dimension to all but one of the stories, distinguishing them from James or other ghost story writers I’ve read from that time period. Oddly, the one story without that kind of architectural detail, "The Dead Valley," is arguably his most effective.
Swain was a contemporary and friend of M. R. James and this book is dedicated to James. Though the first story, "The Man with the Roller," seems indebted to "The Mezzotint," I don't recognize anything else as drawing directly from James, and Swain is a kinder, gentler ghost story teller. Set in the village of Stoneground, the 3rd person narrator of the stories focuses on the experiences of the vicar, Mr. Batchel. For a taste of the narrator's voice and perspective,
... [Richpin's] way of resenting injury was to complain of it to the next person he met, and such complaints as he found no other means of discharging, he carried home to his wife, who treated his conversation just as she treated the singing of the canary, and other domestic sounds, being hardly conscious of it until it ceased.
Charming reading for this time of year.
Black Spirits and White by Ralph Adams Cram
Cram was also an admirer of James and if not as accomplished a writer, these are still fine ghost stories. Cram’s narrator -- unidentified but apparently the same in each story -- is engaging and Cram's familiarity with architectural styles and his eye for composition adds a dimension to all but one of the stories, distinguishing them from James or other ghost story writers I’ve read from that time period. Oddly, the one story without that kind of architectural detail, "The Dead Valley," is arguably his most effective.
May 22, 2022
The Dead Valley - 4/5
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews