What do you think?
Rate this book
The Spectral Engine
FEATURES A GLOW IN THE DARK COVER. To glimpse the Spectral Engine is to face the moment of your own death. In Ray Fawkes’s stunning and brilliantly conceived new graphic novel, the Spectral Engine is the unearthly entity that brings together thirteen historically documented ghost stories – from across the country and throughout the centuries – to tell a timeless narrative of life, death, and redemption.
A ghostly white horse is a heartbreaking reminder of the clash between two warring First Nations tribes. Decades after the luxury ocean liner Empress of Ireland vanishes into the St. Lawrence River along with 1,012 souls, its wreckage continues to claim lives. A hunter’s encounter with the Wendigo of the North leaves him with a terrible hunger. A young escaped slave attempts to make the treacherous journey to freedom via the Underground Railroad. The triumphant completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway brings only tragedy to a Chinese railway worker. And in a poignant story of urban isolation, a young woman discovers that loneliness transcends death. By turns chilling and moving, this breathtaking book is a powerful reminder of the deeply human desire to be remembered.
A ghostly white horse is a heartbreaking reminder of the clash between two warring First Nations tribes. Decades after the luxury ocean liner Empress of Ireland vanishes into the St. Lawrence River along with 1,012 souls, its wreckage continues to claim lives. A hunter’s encounter with the Wendigo of the North leaves him with a terrible hunger. A young escaped slave attempts to make the treacherous journey to freedom via the Underground Railroad. The triumphant completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway brings only tragedy to a Chinese railway worker. And in a poignant story of urban isolation, a young woman discovers that loneliness transcends death. By turns chilling and moving, this breathtaking book is a powerful reminder of the deeply human desire to be remembered.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published October 22, 2013
83 people want to read
About the author
Ray Fawkes
461 books82 followersRay Fawkes is the critically-acclaimed author of the comics and graphic novels Underwinter, Intersect, One Soul, The People Inside, The Spectral Engine, Possessions, and Junction True, as well as Batman: Eternal, Constantine, Justice League Dark, and Gotham by Midnight (DC), Wolverines (Marvel), Black Hammer '45 (Dark Horse), Jackpot! (AfterShock) and more. He is an Eisner, Harvey, and Shuster award nominee and a YALSA award winner.
Ray has been making comics for over 20 years, starting with and continuing the tradition of DIY fiction as well as working for many major comics publishers in the U.S. and Canada.
Ray has been making comics for over 20 years, starting with and continuing the tradition of DIY fiction as well as working for many major comics publishers in the U.S. and Canada.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 27, 2017
A cool concept: 12 ghost stories spread across Canada's history and geography are linked by a mysterious train. The stories are haunting but the art, murky and frenetic, unconventional layouts, distracts and makes it hard to follow the sequence of events in each story.
January 20, 2023
I almost wish I'd read this in October because the dark foreboding atmosphere was off the charts. I love the concept of a spectral train (because obviously I do) and I enjoyed the stories from across Canada's history. This was admittedly incredibly depressing, but the art was stunning and unique.
February 14, 2014
A masterfully created graphic novel that uses the image of a ghostly train that ferries the deceased to unite thirteen ghost tales from Canada's past. The stories are just tragic enough and the art is jaw droppingly beautiful, Fawkes takes full advantage of a black and white palette and uses positive and negative space to create a natural path for the eye to follow. If nothing else, this book is worth it just for the art.
March 16, 2014
This was different. Though the writing seemed strong at first, it grew tiresome to me for some reason, ...
The art too was original, but not completely satisfying.
The art too was original, but not completely satisfying.
September 10, 2018
Ghost stories have long captivated people from all walks of life -- they pique our interest in the unsolved mystery of what happens to us after death, and give us an unsettling but fascinating glimpse into a chilling, unexplored world. This graphic novel full of ghost stories, using a mysterious train as its framing device, does an excellent job of giving us a foreboding look at a wide variety of these stories -- the tales of how these unfortunate souls met their final fate, and how some aspect of them remained behind to haunt the living.
These stories, set across Canada over the span of centuries, introduce us to a variety of unsettled souls and the unfinished business they left behind. The passengers of the fated "Empress of Ireland" who met their doom on the St. Lawrence River, a ship of privateers killed in a fiery explosion during the War of 1812, a First Peoples woman who died in the saddle and whose specter continues to ride her ghostly white horse to this day, a headless Chinese immigrant who haunts the rail line he worked on, a woman in red who leaped in front of a train but left an impression of her soul behind, a nun who drowned trying to stop a murder, an escaped slave boy who continues to haunt the house he died in... All these souls and more board the Spectral Engine upon their demise, and the racing, ever-changing train links these stories together, providing a final resting place of sorts for these troubled souls, even as it never rests itself.
The artwork of this graphic novel is stark black-and-white, spattered with ink splotches in places to indicate blood or shadows or other stylistic effects. It's not very pretty to look at, and the lack of any shading beyond stark white and pure black can make it difficult to make out exactly what's going on in places. But it fits the stories of this book, spooky and often macabre accounts of how individuals met untimely ends and left their specters behind to trouble the living. It's reminiscent of the art in the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books, so if you enjoyed those books you'll probably enjoy this one.
The stories themselves are fairly short... but most of the time they don't need to be terribly long, and are just long enough to tell the story at hand without becoming gratuitous with the gory details. These stories are haunting and eerie, all linked by the mysterious train (even if only superficially). And all share a common theme beyond taking place in Canada... and while I won't spoil that theme here, I'll say that for being a collection of ghost stories, this graphic novel ends on a surprisingly uplifting and even heartwarming note, something uncommon in fiction of this sort but not jarringly out of place either.
Bonus -- the hardcover version of this graphic novel boasts glow-in-the-dark artwork! Perfect for reading with a flashlight under the covers...
If you enjoy ghost stories and/or the "Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark" series, you'll enjoy "The Spectral Engine." It's a fascinating collection of historically-based hauntings, just frightening enough to give a good chill to the reader.
These stories, set across Canada over the span of centuries, introduce us to a variety of unsettled souls and the unfinished business they left behind. The passengers of the fated "Empress of Ireland" who met their doom on the St. Lawrence River, a ship of privateers killed in a fiery explosion during the War of 1812, a First Peoples woman who died in the saddle and whose specter continues to ride her ghostly white horse to this day, a headless Chinese immigrant who haunts the rail line he worked on, a woman in red who leaped in front of a train but left an impression of her soul behind, a nun who drowned trying to stop a murder, an escaped slave boy who continues to haunt the house he died in... All these souls and more board the Spectral Engine upon their demise, and the racing, ever-changing train links these stories together, providing a final resting place of sorts for these troubled souls, even as it never rests itself.
The artwork of this graphic novel is stark black-and-white, spattered with ink splotches in places to indicate blood or shadows or other stylistic effects. It's not very pretty to look at, and the lack of any shading beyond stark white and pure black can make it difficult to make out exactly what's going on in places. But it fits the stories of this book, spooky and often macabre accounts of how individuals met untimely ends and left their specters behind to trouble the living. It's reminiscent of the art in the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books, so if you enjoyed those books you'll probably enjoy this one.
The stories themselves are fairly short... but most of the time they don't need to be terribly long, and are just long enough to tell the story at hand without becoming gratuitous with the gory details. These stories are haunting and eerie, all linked by the mysterious train (even if only superficially). And all share a common theme beyond taking place in Canada... and while I won't spoil that theme here, I'll say that for being a collection of ghost stories, this graphic novel ends on a surprisingly uplifting and even heartwarming note, something uncommon in fiction of this sort but not jarringly out of place either.
Bonus -- the hardcover version of this graphic novel boasts glow-in-the-dark artwork! Perfect for reading with a flashlight under the covers...
If you enjoy ghost stories and/or the "Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark" series, you'll enjoy "The Spectral Engine." It's a fascinating collection of historically-based hauntings, just frightening enough to give a good chill to the reader.
August 30, 2019
When I read regular books, usually my minds' eye is bursting with colorful, 3D, detailed mental movies, but my mind's ear is near silent by comparison, unless I'm actively focusing and putting effort into it.
With comic books, whatever bit of my brain it is that creates mental movies for me apparently is freed enough to do a bit of sound instead.
This particular graphic novel, more than any other book I have ever read, is practically audible. I don't know why. Something about the art maybe, and the way it is often so rough and vague and kinetic, in just the right way to make the reader fill in the blanks? Something about the writing or the rhythm of the stories? All of the above? I don't know. But in any case, thank you so much to Ray Fawkes for giving me a book I can hear in the same way I can see other stories. Just for that, this graphic novel was a unique and fantastic experience.
As if that weren't enough, the stories captivated me. I've never been really into ghost stories, but I get it now. And the frame story was brilliant, as well. The ending is perfect.
The writing, the art, and the stories all work together seamlessly.
Also, the book has a glow-in-the-dark cover, which is really cool and suits it very well.
With comic books, whatever bit of my brain it is that creates mental movies for me apparently is freed enough to do a bit of sound instead.
This particular graphic novel, more than any other book I have ever read, is practically audible. I don't know why. Something about the art maybe, and the way it is often so rough and vague and kinetic, in just the right way to make the reader fill in the blanks? Something about the writing or the rhythm of the stories? All of the above? I don't know. But in any case, thank you so much to Ray Fawkes for giving me a book I can hear in the same way I can see other stories. Just for that, this graphic novel was a unique and fantastic experience.
As if that weren't enough, the stories captivated me. I've never been really into ghost stories, but I get it now. And the frame story was brilliant, as well. The ending is perfect.
The writing, the art, and the stories all work together seamlessly.
Also, the book has a glow-in-the-dark cover, which is really cool and suits it very well.
December 15, 2017
Got this one out of the library. Nicely designed, beautifully illustrated collection of Canadian ghost stories, one that highlights just how often ghost stories reflect who gets killed without a voice or justice. If anything the stories could have stood being a little longer and more fleshed out, especially if it means we get more of that art.
November 6, 2024
Wonderful art, writing is ok but sometimes a bit leaden with standalone adjectives over-egging the pudding. This book is ultra-Canadian, a collection of ghost stories a mari usque ad mari, tied together, like Canada, by train. Pedant in me slightly annoyed by interchangeable use of "train" and "engine". But the stories are all good.
February 23, 2020
I loved it. The style of writing is gorgeous and flowed together beautifully. The illustration just brought this masterpiece together. On top of this it's all Canadian and you recognize the majority of the places they mention
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2017
I love the untold histories and I love ghost stories...
January 10, 2019
The forgotten ghosts that move among us are alive
April 25, 2021
This was a very cool collection of Canadian ghost stories. I didn't realize the cover was glow in the dark until I had put the book down before bed and had the dead looking back at me.
April 4, 2022
That was very good
March 7, 2017
I think it is very cool to have a an anthology horror book based on Canadian history. few things that bring this down:
1) Stories are way too short. some are short but sweet. others are short but.... well... short.
2) The art is at once beautiful and confusing. I love the art style and aspire to it myself from time to time. it's like a messier version of the art from A Monster Calls. It evokes the speed of the train itself, but sometimes is too chaotic to understand which character is talking or what is happening in every scenario.
On the plus side, it has introduced me to moments in Canadian history that I will be and have already followed up on, like the tragic sinking of the RMS Empress of Ireland in the St. Lawrence.
Enjoyed the read, but wish the art was a little more contained and the stories were longer!
1) Stories are way too short. some are short but sweet. others are short but.... well... short.
2) The art is at once beautiful and confusing. I love the art style and aspire to it myself from time to time. it's like a messier version of the art from A Monster Calls. It evokes the speed of the train itself, but sometimes is too chaotic to understand which character is talking or what is happening in every scenario.
On the plus side, it has introduced me to moments in Canadian history that I will be and have already followed up on, like the tragic sinking of the RMS Empress of Ireland in the St. Lawrence.
Enjoyed the read, but wish the art was a little more contained and the stories were longer!
August 4, 2017
Creepy, creepy stories. Also they were all Canadian which made them even better. The art was good too and I liked the train binding them all together. It fits well with the idea of our history as the railroad joined the country all together.
February 14, 2023
The first time I read this, I had purchased it off the table at Ray Fawkes’ booth at Fan Expo. I brought it home and plowed through it in a single evening.
The next day at Fan Expo I went back to his booth and said to him this was one of the most Canadian things I’ve ever read. He genuinely looked at me with appreciation and said that was one of the greatest compliments he’d ever heard about one of his pieces of work.
This is a visually stunning piece of work. Fits the tone of the narrative perfectly.
The next day at Fan Expo I went back to his booth and said to him this was one of the most Canadian things I’ve ever read. He genuinely looked at me with appreciation and said that was one of the greatest compliments he’d ever heard about one of his pieces of work.
This is a visually stunning piece of work. Fits the tone of the narrative perfectly.
February 18, 2016
A ghostly journey, west to east, on a spectral engine across the landscapes, cities, history and people of Canada, telling a series of gruesome ghost stories as we go, this is a fantastic piece of art. The stories are fascinating and contain all the sadness and longing of the best ghost stories, while at the same time evoking elements of a colonial, wilderness history and filling a giant land with stories and memories - we get the growth of cities, pirates and lost ships, breaking ice and railroads, native tribes and legendary monsters stomping through worlds of snow. The artwork fits perfectly, spooky and emotional in its black and white sparsity. The sense of the spectral engine riding across the landscape, collecting and saving those stories, redeeming the often tragic fates of these sad ghosts, makes this more than a book of frights and turns it into a anthropological and historical rescue mission, a savage train of memories. 8
February 6, 2015
The art is fantastic. Beautiful, raw, black and white sketchy feel which lends itself to the themes of spirits, ghosts, and tragedy. The glow in the dark cover is a nice extra effect. The story concepts is interesting, and the narrative is in a lucid-dream pace, which also suits it. The drawback is the writing itself. A little too disjointed, taking away from sinking into the book.
December 5, 2013
Read my full review at The Comics Alternative:
http://comicsalternative.com/2013/10/...
http://comicsalternative.com/2013/10/...
February 24, 2014
Brilliant, beautiful and creepy.
June 14, 2014
I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It's a collection of ghost stories from across Canada. The artwork and storytelling are both equally great. Highly recommended.
December 31, 2014
An interesting premise of a ghost story, but I would have enjoyed greater ghost-character development and, perhaps, interaction.
February 27, 2016
This is amazing! I never wanted to put it down!
April 9, 2017
One of those 3.5 books. Took me a while to get into it and then I enjoyed it.
April 7, 2019
Canadian ghost stories linked by a steam locomotive and the train it moves through the half light. Atmospheric monochromatic drawings capture a sense of movement and memory, fading and blending and disappearing towards the horizon.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews