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The Ghost Sequences
From A.C. Wise, the acclaimed author of Wendy, Darling, comes a brand new collection of horror stories, The Ghost Sequences.
"A haunting is a moment of trauma, infinitely repeated. It extends forward and backward in time. It is the hole grief makes. It is a house built by memory in-between your skin and bones."
A lush and elegant collection of tales—many having appeared in various "Best Of..." anthologies—teeming with frightful and tragic events, yet profoundly and intimately human. These chilling tales will engross and enthrall.
For readers of Kelly Link, Carmen Maria Machado, and Angela Carter, this is a must have collection of ghostly tales set to deliver a frisson of terror and glee.
"A haunting is a moment of trauma, infinitely repeated. It extends forward and backward in time. It is the hole grief makes. It is a house built by memory in-between your skin and bones."
A lush and elegant collection of tales—many having appeared in various "Best Of..." anthologies—teeming with frightful and tragic events, yet profoundly and intimately human. These chilling tales will engross and enthrall.
For readers of Kelly Link, Carmen Maria Machado, and Angela Carter, this is a must have collection of ghostly tales set to deliver a frisson of terror and glee.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 19, 2021
95 people are currently reading
3369 people want to read
About the author
A.C. Wise
161 books409 followersA.C. Wise's fiction has appeared in publications such as Uncanny, Shimmer, and Tor.com, among other places. She had two collections published with Lethe Press, and a novella published by Broken Eye Books. Her debut novel, Wendy, Darling, is out from Titan Books n June 2021, and a new collection, The Ghost Sequences, is forthcoming from Undertow Books in October 2021. Her work has won the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic, as well as being a two-time Nebula finalist, a two-time Sunburst finalist, an Aurora finalist, and a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. In addition to her fiction, she contributes review columns to the Book Smugglers and Apex Magazine, and has been a finalist for the Ignyte Award in the Critics category.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
January 14, 2022
(I don't use stars to rate books unless I feel that a book is worthy of special honor)
This review was originally published at Mystery & Suspense Magazine:
https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/th...
My first encounter with a story by A. C. Wise was her short story, Final Girl Theory, which I listened to at Pseudopod. You can listen to it yourself. And I shared my experience here.
I mentioned in the review that I chose to listen to the story in order to make an informed choice on buying The Ghost Sequences. And now here we are, based on the way A. C. Wise blew my mind with Final Girl Theory, I’m impressing upon readers that this collection of short stories delivers on exactly what I showed up desiring. More of that lush, magnetic, haunting prose and found-footage tropes. I decided to highlight a few of my favorites which just so happen to be the first several stories and then a few more bangers toward the end.
How The Trick is Done– a tale about a charming, charismatic magician capable of luring people to himself in a wildly self-serving, narcissistic way. The story is told from the point of view of those he leaves in his wake. The prose is lucious; the narrative vulnerable, and tragic. A haunting story exploring how psychologically damaging love can be in the hands of a sociopath.
The Stories We Tell About Ghosts– This is hands down one of my all-time favorite short stories. Child protagonists, this whole “found-footage” vibe, and ghosts. It’s also fucking scary.
This story is available in audio at Pseudopod and free to read at Nightmare Magazine. Just do it. Experience this one for yourself–this is what a good ghost story feels like.
The Last Sailing of the “Henry Charles Morgan” in Six Pieces of Scrimshaw– Warning: A mind-blower. This is one of the most original stories I’ve ever read. Another “found footage” vibe–the narrator is describing artwork depicting the fate of a ship at sea and its crew. A strange creature depicted in the artwork is shown in various stages of an event that ultimately leads to a startling conclusion.
Harvest Song, Gathering Song– This story has a very Vandermeer(ish) subject but told with a more Michael Wehunt style–actually reminded me quite a bit of Wehunt’s, October Film Haunt: Under the House it also reminded me of this story told by Sarah Read in Out of Water involving an archeologist that discovers an ancient jar. In any event, this tale follows a secret military operation to extract a substance in an ice cave that has a unique effect on humans if they consume it. That’s all I’m going to say about that. Has a very cosmic, elder-god feeling of powerlessness; vastation. The act of “ripping off the top of your skull and stretching your brain out way beyond its limitations that makes you feel cavernous and hollow but at the same time full to exploding?” That’s as close as I can come to detailing my experience with this one.
*Crossing– A beautiful, haunting love story spanning over many years. A young woman discovers a passion for swimming which only intensifies after she encounters a water-dwelling creature. They develop an attraction, evolving into a relationship that becomes complicated. This story is beautiful, alluring, and haunting. I was enraptured with it.
I could detail every single story. The one inspired by the cartoon, Scooby Doo. The one about the actress haunting a director. The Nag Bride- a terrifying ghost story.
Every tale impresses upon the reader, more and more, that A. C. Wise is a gifted storyteller with a mind full of strange, unusual, frightening stories. I’m here for all of it.
This collection is the absolute best possible first impression one could have if you’re unfamiliar with Wise’s work. My highest recommendation.
This review was originally published at Mystery & Suspense Magazine:
https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/th...
My first encounter with a story by A. C. Wise was her short story, Final Girl Theory, which I listened to at Pseudopod. You can listen to it yourself. And I shared my experience here.
I mentioned in the review that I chose to listen to the story in order to make an informed choice on buying The Ghost Sequences. And now here we are, based on the way A. C. Wise blew my mind with Final Girl Theory, I’m impressing upon readers that this collection of short stories delivers on exactly what I showed up desiring. More of that lush, magnetic, haunting prose and found-footage tropes. I decided to highlight a few of my favorites which just so happen to be the first several stories and then a few more bangers toward the end.
How The Trick is Done– a tale about a charming, charismatic magician capable of luring people to himself in a wildly self-serving, narcissistic way. The story is told from the point of view of those he leaves in his wake. The prose is lucious; the narrative vulnerable, and tragic. A haunting story exploring how psychologically damaging love can be in the hands of a sociopath.
The Stories We Tell About Ghosts– This is hands down one of my all-time favorite short stories. Child protagonists, this whole “found-footage” vibe, and ghosts. It’s also fucking scary.
This story is available in audio at Pseudopod and free to read at Nightmare Magazine. Just do it. Experience this one for yourself–this is what a good ghost story feels like.
The Last Sailing of the “Henry Charles Morgan” in Six Pieces of Scrimshaw– Warning: A mind-blower. This is one of the most original stories I’ve ever read. Another “found footage” vibe–the narrator is describing artwork depicting the fate of a ship at sea and its crew. A strange creature depicted in the artwork is shown in various stages of an event that ultimately leads to a startling conclusion.
Harvest Song, Gathering Song– This story has a very Vandermeer(ish) subject but told with a more Michael Wehunt style–actually reminded me quite a bit of Wehunt’s, October Film Haunt: Under the House it also reminded me of this story told by Sarah Read in Out of Water involving an archeologist that discovers an ancient jar. In any event, this tale follows a secret military operation to extract a substance in an ice cave that has a unique effect on humans if they consume it. That’s all I’m going to say about that. Has a very cosmic, elder-god feeling of powerlessness; vastation. The act of “ripping off the top of your skull and stretching your brain out way beyond its limitations that makes you feel cavernous and hollow but at the same time full to exploding?” That’s as close as I can come to detailing my experience with this one.
*Crossing– A beautiful, haunting love story spanning over many years. A young woman discovers a passion for swimming which only intensifies after she encounters a water-dwelling creature. They develop an attraction, evolving into a relationship that becomes complicated. This story is beautiful, alluring, and haunting. I was enraptured with it.
I could detail every single story. The one inspired by the cartoon, Scooby Doo. The one about the actress haunting a director. The Nag Bride- a terrifying ghost story.
Every tale impresses upon the reader, more and more, that A. C. Wise is a gifted storyteller with a mind full of strange, unusual, frightening stories. I’m here for all of it.
This collection is the absolute best possible first impression one could have if you’re unfamiliar with Wise’s work. My highest recommendation.
May 26, 2021
A.C. Wise’s work has always been haunted AF. Her new collection is no exception—it will haunt you in the best of ways. You may not realize it at first, but then a few days after reading, the memories begin. Twisted thoughts you can’t escape. People you never met but remember. Retracing steps through places you haven’t exactly visited, but were absolutely submerged in.
I had the good fortune of experiencing Wise’s fiction for the first time with “Trashman” (2011), a story published in Shimmer Magazine. “The trashman knows all your secrets. He knows all the secrets up and down all the streets, everywhere. He knows you, maybe even better than you know yourself.” See—already haunted, even back then.
The Ghost Sequences is Wise’s third collection, following The Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron Saves the World Again (2015, Lethe Press), and The Kissing Booth Girl and Other Stories (2016, Lethe Press). The Ghost Sequences contains sixteen stories, most of them reprints, but collected for the first time here. “The Nag Bride” is new and absolutely haunted. As with many of Wise’s stories, it concerns histories not entirely known, truths told in fictional forms so that we might digest them more easily. Go carefully, or the truth might startle you into running away. If you let her Wise will hold your hand the entire way—and she’ll see you through. Just sit there. Sssh. It’s going to be fine. Haunted AF, but fine.
I had the good fortune of experiencing Wise’s fiction for the first time with “Trashman” (2011), a story published in Shimmer Magazine. “The trashman knows all your secrets. He knows all the secrets up and down all the streets, everywhere. He knows you, maybe even better than you know yourself.” See—already haunted, even back then.
The Ghost Sequences is Wise’s third collection, following The Ultra Fabulous Glitter Squadron Saves the World Again (2015, Lethe Press), and The Kissing Booth Girl and Other Stories (2016, Lethe Press). The Ghost Sequences contains sixteen stories, most of them reprints, but collected for the first time here. “The Nag Bride” is new and absolutely haunted. As with many of Wise’s stories, it concerns histories not entirely known, truths told in fictional forms so that we might digest them more easily. Go carefully, or the truth might startle you into running away. If you let her Wise will hold your hand the entire way—and she’ll see you through. Just sit there. Sssh. It’s going to be fine. Haunted AF, but fine.
August 14, 2022
The Ghost Sequences is an immensely pleasurable collection thanks in large part to its variety. There are stories told through various types of art and media: extracts from letters and articles; scenes from movies; an art exhibition. There’s a story told in instructions. There are more traditional ghostly tales that have the ring of local legends to them. There are stories about stage magic, sea monsters, war trauma, a ghost-spotting app, a snuff film, a cursed play. At various points, these narratives reminded me of writers as different as Carmen Maria Machado, Vernon Lee, Nina Allan and Mariana Enríquez.
I love what I often refer to as ‘mixed media’ stories – those purporting to consist of scraps of real-life information, slowly building a full picture – and there are lots of them here. ‘The Secret of Flight’ assembles the story of a family’s entanglement with a mysterious woman through press clippings, letters and dialogue from a play. ‘I Dress My Lover in Yellow’ is an account of two students’ disappearance by way of a ‘lost painting’ they were trying to investigate. The title of ‘Excerpts from a Film (1942–1987)’, about a director and his ill-fated muse, speaks for itself; ‘The Ghost Sequences’ describes an art display in which each exhibit is based on the artist’s own personal ghost story. ‘The Last Sailing of the “Henry Charles Morgan” in Six Pieces of Scrimshaw (1841)’ is a particularly ingenious example, telling the story of an unexplained shipwreck as it appears in scenes etched on material like whale baleen and walrus tusk. It uses the language a curator might, so that the narrative is presented in an unnerving factual style.
The two best stories in The Ghost Sequences, however, are two of the most (seemingly) straightforward. Especially outstanding is ‘The Nag Bride’, which follows a woman who returns to her hometown after the death of her best friend’s grandparents. There, she’s reminded of a terrifying story she heard as a child. In ‘The Stories We Tell About Ghosts’, the 12-year-old narrator and his little brother Gen are pulled into an obsession with an app called Ghost Hunt! It’s supposed to be a game, but starts to seem worryingly real, especially to the sensitive and suggestible Gen. Both display a major strength of Wise’s storytelling: her ability to include just enough detail about the characters and their relationships, making them vividly real. These are stories that feel, in the best way, like you’ve already heard them somewhere, maybe at a sleepover or around a campfire.
There are 16 stories in this book – perhaps a few too many? – and it has its weak moments. A few, e.g. ‘Crossing’, lean too far towards the whimsical and cutesy for my tastes. ‘Harvest Song, Gathering Song’ is about an Arctic military expedition and magical honey; while that might sound good, the combination of convoluted plot + far too many characters turns into a bit of a mess. But for every slight misstep there’s a brilliant idea, like ‘In the End, It Always Turns Out the Same’, which deals with the existential horror of being part of a crime-fighting detective squad – the TV-cartoon type where everyone is confined to an archetype and the ending always takes the same form.
All in all, it’s a collection well worth reading. The best stories in here have buckets of atmosphere and already feel like classics in the making.
TinyLetter | Linktree
I love what I often refer to as ‘mixed media’ stories – those purporting to consist of scraps of real-life information, slowly building a full picture – and there are lots of them here. ‘The Secret of Flight’ assembles the story of a family’s entanglement with a mysterious woman through press clippings, letters and dialogue from a play. ‘I Dress My Lover in Yellow’ is an account of two students’ disappearance by way of a ‘lost painting’ they were trying to investigate. The title of ‘Excerpts from a Film (1942–1987)’, about a director and his ill-fated muse, speaks for itself; ‘The Ghost Sequences’ describes an art display in which each exhibit is based on the artist’s own personal ghost story. ‘The Last Sailing of the “Henry Charles Morgan” in Six Pieces of Scrimshaw (1841)’ is a particularly ingenious example, telling the story of an unexplained shipwreck as it appears in scenes etched on material like whale baleen and walrus tusk. It uses the language a curator might, so that the narrative is presented in an unnerving factual style.
The two best stories in The Ghost Sequences, however, are two of the most (seemingly) straightforward. Especially outstanding is ‘The Nag Bride’, which follows a woman who returns to her hometown after the death of her best friend’s grandparents. There, she’s reminded of a terrifying story she heard as a child. In ‘The Stories We Tell About Ghosts’, the 12-year-old narrator and his little brother Gen are pulled into an obsession with an app called Ghost Hunt! It’s supposed to be a game, but starts to seem worryingly real, especially to the sensitive and suggestible Gen. Both display a major strength of Wise’s storytelling: her ability to include just enough detail about the characters and their relationships, making them vividly real. These are stories that feel, in the best way, like you’ve already heard them somewhere, maybe at a sleepover or around a campfire.
There are 16 stories in this book – perhaps a few too many? – and it has its weak moments. A few, e.g. ‘Crossing’, lean too far towards the whimsical and cutesy for my tastes. ‘Harvest Song, Gathering Song’ is about an Arctic military expedition and magical honey; while that might sound good, the combination of convoluted plot + far too many characters turns into a bit of a mess. But for every slight misstep there’s a brilliant idea, like ‘In the End, It Always Turns Out the Same’, which deals with the existential horror of being part of a crime-fighting detective squad – the TV-cartoon type where everyone is confined to an archetype and the ending always takes the same form.
All in all, it’s a collection well worth reading. The best stories in here have buckets of atmosphere and already feel like classics in the making.
TinyLetter | Linktree
July 4, 2024
I picked up this collection of short fiction on the strength of A.C. Wise's "Crick Crack Rattle Tap" and this book far exceeded my expectations.
From the unsettling parody/homage of Scooby Doo "In the End, It Always Turns Out the Same" to the diabolical imagery of "The Nag Bride" to the colossal emotional landscape of "Excerpts from a Film (1942–1987)" and "Exhalation #10" (one of my all-time favourite short fiction stories, ever). The prose is good, but the character work, pacing and plotting is masterful.
A few of the stories I had already read (The Stories we Tell About Ghosts and The Last Sailing of the Henry Charles Morgan) and a few of the stories I found underwhelming, but overall, A.C. Wise is a welcome and exciting voice in the genre and I'm officially a fan.
I recommend it.
9/10
From the unsettling parody/homage of Scooby Doo "In the End, It Always Turns Out the Same" to the diabolical imagery of "The Nag Bride" to the colossal emotional landscape of "Excerpts from a Film (1942–1987)" and "Exhalation #10" (one of my all-time favourite short fiction stories, ever). The prose is good, but the character work, pacing and plotting is masterful.
A few of the stories I had already read (The Stories we Tell About Ghosts and The Last Sailing of the Henry Charles Morgan) and a few of the stories I found underwhelming, but overall, A.C. Wise is a welcome and exciting voice in the genre and I'm officially a fan.
I recommend it.
9/10
October 31, 2023
A really fascinating collection of spooky stories, some of which are among the finest I've read in recent years.
I think what I liekd most about this collection is how unexpected and different a lot of these stories are - it's not all ghostly houses and apparitions, there's also strange happenings in remote south pole research stations, magicians who can be broguht back to life, sinister art shows and paintings that tell a strange, haunted tale.
The writing is impeccable throughout, and while there were a few stories that fell flat for me (there always are in short story collections, thus the 4 star) when they were good they were very good indeed.
Absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for some fresh horror.
I think what I liekd most about this collection is how unexpected and different a lot of these stories are - it's not all ghostly houses and apparitions, there's also strange happenings in remote south pole research stations, magicians who can be broguht back to life, sinister art shows and paintings that tell a strange, haunted tale.
The writing is impeccable throughout, and while there were a few stories that fell flat for me (there always are in short story collections, thus the 4 star) when they were good they were very good indeed.
Absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for some fresh horror.
April 12, 2022
This collection is dark, efficient, and disturbing. Every story is haunted in its own unique way. In fact, haunting is clearly the theme of the collection. Whether it’s by a ghost, a past event, a possibility, a lost love, a lost child, or even a looming future - every story features a haunting. The quote on the back of the book sums up the vibe perfectly:
“A haunting is a moment of trauma infinitely repeated. It extends forward and backward in time. It is the hole grief makes.”
This is one of the best short story collections I’ve read, along with another dark favorite The Lure of Dangerous Women.
My one complaint is that a couple of the stories are too similar and could have been excluded in my opinion. There are several recurring themes also which make the stories feel reiterated - a theater category, an art piece description category, a people who change into animals category. But aside from that this is a beautiful and unique collection.
I kept a running tally of the stories below…
🖤
How the trick is done - a resurrectionist holds a magician accountable for the thoughtless harm he inflicts
The stories we tell about ghosts - a group of children look for ghosts on an app
The last sailing of the Henry Charles Morgan in six pieces of scrimshaw - a story told through descriptions of pieces of art, so it feels remote but somehow still chilling
Harvest song, gathering song - so weird but so good with its alien, honey- soaked, dreamlike vibe
The secret of flight - about the mysterious disappearance of a stage performer
Crossing - awww, this is the San Junipero of this collection and also the lone mermaid story ❤️❤️
How to host a haunted house murder mystery party - a fun, Scream-esque how-to
In the end, it always turns out the same - a rather serious but interesting reimagining of Scooby Doo
Exhalation #10 - a love story wrapped around a snuff film
Excerpts from a film - one about the allure of Hollywood that didn’t do much for me,
although the Black Dahlia angle was alright
Lesser creek - a story about two ghosts that explores how urban legends grow and change
I dress my lover in yellow - the history of an unusual painting
The nag bride - this is a cool expansion of the nag bride story from the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books…I think. Anyway it’s good! One of my favorites here.
Tekeli-li, they cry - this reminded me of the movie 12 Monkeys and how time travel stories should always be circular
The men from narrow houses - a magician haunts a girl who can change shape
The ghost sequences - a group art installation takes some dark turns
“A haunting is a moment of trauma infinitely repeated. It extends forward and backward in time. It is the hole grief makes.”
This is one of the best short story collections I’ve read, along with another dark favorite The Lure of Dangerous Women.
My one complaint is that a couple of the stories are too similar and could have been excluded in my opinion. There are several recurring themes also which make the stories feel reiterated - a theater category, an art piece description category, a people who change into animals category. But aside from that this is a beautiful and unique collection.
I kept a running tally of the stories below…
🖤
How the trick is done - a resurrectionist holds a magician accountable for the thoughtless harm he inflicts
The stories we tell about ghosts - a group of children look for ghosts on an app
The last sailing of the Henry Charles Morgan in six pieces of scrimshaw - a story told through descriptions of pieces of art, so it feels remote but somehow still chilling
Harvest song, gathering song - so weird but so good with its alien, honey- soaked, dreamlike vibe
The secret of flight - about the mysterious disappearance of a stage performer
Crossing - awww, this is the San Junipero of this collection and also the lone mermaid story ❤️❤️
How to host a haunted house murder mystery party - a fun, Scream-esque how-to
In the end, it always turns out the same - a rather serious but interesting reimagining of Scooby Doo
Exhalation #10 - a love story wrapped around a snuff film
Excerpts from a film - one about the allure of Hollywood that didn’t do much for me,
although the Black Dahlia angle was alright
Lesser creek - a story about two ghosts that explores how urban legends grow and change
I dress my lover in yellow - the history of an unusual painting
The nag bride - this is a cool expansion of the nag bride story from the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books…I think. Anyway it’s good! One of my favorites here.
Tekeli-li, they cry - this reminded me of the movie 12 Monkeys and how time travel stories should always be circular
The men from narrow houses - a magician haunts a girl who can change shape
The ghost sequences - a group art installation takes some dark turns
December 12, 2021
This collection is in need of a reread. The Ghost Stories were probably some of the best I have ever read. The more abstract stories were beyond my frazzled brain at this point and period of my life – so fresh thoughts will be needed for them. Based on the stories such as the titular The Ghost Sequences – 5. We shall see about the rest anon.
August 25, 2022
A dazzling inventory of ghosts. Brutal and beautiful. My personal favourites are Exhalation #10, The Stories We Tell About Ghostsand The Nag Bride.
October 24, 2021
I am usually a BIG fan of the books that Undertow Publications puts out. I went in with high hopes, and sadly, Ghost Sequences didn't quite hit home the way its predecessors had. The biggest barrier for me what how strangely uneven this collection was. Some of the stories felt like they missed the mark by a hair ... while others shone like a blinding star. Some bounce back and forth in time while others employ a more unique format, unfolding their tales in a series of letters or excerpted content (reviews, news articles, portions of plays), leaving it up to the reader to extrapolate what took, or is still taking, place.
While is was not exactly the halloween read I had been hoping for, there were a few great stories I was glad to have read. What about you? Did you have a similar experience?
While is was not exactly the halloween read I had been hoping for, there were a few great stories I was glad to have read. What about you? Did you have a similar experience?
December 12, 2021
Michael Kelly at Undertow Publications certainly has an eye for authors of speculative fiction whose short stories make for great collections. Elsewhere on this blog I have reviewed I Would Haunt Youif I Could by Seán Padraic Birnie and To Drown in Dark Water by Steve Toase, both of which were published by Undertow and made a lasting impact on me. To these must now be added The Ghost Sequences by A.C. Wise, a volume of sixteen tales which run the gamut of speculative fiction, from fantasy to horror (folk and otherwise) with echoes of classic ghost stories.
The title piece which closes the collection, is a good example of A.C. Wise’s style, which reinterprets common tropes and presents them to the reader anew in beautiful language and unusual formal structures. For instance, this story is, in essence, an art gallery’s description of a themed exhibition prepared by four artists, alternating with their personal account of the events leading up to the exhibition. Through their respective media, the artists express the theme of ghosts and hauntings. This turns out to be an unexpectedly dangerous subject when dark forces are unleashed by the unwitting artists.
There are other pieces in this volume which rework tropes of classic Gothic tales, for instance The Stories We Tell About Ghosts and How to Host a Haunted House Murder Mystery Party, a semi-comic meta-fictional set of instructions on how to organise (or, perhaps, write a story about) a party meeting all the genre elements which horror fiction and film have accustomed us to.
Indeed, in Wise we often sense a preoccupation both with other artforms (particularly visual ones) as well as popular culture. The title story is a case in point, but one could also mention Exhalation #10, (originally published in Ellen Datlow’s Final Cuts: New Tales of Hollywood Horror and Other Spectacles) about a gruesome snufffilm of sorts and Excerpts from a Film (1942-1987). In the End, It Always Turns Out the Same is a dark Scooby-doo send-up. The Secret of Flight combines extracts from an imaginary play with epistolary exchanges about the mysterious disappearance of a leading actress. I Dress My Lover in Yellow concerns a cursed work of art, and although originally published in a volume of Lovecraftian tributes, its fevered imaginings reminded me particularly of the atmosphere of Chambers’ The King in Yellow (perhaps the reference to the colour in the title is no coincidence).
How the Trick is Done and The Men in From Narrow Houses both deal with the world of magic shows and magicians. Unfortunately, I’m not really into their more fantastical, surreal style and, given that the volume opens with the former story, I was initially concerned that this collection was not for me. If, like yours truly, you are more into mainstream supernatural fiction, albeit presented in novel and original ways, fear not and read on – there are plenty of stories which fit that description, including the brilliantly creepy folk-horror piece The Nag Bride, which is original to this collection.
I haven’t mentioned all the stories in The Ghost Sequences, nor can I do justice to them in this brief review. But I must find some space to also credit the amazing cover design by Vince Haig, and the cover art by Olga Beliaeva, based on a photograph by Serge N. Kozintsev, which stunningly complements this set of eerie tales.
Here is the full list of featured stories:
How the Trick is Done
The Stories We Tell About Ghosts
The Last Sailing of the “Henry Charles Morgan” in Six Pieces of Scrimshaw (1841)
Harvest Song, Gathering Song
The Secret of Flight
Crossing
How to Host a Haunted House Murder Mystery Party
In the End, It Always Turns Out the Same
Exhalation #10
Excerpts from a Film (1942-1987)
Lesser Creek: A Love Story, A Ghost Story
I Dress My Lover in Yellow
The Nag Bride
Tekeli-li, They Cry
The Men From Narrow Houses
The Ghost Sequences
4.5*
https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/20...
The title piece which closes the collection, is a good example of A.C. Wise’s style, which reinterprets common tropes and presents them to the reader anew in beautiful language and unusual formal structures. For instance, this story is, in essence, an art gallery’s description of a themed exhibition prepared by four artists, alternating with their personal account of the events leading up to the exhibition. Through their respective media, the artists express the theme of ghosts and hauntings. This turns out to be an unexpectedly dangerous subject when dark forces are unleashed by the unwitting artists.
There are other pieces in this volume which rework tropes of classic Gothic tales, for instance The Stories We Tell About Ghosts and How to Host a Haunted House Murder Mystery Party, a semi-comic meta-fictional set of instructions on how to organise (or, perhaps, write a story about) a party meeting all the genre elements which horror fiction and film have accustomed us to.
Indeed, in Wise we often sense a preoccupation both with other artforms (particularly visual ones) as well as popular culture. The title story is a case in point, but one could also mention Exhalation #10, (originally published in Ellen Datlow’s Final Cuts: New Tales of Hollywood Horror and Other Spectacles) about a gruesome snufffilm of sorts and Excerpts from a Film (1942-1987). In the End, It Always Turns Out the Same is a dark Scooby-doo send-up. The Secret of Flight combines extracts from an imaginary play with epistolary exchanges about the mysterious disappearance of a leading actress. I Dress My Lover in Yellow concerns a cursed work of art, and although originally published in a volume of Lovecraftian tributes, its fevered imaginings reminded me particularly of the atmosphere of Chambers’ The King in Yellow (perhaps the reference to the colour in the title is no coincidence).
How the Trick is Done and The Men in From Narrow Houses both deal with the world of magic shows and magicians. Unfortunately, I’m not really into their more fantastical, surreal style and, given that the volume opens with the former story, I was initially concerned that this collection was not for me. If, like yours truly, you are more into mainstream supernatural fiction, albeit presented in novel and original ways, fear not and read on – there are plenty of stories which fit that description, including the brilliantly creepy folk-horror piece The Nag Bride, which is original to this collection.
I haven’t mentioned all the stories in The Ghost Sequences, nor can I do justice to them in this brief review. But I must find some space to also credit the amazing cover design by Vince Haig, and the cover art by Olga Beliaeva, based on a photograph by Serge N. Kozintsev, which stunningly complements this set of eerie tales.
Here is the full list of featured stories:
How the Trick is Done
The Stories We Tell About Ghosts
The Last Sailing of the “Henry Charles Morgan” in Six Pieces of Scrimshaw (1841)
Harvest Song, Gathering Song
The Secret of Flight
Crossing
How to Host a Haunted House Murder Mystery Party
In the End, It Always Turns Out the Same
Exhalation #10
Excerpts from a Film (1942-1987)
Lesser Creek: A Love Story, A Ghost Story
I Dress My Lover in Yellow
The Nag Bride
Tekeli-li, They Cry
The Men From Narrow Houses
The Ghost Sequences
4.5*
https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/20...
May 3, 2025
I don't know that I have ever encountered another writer so adept at writing opening hooks to short stories so effectively. Almost every story began with a killer premise that immediately grabbed me and filled me with wonder as to where it would go; some surpassed expectations and others fell short, but every single tale began with tantalizing promise.
I also deeply appreciate Wise's creative and experimental approach to form, revealing her ghost stories through archival records, video fragments, and even a display of scrimshaw in a museum. She's truly a special talent, and I hope she returns to the horror genre in the future.
Highlights include "How the Trick Is Done", "Exhalation #10", "I Dress My Lover in Yellow", and the closing title story, "The Ghost Sequences".
I also deeply appreciate Wise's creative and experimental approach to form, revealing her ghost stories through archival records, video fragments, and even a display of scrimshaw in a museum. She's truly a special talent, and I hope she returns to the horror genre in the future.
Highlights include "How the Trick Is Done", "Exhalation #10", "I Dress My Lover in Yellow", and the closing title story, "The Ghost Sequences".
Want to read
March 26, 2021Really hoping this one will include The Stories We Tell About Ghosts, which I read online last year and absolutely loved
sorry-but-no
October 1, 2024Abgebrochen nach 218 Seiten.
Leider fand ich von den ersten elf Geschichten gerade mal zwei interessant und ich merke, dass mich der übermäßig aufgeblasene Stil von A.C. Wise leider nicht anspricht. Das Cover dafür aber immer noch umso mehr.
Leider fand ich von den ersten elf Geschichten gerade mal zwei interessant und ich merke, dass mich der übermäßig aufgeblasene Stil von A.C. Wise leider nicht anspricht. Das Cover dafür aber immer noch umso mehr.
November 28, 2021
I really enjoyed this collection of ghost stories, which was a book of the month pick for the GR group Literary Horror. I'm not sure I would have picked it up otherwise, and the poorer off I would have been for not experiencing more of this talented author. Collections and anthologies are typically hard to do, as typically there are duds within the offerings. This collection, however, ranged from good to incredibly awesome and I want more, please! Wise can definitely write creepy horror, and I will definitely be checking out more of her work. Wendy, Darling looks especially good.
December 21, 2022
It wasn’t terrible. It was well written but not all the stories were for me. There was maybe 2 or 3 of them that I really liked the others just felt like a lot of metaphors and frilly language. Maybe I’m just not intellectual enough? I like dark metaphors but some of the stories I just didn’t fully understand because they were so buried deep in repetitive language. And again maybe that’s on me! Just didn’t hold my attention as much as I hoped.
July 10, 2021
Wow, just wow! I was three stories in before I immediately put a copy on pre-order, and there were plenty more stunning stories to come after that. Creative, creepy, compulsively readable. A.C. Wise ticks all the boxes in this collection of haunting stories.
November 19, 2021
OH MY GOODNESS, LOVE.
October 10, 2021
Mastery and magic.
This collection is well worth your time and money. I had to put it down after almost every story because these pieces have the complexity and weight of short novels. A.C. Wise breathes new life into ghost stories by drawing on legends (all types) and human emotions (grief and love), as well as modern technology (cellphones and cameras and all the gadgets known to magicians and artists). Favorites include "Exhalation #10," "Excerpts from a Film (1942-1987)" and the unforgettable "The Nag Bride."
What a treat for the Halloween season, and an example of the fine work that Undertow Publications puts out. The cover is incredible, what every author wishes for.
This collection is well worth your time and money. I had to put it down after almost every story because these pieces have the complexity and weight of short novels. A.C. Wise breathes new life into ghost stories by drawing on legends (all types) and human emotions (grief and love), as well as modern technology (cellphones and cameras and all the gadgets known to magicians and artists). Favorites include "Exhalation #10," "Excerpts from a Film (1942-1987)" and the unforgettable "The Nag Bride."
What a treat for the Halloween season, and an example of the fine work that Undertow Publications puts out. The cover is incredible, what every author wishes for.
May 2, 2024
Absolutely amazing book.
This felt like watching old black and white Hollywood classic movies. There is a grace and beauty just beneath the horror that make each story elegant. But don’t be fooled, this collection is devious in its scare tactics and every story casually turns into a queasy nightmare.
This felt like watching old black and white Hollywood classic movies. There is a grace and beauty just beneath the horror that make each story elegant. But don’t be fooled, this collection is devious in its scare tactics and every story casually turns into a queasy nightmare.
did-not-finish
November 11, 2024DNF @ 11% on 11/11/24 on audio. I read the first two stories and neither were scary to me.
February 28, 2025
This was a pretty decent collection of stories, none of them were overly scary or should be categorized as horror. It kind of felt like a toned down ghost collection..
December 26, 2023
A really solid collection with lots of creative approaches to storytelling. Many interpretations of ghosts, too.
July 9, 2024
Hauntingly beautiful. A must read for fans of horror and dark fantasy.
Read
February 5, 2023N.B. I no longer rate on goodreads.
Before I mention the stories I must give a shout-out to the cover. It's simply stunning, and it caught my eye even before the book was released.
Okay, now for the stories which are as you would expect, themed around ghosts. Having read this collection I can see why A.C. Wise has had her fiction published in professional magazines and anthologies, and I can also understand why her work has won awards. This is speculative fiction at its best. It's clever and uncanny, not the sort of fiction that can be skimmed. It demands more than that of the reader.
My personal favorites from the collection were:
The Magician Takes a Bow with its clever and original concept. (Great metaphorical twist, too!) It reminded me of one of my all-time favorite films, The Illusionist.
The Last Sailing of the "Henry Charles Morgan"in Six pieces of Scrimshaw - atmospheric!
Harvest Song, Gathering Song - such an intelligent piece of writing.
Crossing - just beautiful!
The Men From Narrow Houses - I loved everything about this one, especially the voice. It felt like a twisted version of Alice in Wonderland.
This is a generous collection, and since I rarely read more than one story at a time it took me a while to get through as I was also reading longer works, but that's fine. In fact it's part of what I like about anthologies and collections. You can dip in and out as you see fit. It included epistolary pieces and many examples of found footage, too.
I would sum up the collection by applauding its breadth. This is an author who has proven she can put her hand to any style or form.
Before I mention the stories I must give a shout-out to the cover. It's simply stunning, and it caught my eye even before the book was released.
Okay, now for the stories which are as you would expect, themed around ghosts. Having read this collection I can see why A.C. Wise has had her fiction published in professional magazines and anthologies, and I can also understand why her work has won awards. This is speculative fiction at its best. It's clever and uncanny, not the sort of fiction that can be skimmed. It demands more than that of the reader.
My personal favorites from the collection were:
The Magician Takes a Bow with its clever and original concept. (Great metaphorical twist, too!) It reminded me of one of my all-time favorite films, The Illusionist.
The Last Sailing of the "Henry Charles Morgan"in Six pieces of Scrimshaw - atmospheric!
Harvest Song, Gathering Song - such an intelligent piece of writing.
Crossing - just beautiful!
The Men From Narrow Houses - I loved everything about this one, especially the voice. It felt like a twisted version of Alice in Wonderland.
This is a generous collection, and since I rarely read more than one story at a time it took me a while to get through as I was also reading longer works, but that's fine. In fact it's part of what I like about anthologies and collections. You can dip in and out as you see fit. It included epistolary pieces and many examples of found footage, too.
I would sum up the collection by applauding its breadth. This is an author who has proven she can put her hand to any style or form.
July 7, 2022
One of the best collections I have ever read. Every story is haunting. Every story is beautiful. You have to check them out for yourself.
December 13, 2022
A range of ratings on whether I liked each story or not, but a constant throughout was the high caliber of writing. A great eerie short story collection.
August 29, 2023
Opening lines:
How many people can say they were there the night the trick went wrong and the Magician died on stage? Certainly, that first morning on the strip - dazed gamblers blinking in the rising light, the ambulance come and gone, with the smell of gunpowder lingering in the air - everyone claimed they knew someone who heard the Magician's Assistant scream, saw the spray of blood, saw a man rush on stage and faint dead away.
Review:
Top five horror short stories! I loved virtually ever single one. They're so creative and imaginative and all so wildly different from one another, I'm surprised they're all from one author and not an anthology. The way the scares are delivered are so carefully done. In some stories, it's done by having a juxtaposition of something so beautiful that the dread is just building because we fear it will be marred. Some of them are bitingly satirical and filled with dark humor. Some of them made me feel nostalgic and reminded me of my first scares as a kid. Highly, highly recommend.
How many people can say they were there the night the trick went wrong and the Magician died on stage? Certainly, that first morning on the strip - dazed gamblers blinking in the rising light, the ambulance come and gone, with the smell of gunpowder lingering in the air - everyone claimed they knew someone who heard the Magician's Assistant scream, saw the spray of blood, saw a man rush on stage and faint dead away.
Review:
Top five horror short stories! I loved virtually ever single one. They're so creative and imaginative and all so wildly different from one another, I'm surprised they're all from one author and not an anthology. The way the scares are delivered are so carefully done. In some stories, it's done by having a juxtaposition of something so beautiful that the dread is just building because we fear it will be marred. Some of them are bitingly satirical and filled with dark humor. Some of them made me feel nostalgic and reminded me of my first scares as a kid. Highly, highly recommend.
Read
November 1, 2023Atmospherically spooky short story collection, perfect for Halloween. Although 16 stories is a tad long (and I think it's hard for them to all be so amazing with such a large collection), I enjoyed it greatly, my standouts below:
- The Last Sailing of the "Henry Charles Morgan" in Six Pieces of Scrimshaw: incentive and creepy and also I just love boats and scrimshaw, this one really stuck with me, just enough of a story teased out on the high seas that you know something sinister and gory happened, with lots of questions left. The right level of found footage ambiguity about the tricky temptress that is the open ocean
- The Stories We Tell About Ghost: a perfect modern day ghost short story, this is like internet lore creepypasta but elevated, with fully fleshed out children protagonists, it is both heartrending and chilling.
- Crossing: a lesbian/mermaid ocean love story hits all the right notes FOR ME, a queer lady who loves to swim
- Exhalation #10: the most "grounded" and least supernatural, with plenty of worldly horrors to up the ante
Some of the more ambiguous stories didn't work for me, and some of the found footage tropes (newspaper clippings, art descriptions) would have worked more in moderation, but I'd reread all of the above for sure.
- The Last Sailing of the "Henry Charles Morgan" in Six Pieces of Scrimshaw: incentive and creepy and also I just love boats and scrimshaw, this one really stuck with me, just enough of a story teased out on the high seas that you know something sinister and gory happened, with lots of questions left. The right level of found footage ambiguity about the tricky temptress that is the open ocean
- The Stories We Tell About Ghost: a perfect modern day ghost short story, this is like internet lore creepypasta but elevated, with fully fleshed out children protagonists, it is both heartrending and chilling.
- Crossing: a lesbian/mermaid ocean love story hits all the right notes FOR ME, a queer lady who loves to swim
- Exhalation #10: the most "grounded" and least supernatural, with plenty of worldly horrors to up the ante
Some of the more ambiguous stories didn't work for me, and some of the found footage tropes (newspaper clippings, art descriptions) would have worked more in moderation, but I'd reread all of the above for sure.
July 5, 2022
The cover of this book drew me in. The stories kept me coming back. It’s rare for me to finish a collection of short stories. I read this slowly compared to my regular pace, the better to let each story have a moment in time. Wise excels at the intersection between what we consider real life and our willingness to make room for the things we find hard to explain. This collection of short stories is eclectic and demonstrates the breadth of her imagination. I love how art comes into her stories. A few of my favorites: How the Trick Is Done, Six Pieces Of Scrimshaw, I Dress My Lover in Yellow, The Ghost Sequences, The Stories We Tell about Ghosts, The Secret of Flight.
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