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Our Haunted Shores: Tales from the Coasts of the British Isles
The sea that night sang rather than chanted; all along the far-running shore a rising tide dropped thick foam, and the waves, white-crested, came steadily in with the swing of a deliberate purpose.
From foreboding cliffs and lonely lighthouses to rumbling shingles and silted estuaries, the coasts of the British Isles have stoked the imaginations of storytellers for millennia, lending a rich literary significance to these spaces between land and sea. For those who choose to explore these shores, generations of ghosts, sea-spirits, fairies and tentacled monsters come and go with the tide.
This new collection of fifteen short stories, six folk tales and four poems ranging from 1789 to 1933 offers a chilling literary tour of the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man, including haunting pieces by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Bram Stoker and Charlotte Riddell.
From foreboding cliffs and lonely lighthouses to rumbling shingles and silted estuaries, the coasts of the British Isles have stoked the imaginations of storytellers for millennia, lending a rich literary significance to these spaces between land and sea. For those who choose to explore these shores, generations of ghosts, sea-spirits, fairies and tentacled monsters come and go with the tide.
This new collection of fifteen short stories, six folk tales and four poems ranging from 1789 to 1933 offers a chilling literary tour of the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man, including haunting pieces by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Bram Stoker and Charlotte Riddell.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2022
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November 18, 2024
“The sea that night sang rather than chanted; all along the far-running shore a rising tide dropped thick foam, and the waves, white-crested, came steadily in with the swing of a deliberate purpose.”
Another offering from Tales of the Weird. The stories range from the 1780s until the 1930s. There are a few poems, including one from Christina Rossetti. There are twenty authors contained in the anthology, including three anonymous ones. There are offerings from Bram Stoker, Charlotte Riddell, Arthur Machen, E F Benson, Hugh Walpole, Lord Dunsany, H G Wells, Algernon Blackwood, Francis Prevost, James Bowker, Frances Hodgson Burnett, H D Lowry, Charlotte Smith, Sophia Morrison, Robert Sneddon and Mary Robinson. These stories do focus more on the shoreline, beaches and shallows rather than seas and oceans.
There is plenty of myth and folklore present, along with tropes about the sea containing the dead, not to mention lighthouses and loads of shingle. There is a little humour from Bram Stoker with a tourist who insists on wearing full highland dress, even on the beach. Blackwood’s effort is suitably strange.
It’s a varied group of stories, suitably odd at times, not the best in the series, but by no means the worst.
Another offering from Tales of the Weird. The stories range from the 1780s until the 1930s. There are a few poems, including one from Christina Rossetti. There are twenty authors contained in the anthology, including three anonymous ones. There are offerings from Bram Stoker, Charlotte Riddell, Arthur Machen, E F Benson, Hugh Walpole, Lord Dunsany, H G Wells, Algernon Blackwood, Francis Prevost, James Bowker, Frances Hodgson Burnett, H D Lowry, Charlotte Smith, Sophia Morrison, Robert Sneddon and Mary Robinson. These stories do focus more on the shoreline, beaches and shallows rather than seas and oceans.
There is plenty of myth and folklore present, along with tropes about the sea containing the dead, not to mention lighthouses and loads of shingle. There is a little humour from Bram Stoker with a tourist who insists on wearing full highland dress, even on the beach. Blackwood’s effort is suitably strange.
It’s a varied group of stories, suitably odd at times, not the best in the series, but by no means the worst.
Read
July 6, 2022I have family here from California so it will be next week before I can offer my thoughts about this book. For now: great fun, most of what's included in this volume are solidly good story choices with lots of folklore-based tales (a bonus for me).
back shortly.
back shortly.
December 15, 2022
Get out of the water!
Another anthology from the British Library’s Tales of the Weird series, this one has twenty entries, all with settings around the shores of Britain. I say entries rather than stories because several of these are not stories, and often not at all what I would describe as horror or weird. There are poems, which I freely admit are not my thing and none of them made me want to change my mind. There are recountings of folk myths, which are interesting but not developed as stories. And there are pieces which recount natural disasters, such as drownings and tragedies at sea, which are done more as faux reportage than, again, being developed as horror stories. Of the twenty, I’d call fifteen of them stories, but there are only eleven that I’d classify as in any way weird, even by the most generous definition of that genre.
Unfortunately, even among those fifteen I found the quality of the selections pretty disappointing. While there are some stand-out stories, most are rather unimpressive and a few are frankly poor, feeling to me as if they’re included only because of their connection to the overarching theme rather than for any intrinsic quality in the stories. I said recently that these anthologies work best when the editor and the reader are in tune. While I don’t know Emily Alder or Jimmy Packham, I have found in the past that Joan Passey and I are not in tune – she is far more interested in the little poems and folk myths she includes than I am, and we clearly don’t share a definition of what ‘weird’ or even ‘horror’ means. So as always my reaction to the collection is subjective, and other readers may find themselves more in synch with the selections than I.
As always, here’s a flavour of the ones I enjoyed most – a rather restricted list this time, since I gave only 4 of the entries five stars:
The Sea-Fit by Algernon Blackwood – a deliciously scary story of ancient sea gods and those who worship them. Three men are staying in a dilapidated bungalow on the shore, when one of them succumbs to what is known as his sea-fit, and the mist rolls in and the waves seem to be singing a haunting song. The “wierdest” story in the collection, and while it’s obvious where it’s heading, Blackwood still manages to create an atmosphere of tension and dread.
Crooken Sands by Bram Stoker – a surprisingly humorous tale of a visitor to Scotland who insists on wearing full Highland rig despite the warnings of the local seer that his vanity and the local quicksands will lead him into danger.
A Ghost of the Sea by Francis Prevost – The narrator is on a walking holiday in Cornwall and Devon when he meets an old acquaintance who had withdrawn from the world some time back. He explains to the narrator that he behaved badly towards a woman who subsequently drowned, and now he sees her dead body in the sea. Bad enough, but now he has come to see other dead people in the sea too. The writing in this one is great with some powerful imagery, and there’s a real sense of unease. The narrator wishes to be a cynic, but he gradually becomes less certain. Quite an unsettling story that reminds us of the many lives lost around our shores and the many bodies never recovered.
On the Isle of Blue Men by Robert W Sneddon – A manuscript is found after the death of a madman who had appeared on the Portuguese shore one day and lived out his remaining life there. The manuscript tells of how the narrator and his wife, Alice, sailed out to an island inhabited only by three lighthouse keepers, all Highland men. One of them Jamieson, is reputed to be a seer. He is horrified that a woman is on the island, especially a red-haired one. He warns that it will bring on them the curse of the Blue Men! And indeed it does! An excellent story, based on a Scottish myth, with some terrifying octopus-like creatures that would certainly deter me from taking a job on a lonely island!
So a few goodies, but one of the less successful of these anthologies overall. 2½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
Another anthology from the British Library’s Tales of the Weird series, this one has twenty entries, all with settings around the shores of Britain. I say entries rather than stories because several of these are not stories, and often not at all what I would describe as horror or weird. There are poems, which I freely admit are not my thing and none of them made me want to change my mind. There are recountings of folk myths, which are interesting but not developed as stories. And there are pieces which recount natural disasters, such as drownings and tragedies at sea, which are done more as faux reportage than, again, being developed as horror stories. Of the twenty, I’d call fifteen of them stories, but there are only eleven that I’d classify as in any way weird, even by the most generous definition of that genre.
Unfortunately, even among those fifteen I found the quality of the selections pretty disappointing. While there are some stand-out stories, most are rather unimpressive and a few are frankly poor, feeling to me as if they’re included only because of their connection to the overarching theme rather than for any intrinsic quality in the stories. I said recently that these anthologies work best when the editor and the reader are in tune. While I don’t know Emily Alder or Jimmy Packham, I have found in the past that Joan Passey and I are not in tune – she is far more interested in the little poems and folk myths she includes than I am, and we clearly don’t share a definition of what ‘weird’ or even ‘horror’ means. So as always my reaction to the collection is subjective, and other readers may find themselves more in synch with the selections than I.
As always, here’s a flavour of the ones I enjoyed most – a rather restricted list this time, since I gave only 4 of the entries five stars:
The Sea-Fit by Algernon Blackwood – a deliciously scary story of ancient sea gods and those who worship them. Three men are staying in a dilapidated bungalow on the shore, when one of them succumbs to what is known as his sea-fit, and the mist rolls in and the waves seem to be singing a haunting song. The “wierdest” story in the collection, and while it’s obvious where it’s heading, Blackwood still manages to create an atmosphere of tension and dread.
Crooken Sands by Bram Stoker – a surprisingly humorous tale of a visitor to Scotland who insists on wearing full Highland rig despite the warnings of the local seer that his vanity and the local quicksands will lead him into danger.
A Ghost of the Sea by Francis Prevost – The narrator is on a walking holiday in Cornwall and Devon when he meets an old acquaintance who had withdrawn from the world some time back. He explains to the narrator that he behaved badly towards a woman who subsequently drowned, and now he sees her dead body in the sea. Bad enough, but now he has come to see other dead people in the sea too. The writing in this one is great with some powerful imagery, and there’s a real sense of unease. The narrator wishes to be a cynic, but he gradually becomes less certain. Quite an unsettling story that reminds us of the many lives lost around our shores and the many bodies never recovered.
On the Isle of Blue Men by Robert W Sneddon – A manuscript is found after the death of a madman who had appeared on the Portuguese shore one day and lived out his remaining life there. The manuscript tells of how the narrator and his wife, Alice, sailed out to an island inhabited only by three lighthouse keepers, all Highland men. One of them Jamieson, is reputed to be a seer. He is horrified that a woman is on the island, especially a red-haired one. He warns that it will bring on them the curse of the Blue Men! And indeed it does! An excellent story, based on a Scottish myth, with some terrifying octopus-like creatures that would certainly deter me from taking a job on a lonely island!
So a few goodies, but one of the less successful of these anthologies overall. 2½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
August 14, 2022
i am giving this 3☆ but i feel like it is slightly above that, even if not quite a 3.5☆ or a 4☆.
regardless, the theme in this one was very strongly present in all of the selections - which is to be expected, given that the editors are part of a collective focusing on "gothic and horror literature based around or inspired by coasts" (you can find more information on their website - https://haunted-shores.com/). i was pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of poems in this issue of the series; i have now read nearly every book in the "tales of the weird" series but this is the first time i have seen poems considered. the inclusion of folktales also introduced some variety.
focusing on the pieces themselves, the overall quality was more uniform than usual, too. still there were several standouts for me which were deliciously creepy even on a hot 33°C day as today.
favourites: "the strange student" and "what was it?", both by anonymous authors, "a ghost of the sea" by francis prevost, "crooken sands" by (thee) bram stoker, "a tale of an empty hous" by e.f. benson (always a pleasure) and "the isle of blue men" by robert w. sneddon. other notable entries - though perhaps not my favourite by those authors - are "the sea raiders" by h.g. wells and "the sea fit" by algernon blackwood.
regardless, the theme in this one was very strongly present in all of the selections - which is to be expected, given that the editors are part of a collective focusing on "gothic and horror literature based around or inspired by coasts" (you can find more information on their website - https://haunted-shores.com/). i was pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of poems in this issue of the series; i have now read nearly every book in the "tales of the weird" series but this is the first time i have seen poems considered. the inclusion of folktales also introduced some variety.
focusing on the pieces themselves, the overall quality was more uniform than usual, too. still there were several standouts for me which were deliciously creepy even on a hot 33°C day as today.
favourites: "the strange student" and "what was it?", both by anonymous authors, "a ghost of the sea" by francis prevost, "crooken sands" by (thee) bram stoker, "a tale of an empty hous" by e.f. benson (always a pleasure) and "the isle of blue men" by robert w. sneddon. other notable entries - though perhaps not my favourite by those authors - are "the sea raiders" by h.g. wells and "the sea fit" by algernon blackwood.
January 12, 2025
Great collection showcasing snapshots from the evolution of the genre. Top story was "The Isle of Blue Men".
March 18, 2025
Overall, it was a frustrating read. The setting of the shores is full of possibilities, but few of the authors committed to the horrors of our defenselessness before the tides. The three anonymous stories were interesting, especially the first two, dancing about the idea of a tragic drowning. The third, "What Was It?", had an interesting concept but lacked more suspense, as did "The Sea Raiders" by H. G. Wells. In "Crooken Sands", Stoker tried to build a mystery around a Doppelgänger and the vain use of the Highland dress, but the beginning was rough to read and the story seemed overspecific at times, inspiring more curiosity than proper horror. "The Sea Fit" tried to be a kind of Lovecraftian horror by playing with the concept of man uniting with the deity he worshipped in life by dissolving himself with it in death — it fell flat for me. By far, the best ones were "A Tale of an Empty House" and "On the Isle of Blue Men" — as a kid, I often visited my grandparents at their home in Guaruja, and I remember well the beach, for they lived near the shore; I wouldn't sleep for days if I had read those two tales at that time.
I think the most interesting in a thematic sense was Lord Dunsany's "Where the Tides Ebb and Flow". If I'm not mistaken, the allegory goes for a man who did something wrong and was overly punished, and those who loved him the most became his fiercest enemies and tried to bury his body in a place where it wouldn't decay, and he would die but remain conscious for centuries, unable to weep or mitigate his pain. It wasn't Heaven or Hell, but a kind of earthly Purgatory. When people unburied him to give his body a proper burial, his "friends" returned to dump him back under the mud. There's an existential dread in being tossed around without hope and returning to the same place, and spending centuries awaiting salvation. When London decays and his "friends" and their successors in hate are no more, he is rescued and climbs his way to Heaven, and that's the point where we wake up. It reminds us of Job, awaiting God's mercy while the world mocks and casts him aside. In the end, even if there's no hope on behalf of men, Nature achieves justice by wiping our enemies at their due time and setting us free. There are cases when someone is liberated from an infamous reputation even after their death. However, if I'm overthinking and see more than there's for it, the sole fact of being locked in a dream where you live your worst reality is dreadful in itself; it's a rational horror, different from running from a monster or fearing death. I know I spoiled the whole thing, but it's the kind of parable where the more you know, the better you read. And maybe there's another explanation besides mine.
I think the most interesting in a thematic sense was Lord Dunsany's "Where the Tides Ebb and Flow". If I'm not mistaken, the allegory goes for a man who did something wrong and was overly punished, and those who loved him the most became his fiercest enemies and tried to bury his body in a place where it wouldn't decay, and he would die but remain conscious for centuries, unable to weep or mitigate his pain. It wasn't Heaven or Hell, but a kind of earthly Purgatory. When people unburied him to give his body a proper burial, his "friends" returned to dump him back under the mud. There's an existential dread in being tossed around without hope and returning to the same place, and spending centuries awaiting salvation. When London decays and his "friends" and their successors in hate are no more, he is rescued and climbs his way to Heaven, and that's the point where we wake up. It reminds us of Job, awaiting God's mercy while the world mocks and casts him aside. In the end, even if there's no hope on behalf of men, Nature achieves justice by wiping our enemies at their due time and setting us free. There are cases when someone is liberated from an infamous reputation even after their death. However, if I'm overthinking and see more than there's for it, the sole fact of being locked in a dream where you live your worst reality is dreadful in itself; it's a rational horror, different from running from a monster or fearing death. I know I spoiled the whole thing, but it's the kind of parable where the more you know, the better you read. And maybe there's another explanation besides mine.
Read
January 10, 2024I promise I will ease off on these shortly, but there was the Kindle Unlimited trial, and then obviously I've been reading this one while near the coast, which I am this week, so it was only logical... It seems not to be that well-regarded by the standards of the imprint, perhaps because it contains a little verse and a fair chunk of folk tales and anonymous entries alongside the more usual fare of clearly authored uncanny tales. But I don't mind that; reminds me of the spooky paperback anthologies of yore, the way that (at least to a young reader) they'd blur the boundaries of fact and fiction, less concerned with categories than conveying a pleasing chill. Which this selection definitely does, offering everything from a cautionary and half-comic tale about cultural appropriation by Bram Stoker, to a cephalopod attack on the very coast where I'm currently staying, courtesy of HG Wells. The temptation of something as fully obvious as MR James is resisted, but mainstays such as EF Benson (An Empty House) and Algernon Blackwood (The Sea Fit) are joined by my favourites Machen and Dunsany, who make fewer appearances in the series than they might (and Two Bottles Of Relish would have been a perfect fit for The Uncanny Gastronomic). Out Of The Earth has always been a bit of a poor man's Terror for me, but I can't deny its rumours of feral seaside children belong here; Where The Tides Ebb And Flow is a little masterpiece of the ooze, deep time compressed into six pages. But names I didn't know acquitted themselves well too, like Robert W Sneddon, whose Isle Of Blue Men recalls Innsmouth and Robert E Howard's People Of The Black Coast, but was published before either. All in all, it does a great job of catching those unnerving feelings that come when you stand on land that isn't always land.
March 16, 2024
This entry in the British Library's Tales of the Weird proved to be one of the most enjoyable forays in the series thus far. The book contains an impressive selection of stories drawn from the works of some of the greatest authors of the genre, including Algernon Blackwood, Arthur Machen, E. F. Benson, Charlotte Riddell, Lord Dunsany, Bram Stoker, and H. G. Wells. I highly recommend giving this one a try.
As an aside, please note that while the Good Reads entry lists this book as 288 pages, it actually contains (both in my copy and in the British Library's website listing for the book) 318 pages.
CONTENTS:
The Haunted Beach by Mary Robinson
Two Sonnets by Charlotte Smith
Narrative of a Fatal Event by Anon.
The Strange Student by Anon.
What Was It? by Anon.
One Day at Arle by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Two Folk Tales by James Bowker
The Last of Squire Ennismore by Charlotte Riddell
Legends by H. D. Lowry
A Ghost of the Sea by Francis Prevost
Crooken Sands by Bram Stoker
The Sea Raiders by H. G. Wells
The Sea Fit by Algernon Blackwood
Where the Tides Ebb and Flow by Lord Dunsany
Four Folk Tales by Sophia Morrison
Out of the Earth by Arthur Machen
A Tale of an Empty House by E. F. Benson
On the Isle of Blue Men by Robert W. Sneddon
Seashore Macabre: A Moment's Experience by Hugh Walpole
A Coast-Nightmare by Christina Rosseti
As an aside, please note that while the Good Reads entry lists this book as 288 pages, it actually contains (both in my copy and in the British Library's website listing for the book) 318 pages.
CONTENTS:
The Haunted Beach by Mary Robinson
Two Sonnets by Charlotte Smith
Narrative of a Fatal Event by Anon.
The Strange Student by Anon.
What Was It? by Anon.
One Day at Arle by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Two Folk Tales by James Bowker
The Last of Squire Ennismore by Charlotte Riddell
Legends by H. D. Lowry
A Ghost of the Sea by Francis Prevost
Crooken Sands by Bram Stoker
The Sea Raiders by H. G. Wells
The Sea Fit by Algernon Blackwood
Where the Tides Ebb and Flow by Lord Dunsany
Four Folk Tales by Sophia Morrison
Out of the Earth by Arthur Machen
A Tale of an Empty House by E. F. Benson
On the Isle of Blue Men by Robert W. Sneddon
Seashore Macabre: A Moment's Experience by Hugh Walpole
A Coast-Nightmare by Christina Rosseti
December 12, 2024
There are several real finds here. And some familiars. And some also-rans.
Real finds:
"On the Isle of Blue Men" (1927) by Robert W. Sneddon
* * *
Familiars:
"Crooken Sands" (1894) by Bram Stoker
"The Sea Raiders" (1897) by H. G. Wells
"The Sea Fit" (1910) by Algernon Blackwood
"Out of the Earth" (1915) by Arthur Machen
"A Tale of an Empty House" (1925) by E. F. Benson
* * *
Also-rans:
"The Haunted Beach" (1880) by Mary Robinson
"On Being Cautioned Against Walking on an Headland Overlooking the Sea Because It Was Frequented by a Lunatic" (1797) by Charlotte Smith
"Sonnet XLIV" (1784) by Charlotte Smith
"Narrative of a Fatal Event" (1818) by Sir Walter Scott
"The Strange Student" (1844) by Anonymous
"What Was It?" (1866) by Henry Spicer
"One Day at Arle" (1872) by Frances Hodgson Burnett
"The Enchanted Fisherman" (1875) by James Bowker
"The White Dobbie" (1874) by James Bowker
"The Last of Squire Ennismore" (1888) by Mrs. J. H. Riddell
"Legends" (1893) by H. D. Lowry
"A Ghost of the Sea" (1893) by Francis Prevost
"Where the Tides Ebb and Flow" (1908) by Lord Dunsany
"The Making of Mann" (1911) by Sophia Morrison
"Little Footprints" (1911) by Sophia Morrison
"The Witch of Slieu Whallian" (1911) by Sophia Morrison
"The City Under the Sea" (1911) by Sophia Morrison
Real finds:
"On the Isle of Blue Men" (1927) by Robert W. Sneddon
* * *
Familiars:
"Crooken Sands" (1894) by Bram Stoker
"The Sea Raiders" (1897) by H. G. Wells
"The Sea Fit" (1910) by Algernon Blackwood
"Out of the Earth" (1915) by Arthur Machen
"A Tale of an Empty House" (1925) by E. F. Benson
* * *
Also-rans:
"The Haunted Beach" (1880) by Mary Robinson
"On Being Cautioned Against Walking on an Headland Overlooking the Sea Because It Was Frequented by a Lunatic" (1797) by Charlotte Smith
"Sonnet XLIV" (1784) by Charlotte Smith
"Narrative of a Fatal Event" (1818) by Sir Walter Scott
"The Strange Student" (1844) by Anonymous
"What Was It?" (1866) by Henry Spicer
"One Day at Arle" (1872) by Frances Hodgson Burnett
"The Enchanted Fisherman" (1875) by James Bowker
"The White Dobbie" (1874) by James Bowker
"The Last of Squire Ennismore" (1888) by Mrs. J. H. Riddell
"Legends" (1893) by H. D. Lowry
"A Ghost of the Sea" (1893) by Francis Prevost
"Where the Tides Ebb and Flow" (1908) by Lord Dunsany
"The Making of Mann" (1911) by Sophia Morrison
"Little Footprints" (1911) by Sophia Morrison
"The Witch of Slieu Whallian" (1911) by Sophia Morrison
"The City Under the Sea" (1911) by Sophia Morrison
December 22, 2024
Another solid collection. I found a new favourite in here, which is always exciting and exactly why I love anthologies; many of the other stories were enjoyable, though there were a couple that I didn't enjoy as much. Purely personal, however -- I don't see why others wouldn't love them.
I was also excited to see a deviation from straightforward prose in this collection! The anthology also includes several poems and folklore tales, which was fun to see and really helped round out the collection, making it feel like a particularly complete showcase of the prominent works involving this theme. There was also a wide variety of styles and genres, everything from the classic Gothic (and not even necessarily supernatural) to sci-fi to supernatural terror and classic ghost stories. Then of course there were fairy-tale elements, mythological connections... it really was a brilliant variety and every story brought something new.
As I said, some I enjoyed more than others. But I'd put money on there being something for everyone in this collection.
I was also excited to see a deviation from straightforward prose in this collection! The anthology also includes several poems and folklore tales, which was fun to see and really helped round out the collection, making it feel like a particularly complete showcase of the prominent works involving this theme. There was also a wide variety of styles and genres, everything from the classic Gothic (and not even necessarily supernatural) to sci-fi to supernatural terror and classic ghost stories. Then of course there were fairy-tale elements, mythological connections... it really was a brilliant variety and every story brought something new.
As I said, some I enjoyed more than others. But I'd put money on there being something for everyone in this collection.
August 6, 2022
I feel like I'm judging this harshly by only giving it 3 stars, but it's not quite 4 star calibre overall. Were I to split hairs, on balance, I'd rate it a shade under three and a half!
Make no mistake there are some absolute belters here, that individually I'd give an unqualified 5 star to. Lord Dunsany's 'Ebb and Flow' is deliciously eerie and dreamlike, fresh and intriguing, while Sneddon's 'Blue Men' is iconic, pungently atmospheric and claustrophobic!
There are too, some great folkloric snatches from Cumbria and the Isle of Man. H G Wells' 'Sea Raiders' reminds you of just why he is such an esteemed and powerful writer to this day! Machen too provides a delightfully horrible short story of subversion, all comfortably straying into four-star territory.
But for this reader much of the remaining tales missed the mark with me, and some were a chore to read. Taken as a whole the score is accurate.
***** Great
**** Good
*** Fair
** Poor
* Dire
Make no mistake there are some absolute belters here, that individually I'd give an unqualified 5 star to. Lord Dunsany's 'Ebb and Flow' is deliciously eerie and dreamlike, fresh and intriguing, while Sneddon's 'Blue Men' is iconic, pungently atmospheric and claustrophobic!
There are too, some great folkloric snatches from Cumbria and the Isle of Man. H G Wells' 'Sea Raiders' reminds you of just why he is such an esteemed and powerful writer to this day! Machen too provides a delightfully horrible short story of subversion, all comfortably straying into four-star territory.
But for this reader much of the remaining tales missed the mark with me, and some were a chore to read. Taken as a whole the score is accurate.
***** Great
**** Good
*** Fair
** Poor
* Dire
April 26, 2024
"Our Haunted Shores" is an intriguing anthology of 21 stories and poems that explores the eerie and mysterious settings around the shores of Britain. Although some stories are based on natural disasters and tragedies at sea, they are presented in a variety of styles some just weird stories rather than just straight-up horror stories. While some of the tales may not be as captivating as others, the anthology provides an excellent opportunity to discover lesser-known writers of the weird and gain insight into the development of the genre. Overall, this is a bittersweet collection that offers a small selection of good short weird stories. It is, however, a recommended read for anyone interested in the development of the supernatural and the strange.
January 27, 2025
This is one of a number of volumes in the series ‘Tales of the Weird’ produced by the British Library. Many of the stories belong to the 1800s and early 1900s and were originally published in magazines and have since been forgotten. I have read a couple of other books in this series and they are a mixed bag of stories in every sense of the phrase. Some stories are very much of their time and seem sentimental or just odd rather than weird to modern readers but others are very much classic ‘Tales of the Weird’. This book ‘Our Haunted Shores’ is one of the best I’ve read yet which includes stand out short stories describing hauntings, unsettling events and strange creatures by Bram Stoker, H. G. Wells, Arthur Machen, E. F. Benson and Robert W. Sneddon.
June 9, 2025
A solid rather than inspiring selection which in effect offers two versions of weirdness. The more familiar appears in stories set along the coast in which people are the main players. The second, and much more interesting one, is where the sea itself is responsible for the strangeness. I'd have liked more of that. Like a number of other BL anthologies, 'OHS' features a lot of familiar stories which are augmented by tales which have languished in obscurity (generally with good reason). The standout in the collection (apart from Blackwood and Machen, of course) is 'On the Isle of Blue Men' by Robert W. Sneddon - it definitely deserves to be better known. The inclusion of poems was a good idea, but most of them are fairly uninspiring. All in all, a middling entry in the BL's series. It's often quite good and mildly diverting, but rarely more.
December 31, 2022
I wasn’t a massive fan of the poems and some of the folk tales here, but the majority of the stories were excellent.
I particularly loved:
What Was It?
The Sea Raiders
Out of the Earth
On the Isle of Blue Men
But special mention to ‘One Day at Arle’ which may be, without hyperbole, the most horrifyingly tragic gothic short story I’ve read.
I also thought that the introductions to the stories here were more interesting than usually found in BL Tales of the Weird. I really appreciated the short analysis included alongside the biographies of the author.
I particularly loved:
What Was It?
The Sea Raiders
Out of the Earth
On the Isle of Blue Men
But special mention to ‘One Day at Arle’ which may be, without hyperbole, the most horrifyingly tragic gothic short story I’ve read.
I also thought that the introductions to the stories here were more interesting than usually found in BL Tales of the Weird. I really appreciated the short analysis included alongside the biographies of the author.
May 2, 2024
A variety of short stories and poems written between 1789 to 1933 by a variety of authors. The book was collated from forgotten stories in the archives of the British Library. It’s always difficult to score anthology’s because some stories I really enjoyed and some I did not. So I have averaged it out as a 3. I will say some of the stories are written with a lot of local dialect and I slightly struggled to follow it. Still overall a solid selection of unusual and spooky tales.
August 21, 2025
Not one of the stronger entries in the British Library's Tales of the Weird series. The introductory entry for each piece is also generally fairly uninsightful (imagine introducing a tale based off of the 1900 disappearance of all the lightkeepers at Flannen Isles Lighthouse without noting that it was based off of that event!). There are a couple good selections and one genuinely excellent one but I was disappointed overall.
October 28, 2023
Quite a lot of folklore, a few poems and some short stories. The title suggested it would be a bit more ghostly than it is - with most stories being more about the strange or surreal. A mixed bag and definitely not all to my liking.
January 3, 2024
Finished and enjoyed most of the stories although disappointed that there is a fault in my copy which I’m returning as 4 stories are missing in the middle from page 223 to 273 but otherwise a good book.
March 31, 2025
I enjoyed the stories, but did not like the poetry
just as the title says, I really enjoyed the stories but I did not care for the poetry. when I want to read poetry, I pick up a book of poetry. I only want to read classic horror stories before bed.
just as the title says, I really enjoyed the stories but I did not care for the poetry. when I want to read poetry, I pick up a book of poetry. I only want to read classic horror stories before bed.
Read
April 23, 2025I read the first two hundred pages, which is about 2/3 or the book. The first few stories I really enjoyed, but the last few I read I didn't care for too much. They moved away from the ghostly to the sea monster variety instead. Not really my thing!
September 29, 2023
An interesting eclectic collection
October 29, 2023
Read a few from this book and enjoyed what I read - returned the book to its owner!
June 1, 2025
This fine entry in the British Library Great "Tales of the Weird" delivers a set of tales themed around the coasts of the British Isles. The majority of the stories are hugely atmospheric and carry a real feel and sense of the weird and macabre. Rolling fogs, foreboding cliffs, lonely lighthouses, strange creatures from the deep and haunted estuary houses are all represented here. Bram Stoker's "Crooken Sands"; Algernon Blackwood's "The Sea Fit"; Lord Dunsany's "Where the Tides Ebb and Flow" and Arthur Machen's "Out of the Earth" are all creepy, cloying highlights, but my favourite was "On the Isle of Blue Men" by Robert W. Sneddon which offers a compelling Lovecraftian take on the Flannan Isle mystery, while delivering some unforgettably haunting imagery.
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