I have always loved the short story as a model.
Perhaps it's because I really am part of the TV generation? All of those episodic and epic TV shows of my childhood
“Tales of the Unexpected.” With its thrilling, enchanting and terrifying opening titles… I still can clearly remember individual episodes and moments from the 1980s “Hammer House of Horror” TV show.
So when I discovered the short ghost story format, I devoured them. Pulp Paperbacks like the “Pan Book of Horror Stories” and the such like. For some reason it seemed to be perfectly acceptable for a preteen to be buying these garishly covered collections from charity shops…
Unless you were a connoisseur of such compilations, from the outside you would presume a series of be seated spectres wailing or a screaming skull or two. Tucked inside the stories they were always a couple that were a touch charged…
Lurid…
And confusing. And exciting…
For a young brain to consume…
I remember the reading this one somewhere
I remember how it made me feel
I don't think I was a scared as I was excited…
What do you think?
Enjoy:
The Amorous Ghost
By Enid Bagnold
Episode 02 of Phantastical Stories.
Always Free.
Always trying to get better! (The tech will not break me…)
Any shares, comments, recommendations are gratefully recieved!
What do you think?
Read live on Substack
9pm on Mondays.
Classic supernatural, ghost and weird short stories.
Often found in the periodicals of magazines of the time.
An entertainment.
An enticement.
Everybody loves a spooky story??
Read by StoryTeller, Gav Cross to a live audience, who are invited to discuss the story afterwards, and swap and share cultural recommendations.
Follow, Subscribe and join in!
https://linktr.ee/gavcross
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gavcross.substack.com
