A ghost ship is wrecked in Whitby's harbour and the only clue to the whereabouts of the missing crew is in these clippings from the captain's log. Delve into the last voyage of Demeter in this harrowing chapter from Bram Stoker's Dracula.

The Last Voyage of Demeter is an extract from the most terrifying vampire fiction in literary history. First published as Chapter 7 of Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897), this volume explores the final sea voyage of Demeter, the Russian ship unknowingly carrying Transylvania's undead Count Dracula.

Weeks before its final destination, strange and supernatural events began haunting Demeter. The captain started keeping a log to record the death, darkness, and fear that had taken hold of his crew, but will the Whitby locals be able to discern the truth before it's too late?

Featuring black-and-white illustrations, this unique volume has been published by Fantasy and Horror Classics for a new generation of readers to immerse themselves in the thrilling tale of the doomed voyage and the merciless Count Dracula.

E. T. A. Hoffmann is seen as a pioneer of both Romanticism and fantasy literature, and his novella, Mademoiselle de Scud ri: A Tale from the Times of Louis XIV is often cited as the first ever detective story. Hoffman's story 'The Sandman' provided both the inspiration for L o Delibes's ballet Copp lia, and the basis for a highly influential essay by Sigmund Freud, called 'The Uncanny'. Indeed, Freud referred to Hoffman as the unrivalled master of the uncanny in literature. Many of the demonic and thriller stories, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

This unique volume features the most terrifying tale from Alexandre Dumas' The Thousand and One Ghosts and presents the gothic vampire tale as a stand-alone short story that is sure to keep you up at night.

The Pale Lady is a gripping vampire tale following Hedwig, a Polish lady, who is sent to a monastery in the Carpathian Mountains for safety. She draws the attention of two very different brothers and soon finds herself in more danger than ever before. A supernatural story featuring creepy castles, misty monasteries, and tragic romance.

From the remarkable author of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, The Pale Lady has been translated from the original French and is the perfect dark read for fans of horror and the supernatural.

This unique volume features the most terrifying tale from Alexandre Dumas' The Thousand and One Ghosts and presents the gothic vampire tale as a stand-alone short story that is sure to keep you up at night.

The Pale Lady is a gripping vampire tale following Hedwig, a Polish lady, who is sent to a monastery in the Carpathian Mountains for safety. She draws the attention of two very different brothers and soon finds herself in more danger than ever before. A supernatural story featuring creepy castles, misty monasteries, and tragic romance.

From the remarkable author of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, The Pale Lady has been translated from the original French and is the perfect dark read for fans of horror and the supernatural.

Ernest Haycox's 1937 short story, Stage to Lordsburg, was a bestseller and a classic of the Western genre. Popularised by the 1939 film adaptation Stagecoach, this Wild West tale vividly portrays Haycox's setting and characters.

Stage to Lordsburg follows a collection of characters as they journey from Tonto, Arizona Territory, to Lordsburg, New Mexico. A series of dangers and perils face the colourful group as they embark on the uncomfortable trip. Ernest Haycox presents a number of cliché Western characters and the point of view shifts between them as the short story progresses. This masterful tale by Ernest Haycox, a prolific writer of Western fiction, is not to be missed by fans of old cowboy narratives.

When a young woman called Margaret hears strange noises from her father's bedroom, she investigates only to find him unconscious and bloodied on the floor of his room. She follows his previously-written instructions to, in such a situation, not move the body and watch it carefully until he awakens. Not knowing what to do, she calls her new boyfriend Malcolm and asks him to help her with the diabolical situation. The Jewel of Seven Stars is a 1903 horror novel by Irish writer Bram Stoker that deals with such themes as imperialism, feminism, and societal progress. Abraham Bram Stoker (1847 - 1912) was an Irish author most famous for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula, a seminal book that continues to influence the vampire genre in print and film to this day. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.

John William Polidori's classic gothic horror tale, The Vampyre, recounts one of the first vampire stories in English literature.

Lord Ruthven is a mysterious newcomer among England's social elite. A young gentleman named Aubrey is fascinated by the suave stranger and is intrigued by his often curious behaviour. While travelling in Europe amid rumours of vampire killings, the pair are attacked, leaving Ruthven on his death bed. As he draws his last breaths, he pleads with Aubrey to keep his death a secret for just over a year. When Ruthven reappears in London alive and well, Aubrey realises that his friend might be hiding dark and horrifying truths behind his seductive fabrication.

The Vampyre was written during the 'Lost Summer of 1816', when John William Polidori was among the group of friends who accompanied Lord Byron to the Villa Diodati on Lake Geneva. This short, stormy stay in the mansion led to a horror story writing competition in which famous tales such as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein were first produced.

Decadent, sinister, and macabre The Vampyre started the enduring fascination with bloodsucking monsters that produced stories such as Bram Stoker's Dracula. This chilling tale is not to be missed by lovers of fantasy and horror fiction.

One of America's greatest gothic tales, this Halloween classic takes place in a small New York town on the edge of the forest where whispers of a horrifying ghost are slipping from one person to the next.

Schoolteacher, Ichabod Crane, is new to the small town of Sleepy Hollow. It isn't long before he hears the terrifying rumours of a headless horseman who plagues the town at night. The ghost stories are enough to spook the teacher as he travels home alone through the forest each evening. But ghosts aren't Crane's only concern. The teacher has his gold-digging eyes set on the young daughter of Baltus Van Tassel, a very wealthy farmer. He isn't alone in his quest to win Katrina Van Tassel's heart, however, and Brom Bones Van Brunt isn't going to back down without a fight.

One autumn night, Crane is making his way home from a party at the Van Tassel's house. He isn't far into the forest before he realises that he has company. Could that horseman in the distance be something supernatural? And is it possible that the round object in his hands is a head?

First published in 1820 in Washington Irving's The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon collection, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is considered an American literature classic. With themes of mystery, gothic legend and the supernatural, this spooky tale is the perfect ghost story for Halloween.

Read & Co. Classics proudly presents this republished edition of Washington Irving's timeless tale. This book is the ideal gift for fans of classic ghost stories and lovers of all things spooky.

The Tales of Nosferatu contains a collection of bone-chilling short stories concerning vampires and vampirism that delineate the evolution of the vampire tale from The Skeleton Count By Elizabeth Grey to Vampirella By Ron Goulart. These blood-curdling stories will appeal to those with a love of the macabre, and they are not to be missed by those with an interest in vampire fiction and it's origins, influences, and evolution. Contents include: The Skeleton Count Or, The Vampire Mistress, By Elizabeth Grey, The Vampyre's Story By James Malcolm Rymer, The Pale Lady By Alexandre Dumas & Paul Bocage, The Grave Of Ethelind Fionguala By Julian Hawthorne, Let Loose By Mary Cholmondeley, A True Story Of A Vampire By Count Eric Stenbock, Grettir At Thorhall-stead By Frank Norris, etc. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with the original text and artwork.

The Ghost Stories of Charles Dickens is a collection of twenty of Charles Dickens's best ghost stories, including his famous Christmas Carol. A fantastic teller of macabre tales, Dickens presents his full gothic talents in this chilling collection. The stories include: The Queer Chair - The Bagman's Story, A Madman's Manuscript, The Goblins who Stole a Sexton, The Ghosts of the Mail - The Story of The Bagman's uncle, The Baron of Grogzwig, To be Read at Dusk, Ghost in the Bride's Chamber, and more. Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870) was an English writer and social critic famous for having created some of the world's most well-known fictional characters. His works became unprecedentedly popular during his life, and today he is commonly regarded as the greatest Victorian-era novelist. Although perhaps better known for such works as Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol, Dickens first gained success with the 1836 serial publication of The Pickwick Papers, which turned him almost overnight into an international literary celebrity thanks to his humour, satire, and astute observations concerning society and character. This classic work is being republished now in a new edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.

Tod Robbins' 'Spurs' centres on the macabre consequences of a circus romance between a midget performer and a bareback rider. The basis for the Tod Browning film Freaks, it is a weird classic of early 20th century horror.Many of the horror stories of monsters and ghouls, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

In an exploration of the societal limitations for women regarding marriage and property in the eighteenth century, this gothic masterpiece is an early work of feminist fiction.

Emmeline is orphaned and raised in a grand castle in the English countryside by her uncle, Lord Montreville. The legitimacy of Emmeline's birth cannot be proven and so she has no property to inherit and no social standing with which to find herself a husband and security. As she navigates the treacherous landscape of eighteenth-century England, she must unravel the secrets of her birth in a time of societal upheaval.

This volume is part of the Mothers of the Macabre series, celebrating the gothic horror masterpieces of pioneering women writers who played a pivotal role in shaping and advancing the genre. First published in 1788, this classic work of gothic fiction was Charlotte Smith's first novel. Against the backdrop of grand castles and lush landscapes, the volume delves into the complexities of class, gender, and the plight of the marginalised.

Eliza Lynn Linton was an important female writer of the 19th century. 'The Witches of Scotland' was a succesful and chilling tale, which remains popular amongst horror fans. Many of the earliest stories of witchcraft and black magic, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Thomas Prest was a prolific and popular writer of Victorian 'penny dreadfuls'. The 'demon barber', Sweeney Todd, was his most famous and successful creation. Many of the penny dreadful stories, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

A classic masterpiece of gothic horror fiction, Bram Stoker's Dracula is a chilling tale of disturbing events, dark desires, and the harrowing world of vampires.

Jonathan Harker travels to the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania to assist the infamous Count Dracula with the purchase of an English house. The newly-qualified solicitor is soon dangling beyond his depth as he discovers horrifying details about his client's life. This supernatural novel tells of quietly monstrous incidents and curious circumstances.

First published in 1897, Dracula is Bram Stoker's masterful piece of vampiric fiction, exploring themes of sexuality and religion. This gripping novel is not to be missed by gothic horror fans.

Dagon is a 1917 short story by American author H. P. Lovecraft. One of the first stories he wrote as an adult, it centres around the recollection of a tortured, morphine-addicted narrator who was captured by a German ship during World War I. After escaping his captors, he drifted for many miles before winding up stranded in a hellish place littered with rotting carcasses and home to an ancient horror. A chilling tale by a master story-teller, Dagon is not to be missed by lovers of supernatural fiction and collectors of Lovecraft's seminal work. Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) was an American writer of supernatural horror fiction. Though his works remained largely unknown and did not furnish him with a decent living, Lovecraft is today considered to be among the most significant writers of supernatural horror fiction of the twentieth century. Other notable works by this author include: The Call of Cthulhu, The Rats in the Walls, and The Shadow over Innsmouth. Read & Co. is publishing this classic short story now as part of our Fantasy and Horror Classics imprint in a new edition with a dedication by George Henry Weiss.

After being kidnapped by a local tour guide who bears a striking resemblance to an ancient pharaoh, Harold Houdini is thrown in a deep pit next to the Great Sphinx. Whilst trying to break free, he happens across a large cave where he encounters the ancient god and inspiration for the Sphinx. Written in collaboration with Harry Houdini in February 1924, Under the Pyramids is an interesting short story from master of the form H. P. Lovecraft not to be missed by fans and collectors of his seminal work. Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) was an American writer of supernatural horror fiction. Now-famous creator of the Cthulhu Mythos, he was unable to support himself financially from his writing and editing work during his life time, his stories not garnering acclaim until long after his death. Today, he is considered to be among the most significant writers of supernatural horror fiction of the twentieth century. Other notable Works by this Author include: At The Mountains of Madness, The Rats in the Walls, and The Shadow over Innsmouth. Read & Co. is publishing this classic short story now as part of our Fantasy and Horror Classics imprint in a new edition complete with a dedication by George Henry Weiss.

From the prolific author of The Tarzan Series, The Resurrection of Jimber-Jaw is a comedic short story that highlights Edgar Rice Burroughs' masterful skill for adventure-fantasy stories.

After a mechanical failure, an aviator and a cytogeneticist are forced to land in Serbia. They discover a caveman frozen into a glacier wall and decide to try and revive him. When their attempts succeed, they soon discover that the man is incredibly smart with unrivalled physical strength. Returning to America with the men, the caveman becomes a successful professional wrestler. It seems as though all his dreams are coming true when he meets an actress who bears a strong resemblance to the woman he loved during his lifetime over 50,000 years ago. But much has changed since the caveman's life, and women no longer act in the way he would expect. Will he be able to adapt to twentieth-century life? Or will he be frozen in time forever?

One of Edgar Rice Burroughs' few short stories, The Resurrection of Jimber-Jaw was first published in 1937 and is a humorous science fiction tale that would make the perfect read for fans of the writer's The Moon Trilogy (1926).

Eliza Lynn Linton was an important female writer of the 19th century. 'The Witches of Scotland' was a succesful and chilling tale, which remains popular amongst horror fans. Many of the earliest stories of witchcraft and black magic, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

In a vivid tale of gothic horror and wartime terror, Charlotte Smith's evocative prose brings to life the haunting beauty of forbidden love against the backdrop of the French revolution.

This volume is part of the Mothers of the Macabre series, celebrating the gothic horror masterpieces of pioneering women writers who played a pivotal role in shaping and advancing the genre. The Old Manor House presents the atmospheric world of the eighteenth-century countryside, where the past and present collide within the walls of an ancestral manor. A heartbreaking love story that pushes the boundaries of societal classes, this novel echoes the tragedy of the North American revolution while the French revolution blazes. With its intricate plot, complex characters, and emotive storytelling, this volume stands as a testament to Smith's enduring legacy as a masterful writer.