Book Review: "American Supernatural Tales" ed. by S.T Joshi

Now I know what you're thinking, you know I've read this one before because honestly, how would someone like me miss out on the book of American Supernatural Tales. You are right, I have read it before but, in the spirit of coming back (pun intended), I think it's a good idea to give this one its proper send off. It is a highly under-appreciated anthology. Edited by S.T Joshi, it is published by Penguin and may be that perfect read to finally get you and yours into the oncoming Halloween spirit. I hope that if you have not yet checked out this brilliant anthology that you do so as the season evolves into the cosy winter nights when curling up with a ghost story or two is one of life's greatest pleasures.

The anthology opens with Washington Irving's The Adventure of a German Student—a tale that masterfully captures the eerie essence of the author's storytelling. It’s one of those stories that lingers in the mind long after you’ve turned the last page. The story centers on Gottfried Wolfgang, a young German student whose brooding obsession with the darker aspects of life leads him to the turbulent streets of Paris during the French Revolution. On a stormy night, he encounters a mysterious, striking woman who seems to embody both beauty and despair. Drawn to her, he offers her shelter, only to awaken to a horrifying discovery: she is dead, and not just dead, but the reanimated corpse of a woman who had been guillotined. And it doesn't stop there.

I have to say though, one of the most iconic stories that I have read over the years has also been included in this book - The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe. The narrative pulls us into the decaying world of Roderick Usher, a man whose very existence is as fragile as the crumbling mansion he calls home. When the unnamed narrator arrives at the eerie, oppressive estate to visit his old friend, he finds Usher in a state of heightened nervousness, tormented by an unknown fear. The atmosphere is thick with dread, and the house itself seems to be a living entity, its walls closing in, its foundation crumbling under the weight of centuries of sorrow.

As the story unfolds, we are drawn deeper into the madness that grips both Roderick and his twin sister, Madeline. Her mysterious illness and premature burial set the stage for one of Poe’s most unforgettable climaxes—a return from the grave that shatters the already brittle sanity of her brother. The house, as if in sympathy with the tragic fate of its inhabitants, collapses into the tarn, swallowed whole by the dark waters, leaving nothing behind but a lingering sense of doom. The narrative winds an almost perfect gothic horror which, if I will be perfectly honest, was not really done too much justice by that weird Netflix show.

Another story from the anthology I enjoyed was The Death of Halpin Frayser by Ambrose Bierce. The author has always been known for his tales of the weird and cryptic things that foretell the horrid futures that await. In an almost Young Goodman Brown style, Halpin Frayser gets himself trapped in a dark forest where he is visited by a mysterious entity. As the story unfolds, we’re drawn into a world where the past haunts the present with relentless cruelty. Frayser’s death, foretold by the cryptic, eerie verses he scribbles in a trance, seems almost inevitable—a tragic destiny sealed by forces beyond his control. The story reaches its climax in a shocking encounter that blurs the line between the living and the dead, leaving us to wonder whether Frayser was the victim of some supernatural vengeance or merely his own tormented mind. It is fantastic.

From Nathaniel Hawthorne to Henry James and Robert W. Chambers, HP Lovecraft to Clark Ashton Smith. From Thomas Ligotti to Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates' Demon to Shirley Jackson's The Visit (yes, that one is really strange and chilling, I loved it). Richard Matheson and Ray Bradbury also populate this text - I can honestly say that if you miss out on this text then, as a fan of supernatural gothic horror, you have really missed out on something big.