E.F. Benson (1867 – 1940) was an exceptionally prolific British author. Benson penned numerous novels, essay collections, and histories.
Benson was also an avid writer of ghost stories.
I am presently making my way through Night Terrors: The Ghost Stories of E.F. Benson (Tales of Mystery & The Supernatural), which seems to be a complete collection of all the ghost stories Benson ever wrote. (The book is more than 700 pages in length.)
These are very good stories, on the whole. I enjoy Benson’s work somewhat more than I like that of his contemporary, M.R. James. Benson’s tales are more lurid, prefiguring the pulp writers of the 1930s and 1940s.
E.F. Benson’s ghost stories influenced H.P. Lovecraft, who influenced Stephen King.
Benson’s stories do follow a pattern, however. A single male protagonist travels to a location where supernatural events are known to take place. Often this is a resort, an old manor, or a guest house.
Strange things happen, and the action builds to a not unpredictable climax. The haunted location is usually the scene of a gruesome murder in the distant past.
So yes, there is a formula, but an entertaining one. If you like ghost stories with an old-fashioned feel to them, you might want to give this collection a try.
-ET
