The ghost story, in its many guises, continues to thrive, despite being written off many times over the past half-century, perhaps most notably by H.R. Wakefield, one of the masters of the genre, who wrote in 1961: "I believe ghost story writing to be a dying art." Wakefield could not have been more wrong; and the rich legacy of such writers in the genre as Wakefield himself, M.R. James, and Robert Aickman, who were all able to hint at horror rather than spell it out, is apparent in the twenty-five stories in SHADOWS AND SILENCE. There is horror here in abundance; but it is a haunting horror, which clearly demonstrates that the example given has been followed by the present day practitioners whose work appears in this volume.
Of the seventeen stories which appeared in the first Ash-Tree Press anthology, MIDNIGHT NEVER COMES, in 1997, no less than fifteen received honourable mentions in THE YEAR'S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR. That success has provided added impetus to ensure that the stories in this volume live up to the quality of their predecessors. The stories in SHADOWS AND SILENCE encompass an even wider range of themes, showcasing the versatility of the supernatural story.
The ghost story is alive, well, and ready to face the challenges of the future.
An Ash-Tree Press Limited Edition.
