The

CLASSIC HORROR BLOG

Literary Essays on Classic Horror, Ghost Stories, & Weird Fiction

— from Mary Shelley to M. R. James —

by M. Grant Kellermeyer

Feb 1, 20196 min read

F. Marion Crawford's The Dead Smile: A Detailed Summary and a Literary Analysis

A rictus grin (known in medicine as a risus sardonicus) is a chilling postmortem phenomenon that leaves a corpse with a toothy smile...

Nov 12, 20185 min read

F. Marion Crawford's The Screaming Skull: A Detailed Summary and a Literary Analysis

The general way that these stories are structured is as follows: a heinous murder, a tragic death, or an unexpected demise causes someone...

Aug 14, 20184 min read

F. Marion Crawford's For the Blood is the Life: A Detailed Summary and a Literary Analysis

Today the word “vampire” conjures immediate images of courtly men exuding an aristocratic masculinity – tall, dark, and handsome....

Apr 24, 20185 min read

F. Marion Crawford's The Upper Berth: A Literary Analysis

Crawford’s masterpiece – the story which he is best known for, horror or otherwise – remains comfortably ensconced in the canon of...

Mar 4, 201810 min read

F. Marion Crawford's Visceral, In-Your-Face Horror Stories

Like so many of the great American horror writers of the nineteenth century, Francis Marion Crawford had a transatlantic education: he...

Oct 5, 20164 min read

31 Classic Horror Stories Every Fan Should Read in October: A Literary Advent Calender for Halloween

Why should Christmas have all the fun? Oldstyle Tales proudly presents a literary advent calendar for your favorite season. Each day has...