Welcome to my spectral library!  As I explain in the introduction to The Haunted Crossroads, I love to read Gothic stories.  This website is my way of inviting you to join me in discovering – or perhaps rediscovering – the imaginative supernatural tales that appeared during the Victorian Era (and a few decades on either side of it).  When I find great horror tales, I share them here where you can read them free-of-charge.

Another exciting thing about The Haunted Crossroads is our audio.  That’s right!  You can also listen to many of the stories we share on this website.  My wife’s having a great time reading these old thrillers.  Of course, the recording and editing process is time-intensive.  But we’re still able to upload a new recording every few days.  As a result, you’ll have a rapidly growing selection to choose from.  So, not only can you read Gothic stories here; you can also listen to them!

As you can see, I’ve already collected a lot of great spooky stories.  So, how are they organized?  In order to make them easy to find, I sort them alphabetically by author.  On this page, they’re alphabetized by last name.  But you’ll notice that in the dropdown menu, they appear in alphabetical order by first name.  The audio recordings appear on the same page as the texts. As a result, you won’t have any trouble finding exactly the writer or story you’re looking for.

There’s just one more thing I need to mention before you pick a chilling story to read or listen to.  As far as I’ve been able to determine, these old stories are no longer protected by the copyright laws of the United States.  They’re in the public domain, and they can be shared freely in the U.S. (more about that here).  However, anything that we’ve created specifically for the website (including my commentary and my wife’s audio recordings) absolutely are protected by copy right law.  Please don’t copy or distribute them without our permission.

E. F. Benson

Ambrose Bierce

Algernon Blackwood

Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Wilkie Collins

F. Marion Crawford

Charles Dickens

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Amelia B. Edwards

Thomas Hardy

Nathaniel Hawthorne

William Hope Hodgson

M. R. James

Rudyard Kipling

Perceval Landon

H. B. Marriott-Watson

Brander Matthews

Thomas Street Millington

Sarah Orne Jewett

Vincent O’Sullivan

Edgar Allan Poe

Arthur Quiller-Couch

Sir Walter Scott

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Robert Louis Stevenson

Bram Stoker

E. G. Swain

H. G. Wells

Edith Wharton

Mary E. Wilkins Freeman