The American Ghost Series--Greenberg & McSherry & Waugh

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Preceding the "American Vampire" anthologies are these similar anthologies from the 90s done for Rutledge Press. The contents look a bit hit or miss although stronger generally than the Vampires. 

The series began with 


In 1988

1 • Wish You Were Here • (1965) • short story by Richard Hardwick

9 • Drawer 14 • (1965) • short story by Talmage Powell

21 • Poor Little Saturday • (1956) • short story by Madeleine L'Engle

39 • Dead Man's Story • (1938) • short story by Howard Rigsby (variant of I'll Be Glad When You're Dead)

51 • One Foot in the Grave • (1948) • short story by Davis Grubb

61 • The Guns of William Longley • (1967) • short story by Donald Hamilton

77 • The Soul of Rose Dédé • (1892) • short story by M. E. M. Davis

87 • The Stormsong Runner • (1979) • short story by Jack L. Chalker

99 • What of the Night • (1980) • short story by Manly Wade Wellman

115 • The Remember Service • (1946) • short story by John Bennett (1865-1956)

119 • "No Haid Pawn" • (1887) • short story by Thomas Nelson Page

135 • See the Station Master • (1983) • short story by George Guthridge [as by George Florance-Guthridge]

153 • Ghost and Flesh, Water and Dirt • (1952) • short story by William Goyen

163 • Bond of Reunion • (1942) • short story by Carl Carmer

167 • Ride the Thunder • (1967) • short story by Jack Cady

179 • Night Court • (1953) • novelette by Mary Elizabeth Counselman

199 • The Moonlit Road • (1907) • short story by Ambrose Bierce

Haven't read any of these so not in a position to comment. 

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1990


1 • But at My Back I Will Always Hear • short story by David Morrell (variant of But at My Back I Always Hear 1983)

18 • Death's Door • (1969) • novelette by Robert McNear

41 • Little Jimmy • (1957) • short story by Lester del Rey

55 • Floral Tribute • (1949) • short story by Robert Bloch

67 • Stillwater, 1896 • (1984) • short story by Michael Cassutt

78 • The Boarded Window • (1889) • short story by Ambrose Bierce

83 • Listen, Children, Listen! • (1953) • short story by Wallace West (variant of Listen, Children... Listen!)

96 • Professor Kate • (1951) • short story by Margaret St. Clair

103 • The Skeleton on Round Island • (1898) • short story by Mary Hartwell Catherwood

113 • One for the Crow • (1973) • short story by Mary Barrett

122 • School for the Unspeakable • (1937) • short story by Manly Wade Wellman

133 • Different Kinds of Dead • short story by Ed Gorman

140 • Deadlights • (1984) • short story by Charles Wagner

149 • The Bridal Pond • (1930) • short story by Zona Gale

155 • A Wounded Knee Fairy Tale • (1982) • short story by Craig Strete

162 • Shaggy Vengeance • (1984) • novelette by Robert Adams

187 • He Walked by Day • (1934) • short story by Julius Long

194 • Smoke Ghost • (1941) • short story by Fritz Leiber

The stories that I'm familiar with are the sorts of choices that, while not home runs, are well-written tales all with their own special flair to them that make anthologies such a treat. The David Morrell story is good (he almost always is); "Floral Tribute" is Bloch in sentimental Bradbury mode; "Deadlights" got adapted into the short lived Twisted Tales comics series in the 1980s. 

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1990 again, and with some really dull covers. 


1 • Harry's Ghost • (1973) • short story by Talmage Powell

17 • Pretty Maggie Moneyeyes • (1967) • novelette by Harlan Ellison

39 • In the Memory Room • (1987) • short story by Michael Bishop

51 • Resurrection • (1989) • short story by Jack Cady

63 • The Stranger • (1909) • short story by Ambrose Bierce

69 • Custer's Ghost • (1983) • short story by Clark Howard

89 • The Mountain-Mirage • (1891) • short story by Joaquin Miller

99 • The Resting Place • (1954) • short story by Oliver La Farge [as by Oliver LaFarge]

113 • One of the Dead • (1964) • novelette by William Wood (II)

143 • The Ghosts of Steamboat Coulee • (1926) • novelette by Arthur J. Burks

171 • That Which Hath Wings • (1938) • short story by Paul Gallico

191 • In the Shade • [Angie Black] • (1982) • short story by Edward Bryant

209 • The Attic • (1983) • short story by Billy Wolfenbarger

Not familiar with much here; the Ellison seems like it's out of place perhaps. 

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I think this is the worst of all the covers in an endearing way; look at that little lightning bolt coming in to spice things up (or not).

1 • Double Vision • (1988) • novelette by Mary Higgins Clark

31 • The Man Who Collected Poe • (1951) • short story by Robert Bloch

47 • Ransom Cowl Walks the Road • (1988) • novelette by Nancy Varian Berberick

64 • Turn Down for Richmond • (1982) • short story by G. J. A. O'Toole

73 • The Caller in the Night • (1917) • short story by Burton Kline

89 • The Word of Babe Ruth • (1954) • short story by Paul Gallico

102 • A Séance in Summer • (1974) • short story by Thomas F. Monteleone [as by Mario Martin, Jr.]

114 • Little Note Nor Long Remember • (1975) • short story by Henry T. Parry

120 • Clay-Shuttered Doors • (1926) • short story by Helen R. Hull

140 • The Jest of Warburg Tantavul • [Jules de Grandin] • (1934) • novelette by Seabury Quinn

169 • Remember My Name • (1990) • short story by Edward D. Hoch

178 • Author! Author! • (1964) • novelette by Isaac Asimov

This is a real headscratcher of a collection. Look at that authors list!

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Already did this one in its own thread. Look at that cover; it looks like a Hollywood Video or some similar defunct video rental shop. But, hey, it was 1991. 


1 • Makeup • (1981) • short story by Robert R. McCammon [as by Robert McCammon]

23 • Laugh Track • (1984) • short story by Harlan Ellison

43 • Dead Image • (1985) • novelette by David Morrell

73 • House of Secrets • (1988) • short story by Ron Goulart

89 • The Making of Revelation, Part I • (1980) • novelette by Philip José Farmer

107 • Old Loves • (1985) • short story by Karl Edward Wagner

123 • Summerland • (1957) • short story by Avram Davidson

129 • The Courts of Xanadu • (1988) • novelette by Charles Sheffield

167 • A Wig for Miss DeVore • (1943) • short story by August Derleth

177 • One for the Horrors • (1983) • short story by David J. Schow

189 • The Pool • (1981) • short story by William F. Nolan

199 • The Movie People • (1969) • short story by Robert Bloch

This is definitely the strongest collection so far; I don't care for the Morrell story that much but many people like it; I'm fond of the Bloch story, gentle & whimsical; and I have heard good things about the Nolan, Ellison, Farmer, and Schow tales. I suspect this pulls more punches than Silver Scream but might be worth a look in. 

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This one actually preceded Hollywood Ghosts. . .oh, well


vii • Bon Apparition! • essay by Frank D. McSherry, Jr.

1 • This Is Death • (1977) • short story by Donald E. Westlake (variant of In at the Death)

15 • Rain • (1917) • short story by Dana Burnet

24 • On 202 • (1981) • short story by Jeff Hecht

34 • The Devil and Daniel Webster • (1936) • short story by Stephen Vincent Benét

50 • Emmett • (1964) • short story by Dahlov Ipcar

65 • The Little Silver Heart • (1906) • short story by Josephine Daskam Bacon

81 • The Changing of the Guard • (1985) • short story by Anne Serling and Rod Serling (variant of Changing of the Guard)

97 • Herbert West—Reanimator • [Herbert West: Reanimator Universe] • (1922) • novelette by H. P. Lovecraft (variant of Herbert West: Reanimator)

129 • A Friendly Exorcise • (1968) • short story by Talmage Powell

142 • Safety Zone • short story by Barry N. Malzberg [as by Barry Malzberg]

149 • The Phantom Farmhouse • (1923) • novelette by Seabury Quinn

173 • Night-Side • (1977) • novelette by Joyce Carol Oates

199 • The Dark Boy • (1957) • short story by August Derleth

Pity they couldn't get their hands on "The Reach," since this is one time I think it actually would be called for (never been a fan of that story, but it would have fit well with the tone of the material I think the series was going for). Is Re-Animator really a ghost story? 

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And so the series ended in 1994--perhaps they were trying to gauge interest in running the whole thing over again? 


1 • Lost Boys • (1989) • short story by Orson Scott Card

18 • What Say the Frogs Now, Jenny? • (1983) • short story by Hugh B. Cave

27 • First Dark • (1959) • short story by Elizabeth Spencer

46 • The Tree's Wife • (1950) • short story by Mary Elizabeth Counselman

57 • The Chrome Comanche • [Amos Malone • 5] • (1990) • short story by Alan Dean Foster

72 • Toad's Foot • (1979) • short story by Manly Wade Wellman

88 • The Ghost Whistle • (1923) • short story by Eugene K. Jones

105 • The Crocodile • (1905) • short story by Gouverneur Morris

123 • The Jabberwock Valentine • (1988) • novelette by Talmage Powell

152 • Through the Ivory Gate • (1905) • novelette by Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews

173 • A Tragedy of South Carolina • (1895) • short story by Sarah Morgan Dawson

188 • Sleeping Beauty • (1958) • short story by Robert Bloch

200 • The Burlap Bag • (1978) • short story by Davis Grubb

212 • Two Military Executions • [Soldier-Folk] • (1906) • short story by Ambrose Bierce

Not familiar with any of these (I need to actually read Bierce someday!);of note is that Morris appears to be the great-grandson of a founding father.