Genre

Ghost Stories & Haunted House Books

Ghost stories are among the oldest forms of fiction, and the Victorians perfected them as fireside entertainment — M. R. James, Sheridan Le Fanu and Henry James are all free to read today. Modern ghost stories add romance, mystery and psychological horror.

This list collects 1,913 books tagged Ghost Stories by 1,232 authors, published between 1605 and 2024. 207 are free to read and 65 have a free audiobook. Books are ranked by how many readers have shelved, rated or downloaded them.

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2020s 442010s 5332000s 4491990s 4071980s 1281970s 661960s 221950s 121940s 111920s 71900s 81890s 7

Common tropes in Ghost Stories

From Wikipedia

A ghost story is any piece of fiction, or drama, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts or characters' belief in them. The "ghost" may appear of its own accord or be summoned by magic. Linked to the ghost is the idea of a "haunting", where a supernatural entity is tied to a place, object or person. Ghost stories are commonly examples of ghostlore.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

1,913 Ghost Stories books · page 1 of 40

Top Ghost Stories authors

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Frequently asked questions

Why are ghost stories told at Christmas?

Telling ghost stories on winter nights was a Victorian custom; Dickens's A Christmas Carol (1843) and M. R. James's readings to friends at Cambridge cemented the tradition.

What are the most popular Ghost Stories books?

By reader shelving on Open Library and downloads, the most popular include Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997), A Game of Thrones (1996), It (1986), Dracula (1897) and Twilight (2005).

Are there free Ghost Stories books?

Yes — 207 ghost stories titles are in the public domain and free to read, including Dracula (1897), Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818) and A Christmas Carol (1843).