👻 Ghost Stories

Ghost Camera

✍️ Darcy Coates
Reader Score
4.4
(6 reviews)
$16.99
In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days
📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A collection of supernatural stories featuring haunted cameras and isolated survivors.

Coates uses the motif of captured images to explore the boundary between the living and the dead. The polaroid camera acts as a conduit for spirits that move closer with each exposure. This mechanism drives the primary plot forward, creating a relentless pace as Jenine and Bree confront the growing threat. The bonus stories offer varied scenarios of isolation, from arctic wastelands to empty homes. Each tale relies on atmospheric tension rather than explicit gore. The structure allows for quick shifts in tone while maintaining a consistent theme of unseen observers. Readers interested in the mechanics of haunting will find this approach effective.

Key Themes
haunted polaroid camera ghostly figures watching arctic plane crash
Literary Context

Published in 2024 by Poisoned Pen Press, this work fits within the contemporary horror genre. It draws on traditions of supernatural fiction and gothic elements involving cursed objects. The stories utilize modern technology like polaroids and VHS tapes to create fear.

Difficulty
● Easy
Recommended For Fans Of
Shirley Jackson · Stephen King's short story collections · R.L. Stine · Claudia Piñeiro
👻
Ghost Stories
🏛 Poisoned Pen Press 📅 2024 📖 128 pages 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781728278964

📝 Description: Ghost Camera

Ghost Camera by Darcy Coates features a polaroid camera capturing ghostly figures that follow the photographer with escalating danger. The central narrative follows Jenine, who discovers an abandoned polaroid camera. She captures images that reveal ghostly figures watching her with increasing proximity. Her best friend Bree joins the investigation, and they realize the device records unsettling impressions of the dead. The spirits appear to follow them, escalating a sense of danger with every new photograph taken. The volume also includes bonus stories that expand on supernatural dread. One tale features a woman surviving a plane crash in remote arctic tundra, accompanied by a stranger fixated on movement in the snow. Another describes an empty house that stands hungry and waits for children drawn to it like moths to a flame. A third story involves a shoebox of old VHS tapes with a warning note advising against watching them. Coates structures these narratives to build tension through isolation and unseen threats. This book suits readers who enjoy short fiction involving ghosts, haunted objects, and psychological horror. It may not appeal to those seeking long-form novels or historical settings.

💎 Our verdict on Ghost Camera

“
🩸
Horror Reads editorial team
Horror desk
Coates delivers a chilling collection that relies on atmospheric tension rather than explicit gore, making it accessible yet unsettling. The central narrative regarding the polaroid camera serves as an effective conduit for spirits, driving the plot with increasing danger. However, this approach may not suit readers seeking complex character development or historical depth. The volume is best enjoyed by those who enjoy short, punchy tales of supernatural dread and isolated survivors. It is a solid choice for fans of haunted object tropes but may feel too brief or repetitive for readers accustomed to expansive world-building in their horror literature.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate the mechanics of haunting and the tension of isolation will find this collection deeply engaging. Coates effectively uses the motif of captured images to blur the line between the living and the dead, creating a relentless pace that appeals to fans of psychological horror. The bonus stories expand on themes of unseen observers in varied settings, from arctic wastelands to empty homes, offering quick tonal shifts while maintaining a consistent atmosphere of dread. This book is ideal for those who prefer short fiction involving ghosts and haunted objects over long-form novels or historical narratives.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —
⭐ HorrorReads editorial review Editorial rating 4.5/5
★★★★★
Readers craving tight, psychological dread and eerie paranormal encounters will find much to love here. However, if you prefer sprawling epic narratives or grounded historical fiction, this collection of isolated supernatural vignettes may leave you wanting more substance.

Reader rating

4.4
Based on 6 reviews
5
3
4
2
3
1
2
0
1
0
E
Elena W.
August 23, 2026

Ordered it for Halloween and it came in time. Some chapters are hard to read in the best possible way. Good, with the caveats above.

L
Laura B.
August 16, 2026
Excellent find

Took a chance on it after reading the description here. It pairs well with the classics it is clearly in conversation with. Five stars from me.

L
Lisa S.
June 25, 2026
Worth the read

A friend from my book club recommended it. The prose is clean and the scares land because the characters feel real. Delivery took a bit longer than quoted. Still worth having on the shelf.

S
Sarah E.
November 30, 2025
Dread done right

Ordered it for Halloween and it came in time. There's real craft in how much is left unsaid. Good introduction if you have not read this author before. One of my better finds this year.

D
Donna G.
June 2, 2025
Chilling

Grabbed it for a long flight. It is the kind of horror that rewards reading with the lights on. Slow burn, but the burn is the point. Definitely recommend.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No, Ghost Camera is a curated collection of short stories and novellas. If you are looking for a continuous, long-form narrative with extensive character development over hundreds of pages, this compact volume might not satisfy that desire.
The book focuses on psychological terror and supernatural dread rather than gore or action. It emphasizes isolation, unseen threats, and the creeping anxiety of haunted objects like cameras and tapes, appealing to fans of atmospheric and spooky fiction.

📖 Who should read this

Readers craving tight, psychological dread and eerie paranormal encounters will find much to love here. However, if you prefer sprawling epic narratives or grounded historical fiction, this collection of isolated supernatural vignettes may leave you wanting more substance.

📜 Historical context

Ghost Camera firmly anchors itself within the rich lineage of haunted object folklore, echoing the timeless unease of cursed artifacts found in classic gothic tradition. Coates channels the visceral isolation of modern psychological horror, reminiscent of contemporary masters who utilize technology and media to amplify fear. By blending tangible dread with spectral presence, the work honors the genre’s legacy of unseen threats while offering fresh, chilling interpretations for today’s audience.

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