Smoke Ghost: & Other Apparitions

Name: Smoke Ghost: & Other Apparitions
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781497642195

✍️ Fritz Leiber

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

$24.99

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A curated collection of vintage supernatural tales by award-winning author Fritz Leiber.

This volume bridges mid-century pulp magazines and modern reprint culture. It preserves stories that vanished from print for years, including works from Thrilling Mystery and Whispers 13-14. The selection highlights Leiber’s ability to blend fantasy elements with horror tropes across five decades. Readers gain access to rare texts like The Button Molder and the exclusive The Enormous Bedroom. The book serves as a historical record of American fantastic fiction, connecting early Unknown magazine influences with later Whispers publications. It appeals to scholars of genre history and collectors of obscure horror literature.

Key Themes

supernatural encounters vintage pulp magazines award-winning author

Literary Context

Fritz Leiber wrote these stories between 1951 and 2001, publishing them in venues like Unknown, Thrilling Mystery, Startling Stories, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Whispers 13-14. Open Road Media released this collection in July 2014, reviving texts that had been out of print for decades.

Difficulty

●● Medium

Recommended For Fans Of

Clark Ashton Smith · H.P. Lovecraft · August Derleth · Weird Tales

👻

Ghost Stories

🏛 Open Road Media 📅 2014 📖 347 pages 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781497642195

📚 This Book in Collections

🧙 Witches in Fiction

📝 Description: Smoke Ghost: & Other Apparitions

Fritz Leiber, a Hugo and Nebula Award winner known for Swords and Deviltry, presents Smoke Ghost: & Other Apparitions. This volume gathers supernatural tales that spent decades out of print after appearing in magazines like Unknown, Thrilling Mystery, Startling Stories, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Whispers 13-14. The collection spans from the early 1950s to 2001, showcasing Leiber’s range in the fantastic genre. Readers will find the title story alongside Cry Witch! from 1951 and I'm Looking for Jeff from 1952. Later entries include Ms. Found in a Maelstrom (1959), Dark Wings (1976), The Button Molder (1979), and the original piece, The Enormous Bedroom (2001). These stories draw on mid-century horror traditions and classic pulp magazine aesthetics. The book suits fans of vintage weird fiction and those who appreciate Leiber’s award-winning prose. It may not appeal to readers seeking contemporary gore or fast-paced action thrillers. The arrangement moves chronologically through Leiber’s career, highlighting his evolution as a master of the uncanny. Each tale offers a distinct encounter with the supernatural, grounded in the literary styles of their original publication eras. The inclusion of Whispers magazine material connects this work to specialized horror circles of the past.

💎 Our verdict on Smoke Ghost: & Other Apparitions

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Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Smoke Ghost: & Other Apparitions effectively preserves stories that spent decades out of print, offering a unique glimpse into Leiber’s range within the fantastic genre. The chronological arrangement highlights his development as a writer, grounding each tale in the literary styles of its original publication era. This volume suits fans of vintage weird fiction and those who value historical context in horror literature. While it may not appeal to readers seeking contemporary gore or fast-paced action thrillers, it is essential for collectors and scholars interested in the connection between early pulp magazines and later specialized horror publications. The inclusion of rare material makes this a significant addition to any serious library.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers gain access to rare texts like The Button Molder and the exclusive The Enormous Bedroom, which have been out of circulation for decades. This volume serves as a historical record of American fantastic fiction, appealing directly to scholars of genre history and collectors of obscure horror literature. It is ideal for those who appreciate Leiber’s award-winning prose and his ability to blend fantasy elements with traditional horror tropes across five decades. Fans of vintage weird fiction will find value in the chronological journey through his career, observing his evolution as a master of the uncanny.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Horror Reads editorial team

Smoke Ghost: & Other Apparitions effectively preserves stories that spent decades out of print, offering a unique glimpse into Leiber’s range within the fantastic genre. The chronological arrangement highlights his development as a writer, grounding each tale in the literary styles of its original publication era. This volume suits fans of vintage weird fiction and those who value historical context in horror literature. While it may not appeal to readers seeking contemporary gore or fast-paced action thrillers, it is essential for collectors and scholars interested in the connection between early pulp magazines and later specialized horror publications. The inclusion of rare material makes this a significant addition to any serious library.