Read by David Shaw-Parker, Geoff McGivern & Richard Mitchley (Unabridged: 6hrs 1min)

Here, in this volume, are some of the most precious gems of the British Ghost Story.  M R James wrote around 30 of them and each is imbued with now familiar themes that still strike at the nerves, unsettle the heart and shine, unequalled in their brilliance.

Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart.  A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.

In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted ‘Top Tens’ across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author?

The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme.  Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature.

Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made.  If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something.

In this compilation -

01 - The Top 10 - M R James - An Introduction

02 - Oh Whistle and I'll Come to You My Lad by M R James

03 - Count Magnus by M R James

04 - The Ash Tree by M R James

05 - A Warning to the Curious by M R James

06 - Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book by M R James

07 - Casting the Runes by M R James

08 - The Mezzotint by M R James

09 - The Tractate Middoth by M R James

10 - Lost Hearts by M R James

11 - Rats by M R James