M. R. James was an English author celebrated for his classic ghost stories. His collections, such as Ghost Stories of an Antiquary and More Ghost Stories, set the standard for supernatural fiction with atmospheric storytelling and chilling plots.
If you enjoy reading books by M. R. James then you might also like the following authors:
Algernon Blackwood's stories create a tense atmosphere by focusing on supernatural encounters in lonely, untamed places. Nature often plays a menacing role, heightening the sense of isolation and mystery.
In his story The Willows, readers follow travelers trapped on an island haunted by unseen forces. People who enjoy M. R. James's subtle chills and ghostly tension will likely appreciate Blackwood's quietly disturbing approach.
Arthur Machen specializes in blending folklore and mystical elements into his eerie fiction. Many of his stories explore ancient secrets lurking beneath ordinary life, often set in isolated rural settings that evoke a sense of ancient dread.
His novella The Great God Pan reveals the unsettling consequences of seeking forbidden knowledge. If you like M. R. James for his atmospheric tension and suggestion of hidden horrors, Machen's stories might appeal to you.
H. P. Lovecraft is famous for his cosmic horror tales that suggest humanity is insignificant compared to ancient, indifferent cosmic forces. Unlike traditional ghost stories, Lovecraft's fiction pushes readers toward madness and despair by confronting unknowable horrors.
His novella The Shadow Over Innsmouth conveys mounting dread as a secluded seaside town hides terrifying secrets. Readers who enjoy James's gradual build-up of unease could find Lovecraft's unsettling worlds equally intriguing.
Sheridan Le Fanu crafts slow-building ghost stories full of suspense and psychological depth. Often his supernatural elements are subtle—emphasizing mystery, uncertainty, and the power of suggestion.
For example, his novella Carmilla introduces a quietly sinister vampire, offering both gothic atmosphere and unsettling suspense. Fans of M. R. James's subtle, haunting storytelling style will find much to enjoy in Le Fanu's fiction.
E. F. Benson writes ghost stories with crisp, clear storytelling and quiet chills, similar to M. R. James. His tales often involve supernatural disturbances affecting ordinary people in familiar, everyday settings.
His story collection, Night Terrors: The Ghost Stories of E. F. Benson, showcases his gift for subtle horror and psychological unease. If you appreciate James's knack for restrained, understated fear, Benson's stories might become favorites as well.
Oliver Onions specializes in subtle, psychological terror that quietly unsettles you. He skillfully creates an atmosphere that slowly builds a sense of unease.
His classic novella, The Beckoning Fair One, blends ghostly horror with psychological suspense, leaving you uncertain about what's real and what's imagined.
William Hope Hodgson writes stories that combine supernatural elements with eerie sea adventures and remote settings. His writing draws on isolation and the unknown as sources of fear.
His novel, The House on the Borderland, vividly describes a surreal and terrifying confrontation with cosmic horror in an isolated country house.
Robert Aickman creates strange tales that refuse to neatly explain themselves, leaving readers unsettled and wondering. His writing emphasizes ambiguity and unease rather than outright horror.
In his story collection Cold Hand in Mine, you'll feel moments of disquieting confusion and eeriness that linger long after you finish reading.
Walter de la Mare is known for poetic, dream-like stories that blur the line between reality and fantasy. His gentle, lyrical style quietly disturbs readers by showing how fragile our understanding of reality can be.
In Seaton's Aunt, he tells an understated but haunting tale of isolation and psychological complexity.
Shirley Jackson writes psychological horror and subtle social commentary with razor-sharp insight. Her characters often face isolation, paranoia, and escalating dread.
In The Haunting of Hill House, she brilliantly explores psychological terror within a setting that seems to have a life of its own, trapping characters in their fears.
Susan Hill creates ghost stories with traditional atmosphere and quiet dread. Like M. R. James, she uses isolated settings, eerie legends, and slowly building suspense to haunt readers.
Her novella The Woman in Black brings readers into the windswept English marshes and unfolds a chilling story of supernatural vengeance and creeping fear.
Ramsey Campbell is known for psychological horror filled with ambiguity and creeping darkness, blending subtle supernatural elements with the ordinary. Readers who appreciate the unsettling and atmospheric style of James may enjoy Campbell's quietly terrifying tales.
His short story collection Cold Print contains haunting narratives that explore the sinister lurking beneath everyday life.
Adam Nevill writes absorbing horror stories that evoke a powerful sense of isolation and dread, with a strong connection to England's remote and uncanny places.
His novel The Ritual follows a group of friends lost in a Scandinavian forest who encounter a disturbing ancient presence. If you enjoy spooky settings and supernatural menace, Nevill's work will resonate.
T. E. D. Klein's work contains classic themes of cosmic terror and subtly growing unease. He is patient, building suspense and atmosphere carefully, much like M. R. James.
Klein's novella The Events at Poroth Farm mixes isolation, mysterious events, and the unknown in a rural setting, delivering a quietly chilling reading experience.
H. Russell Wakefield wrote ghost stories that share a similarly restrained eerie charm with James's work. His tales combine rural England settings and supernatural threats, tapping into quiet dread rather than shock.
In his collection They Return at Evening, Wakefield showcases a talent for understated horrors lurking in ordinary surroundings.