Witty, lyrical, and deeply unsettling, these are tales where the sea is wide and the line between humor and horror is thin.

Richard Middleton’s best-known collection is anchored by its celebrated title story, an unforgettable journey into the whimsical and the uncanny.

The Ghost Ship tells the story of an ordinary, timid village that finds itself haunted not by a fearsome skeleton crew, but by the hilarious, bawdy, and far-too-jolly crew of a spectral Spanish brig. Their loud revelry and earthly demands for wine and company confound the villagers and create a haunting unlike any other in literature.

But beyond this humorous masterpiece, Middleton reveals himself as a subtle master of psychological dread and wistful fantasy. The collection delves into dark fables, macabre twists of fate, and haunting meditations on youth and loss.

Dive into a world where tragedy wears a smile, madness is masked by merriment, and the ghosts you meet are disturbingly, charmingly alive.