Good ghost stories?

[Beckstah]

I'm a sucker for a good, creepy read, and a hot summer night is the perfect time to pick one up. But I've read all of the ones I had on my list, and I'm having trouble finding a new one that really grabs me. So who better to ask than you guys?

In general, I love ghost stories and other such paranormal things. Southern settings are a plus, but really, anything with great characters and lots of atmosphere would be amazing, whether it's YA or adult lit. No vampires or werewolves, please, I've sort of overdosed on them lately.

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: I should note, just so you get a good idea of my tastes, that Coraline by Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite books ever, so anything remotely similar to that would be fantastic. And I've read and enjoyed The Shining, The Exorcist, and The Haunting of Hill House.

[dgrintalis]

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill is a good one. The Passage by Justin Cronin is another I would recommend, although it does have vampires, sort of, but they are man-made creatures, not the vampires of old lore.

[dirtsider]

Leslie Rule has several ghost books out. They're generally true stories that she's collected over the years, though. Then again, I tend to prefer true ghost stories to fictional ones.

For similar quick reads, try Weird New Jersey. It's a magazine, although they're also putting out anthologies on the different states.

[AMCrenshaw]

"Hallo George!"


Spark, Muriel. "Portobello Road." Ghost Stories of Muriel Spark.


The whole collection is good, but Portobello Road sticks with me.

[shawkins]

In general, I love ghost stories and other such paranormal things. Southern settings are a plus, but really, anything with great characters and lots of atmosphere would be amazing, whether it's YA or adult lit. No vampires or werewolves, please, I've sort of overdosed on them lately.

Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin is set on a Mississippi riverboat just after the civil war. There might be a couple of vampires in it, but otherwise it's a pretty good fit for your criteria. Maybe put it in your to-be-read pile?

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill is a good one.

Haven't read that one but Hill's latest, Horns, is good.

[TerzaRima]

Try John Harwood--The Ghost Writer and The Seance. In a way these aren't really ghost stories--they're more about how we pursue the supernatural, mediums in the Edwardian era and stuff like that--but they deliver the desired chills.

[Torgo]

Carnacki the Ghost-Finder (http://www.forgottenfutures.com/game/ff4/carnacki.htm), by William Hope Hodgson; and anything by MR James, but I'm sure you didn't need to be told.

[callalily61]

Oliver Onions' collected short stories.

[Grrarrgh]

I always recommend Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill. It's one of my favorite modern ghost stories.