Ghosts and apparitions abound across the peoples of the early civilisations, from the Ancient Egyptians, the Babylonians, Greeks, Romans and the Vikings too.

Phantoms of the dead, warning apparitions and necromancy – there are many stories of ghosts to be found in the retold literature of ancient peoples: ‘Khonsemhab and the Ghost’ and ‘The Adventure of Setne Khamwas with the Mummies’, both from Ancient Egypt; ‘Philinnion and Machates’ from Ancient Rome; spirits featured in Homer’s Odyssey, from Ancient Greece; tales of Babylonian demons and the netherworld; and stories of fire apparitions from Japan. The Vikings too had their fair share of ghosts, such as crop up in the 13th-century Icelandic Laxdaela Saga. These stories are all brought together in this new collection for an intriguing insight into the spirit world of early cultures.

FLAME TREE 451: From myth to mystery, the supernatural to horror, fantasy and science fiction, Flame Tree 451 offers a healthy diet of werewolves and mechanical men, blood-lusty vampires, dastardly villains, mad scientists, secret worlds, lost civilizations and escapist fantasies. Discover a storehouse of tales gathered specifically for the reader of the fantastic.

About the Author

Camilla Grudova (Introduction) is author of the critically acclaimed The Doll’s Alphabet, and Children of Paradise, longlisted for the Women’s Prize for fiction.

Named one of Granta’s Best Young British Novelists, she is also the winner of a Shirley Jackson award for Best Novelette. Her latest collection, The Coiled Serpent, is out in November 2023.