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Dixie Ghosts: Haunting, Spine-Chilling Stories from the American South
These terrifying anthologies contain some of the best in American ghost stories. Each of the books was edited by master anthologists Frank D. McSherry Jr., Charles G. Waugh, and Martin H. Greenberg and includes stories from such great horror fiction writers as Ambrose Bierce, Isaac Asimov, Madeleine L'Engle, and Manly Wade Wellman.
- GenresHorror
208 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1988
About the author
Charles G. Waugh
202 books11 followersCharles Gordon Waugh was born in Philadelphia, PA, in 1943.
He has published over 261 books, most of which are SF, fantasy, or horror anthologies and he has taught at Syracuse University, Ithaca College, Kent State University, and the University of Maine at Augusta.
Waugh is known primarily as a co-editor (with Isaac Asimov and Martin H. Greenberg) of the “Mammoth Book” series of genre anthologies.
He has published over 261 books, most of which are SF, fantasy, or horror anthologies and he has taught at Syracuse University, Ithaca College, Kent State University, and the University of Maine at Augusta.
Waugh is known primarily as a co-editor (with Isaac Asimov and Martin H. Greenberg) of the “Mammoth Book” series of genre anthologies.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 14, 2012
Dixie Ghosts is a collection of short stories from various authors. Most of the stories are very enjoyable.
This anthology was very enjoyable, the stories did vary a bit in quality, but there were many stories that were very good and a number of stories that were good. Only a few stories were not worth reading.
Some of the stories that I enjoyed the most included Drawer 14″ – where an elderly which reaches out from beyond the grave to save lives with the help of the bored morgue attendant, Poor Little Saturday by Madeleine L’Engle, about a witch who befriends a young boy, 1 Foot in the Grave, about a man with a severed foot that has a strange life of its own, The Soul of Rose DEDE, the story of a collection of ghosts that are tied to a graveyard, and Ride the Thunder, the story of truck drivers and a haunted road. There was also the story of a murder victim who exacts revenge from the grave, a bizarre court with the jury comprised of dead hit-and-run victims,and haunted plantation house in the deep South.
Some of these stories depended on the southern location, but most could have taken place anywhere. This diminished somewhat the point of the book, which was supposed to be southern ghost stories. However, this didn’t diminish the enjoyment of the book in my mind, the stories were very good and stood alone as effective
This anthology was very enjoyable, the stories did vary a bit in quality, but there were many stories that were very good and a number of stories that were good. Only a few stories were not worth reading.
Some of the stories that I enjoyed the most included Drawer 14″ – where an elderly which reaches out from beyond the grave to save lives with the help of the bored morgue attendant, Poor Little Saturday by Madeleine L’Engle, about a witch who befriends a young boy, 1 Foot in the Grave, about a man with a severed foot that has a strange life of its own, The Soul of Rose DEDE, the story of a collection of ghosts that are tied to a graveyard, and Ride the Thunder, the story of truck drivers and a haunted road. There was also the story of a murder victim who exacts revenge from the grave, a bizarre court with the jury comprised of dead hit-and-run victims,and haunted plantation house in the deep South.
Some of these stories depended on the southern location, but most could have taken place anywhere. This diminished somewhat the point of the book, which was supposed to be southern ghost stories. However, this didn’t diminish the enjoyment of the book in my mind, the stories were very good and stood alone as effective
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November 7, 2019PLACEHOLDER REVIEW: recently had reason to re-read a story that appears here, so I figured I;d throw in the review for now.
In "Night Court" by Mary Elizabeth Counselman, a habitual reckless driver (who uses family connections to avoid responsibility for his actions) hits a young girl on a lonely road, and then finds himself ushered into a ghoulish "Night Court," comprised of victims of traffic accidents, to answer for his crimes... I bumped this up a bit on re-reading. The details of 1950s road and social culture are interesting (the reckless driver is a Korean war veteran, who uses his status to justify to himself his actions), and some of the details macabre, even if the "supernatural makes you learn your lesson" plot is familiar and predictable, and the "old negro" is written with dialogue in an "Amos & Andy" patois.
In "Night Court" by Mary Elizabeth Counselman, a habitual reckless driver (who uses family connections to avoid responsibility for his actions) hits a young girl on a lonely road, and then finds himself ushered into a ghoulish "Night Court," comprised of victims of traffic accidents, to answer for his crimes... I bumped this up a bit on re-reading. The details of 1950s road and social culture are interesting (the reckless driver is a Korean war veteran, who uses his status to justify to himself his actions), and some of the details macabre, even if the "supernatural makes you learn your lesson" plot is familiar and predictable, and the "old negro" is written with dialogue in an "Amos & Andy" patois.
August 10, 2021
Dixie Ghosts is a small anthology of short tales set in various Southern United States cities. Though, of course,there were a few who, without mention of physical locale, could have taken place just about anywhere.
Most of these stories were entertaining. But there were a few I had to give up on. "Dead Man's Story" by Howard Rigsby was one such tale. I am from the south, born and raised in Georgia and lived here most my life--but the accent that this tale is written in is unfamiliar to me and was difficult to make sense of at times.
I guess I was sort of expecting something different out of this anthology. It's not that the tales themselves were all bad, there were many that were very entertaining. But I left the book underwhelmed. 3 Stars.
Most of these stories were entertaining. But there were a few I had to give up on. "Dead Man's Story" by Howard Rigsby was one such tale. I am from the south, born and raised in Georgia and lived here most my life--but the accent that this tale is written in is unfamiliar to me and was difficult to make sense of at times.
I guess I was sort of expecting something different out of this anthology. It's not that the tales themselves were all bad, there were many that were very entertaining. But I left the book underwhelmed. 3 Stars.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews