Danse Macabre : Strange Stories from France : 75

Author: Ashley, Mike

Classic horror & ghost stories

Published on 16 July 2026 by British Library Publishing in the United Kingdom as part of 'the British Library Tales of the Weird' series.

Spurned lovers return from the grave to haunt theirpartners, ghost ships materialise on the sea, men's hands take on a life oftheir own... Welcome to the unsettling world of the French weird. Though the development of the weird tale in Franceoriginally drew on Gothic traditions in Germany, it soon became more heavilyinfluenced by the emerging romantic movement. French weird tales often includeelements of fable and romance, but they're just as likely to go to the otherextreme in chilling contes cruels. The stories in this anthology follow theevolution of the weird from the aftermath of the 1789 Revolution right throughto the end of the twentieth century. They're stories influenced by, and to someextent seeking to justify, civil and political unrest and how people coped withconstant change and rebellion, seeking some solace amongst the chaos.