In the Dark

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Edith Nesbit is renowned for her children's literature, particularly her classic 1906 novel, but she also harbored a darker side showcased in her tales of terror and the supernatural. These stories were predominantly written before she gained fame as a children's author and were largely forgotten for nearly a century. In 1988, Hugh Lamb edited an anthology that revived some of her chilling works, and this expanded edition includes additional stories. Notable tales such as 'Man-Size in Marble' and 'John Charrington's Wedding' are featured alongside lesser-known but equally haunting narratives. Nesbit's eerie world features the dead returning, scientists crossing into death, souls bartered for wishes, and madness stemming from casual wagers. In his introduction, Lamb explores Nesbit's vibrant life, highlighting how her unconventional experiences distinguished her from her Victorian and Edwardian peers in the ghost story genre. He also delves into the events that inspired her supernatural fiction, which she described as bringing her "nights and nights of anguish and horror." The collection includes a variety of stories, each weaving themes of the macabre and the supernatural.