Supernatural escapes once a Christmas tradition, now revived

In The Captain of the Polestar by Arthur Conan Doyle, a doctor witnesses strange behavior among a whaling ship’s crew. They claim to hear a desperate, high-pitched, screaming cry from among the ice flows that surround the boat. It’s locked in, waiting for a southerly wind to open their passage through arctic waters. And the captain? “My deliberate opinion is that we are commanded by a madman,” the doctor says.

The story can be found in Seth’s Christmas Ghost Stories, a series that brings back a Yuletide tradition dating to Victorian times. The foreword in each of the small books explains that the stories were once anticipated as much as decorating fir trees, feasting on goose, and singing carols.

Canadian publisher Biblioasis has been releasing new stories in the series for a few years, so there’s quite a selection, each illustrated by the acclaimed cartoonist Seth. They’re published as pocket-sized books, entertaining escapes I’ve looked forward to in the evenings. There’s something about the ghostly realm we’ve come to know from Scrooge and Marley that makes reading these stories in the days leading up to December 25th just right.

The plots don’t necessarily explore holiday themes (none so far that I’ve read), and they won’t make you feel like you can’t turn out the light before you go to sleep. They draw you into the supernatural, the possible otherworldly, the unsettling and unknown, but not the creepy. Again, not the ones I’ve read, which include the three new stories for 2023 (in the image above). I’ve also read Shirley Jackson’s A Visit about a girl summering at a friend’s stately home where tapestries covering the walls depict scenes of the house and grounds. Those tapestries and a visit from the friend’s brother make us question what’s real and what isn’t. Also, Edith Wharton’s Mr. Jones about a woman who inherits an estate managed by Mr. Jones who’s living on the premises but remains mysteriously unseen.

One more to share (I can’t help myself): The Signalman by Charles Dickens about a railroad employee who monitors the red light at the mouth of a train tunnel. I thought I knew what was going to happen, as often has been the case with these stories, but each time, they surprise and leave off with that wonder about what we don’t know for sure. The Signalman was first published in 1866 for a special Christmas issue of Dickens’ weekly literary periodical, All the Year Round. It may be my favorite. I recommend visiting the publisher’s website to browse the full shelf of Seth’s Christmas Ghost Stories.