john keir cross

As a scriptwriter for the BBC, John Keir Cross (1914-1967) adapted classic horror tales by masters like M. R. James, Bram Stoker, and Ambrose Bierce into chilling radio programs. And with the eighteen stories in his collection The Other Passenger (1944), Keir Cross demonstrates that he deserves a place alongside those authors as a writer of highly original and effective macabre tales.

With a wide range of themes and styles, ranging from traditional ghost stories to contes cruels, black humor, tales of dark fantasy and surreal nightmare, and perhaps the best story about a ventriloquist and his dummy ever written, there are stories here to suit the tastes of any connoisseur of horror and weird fiction.

This first unabridged edition of Keir Cross’s landmark collection in over 70 years includes a new introduction by J. F. Norris.

“It offers an original twist of horror that will leave its mark.” - Saturday Review

“Among the annals of weird fiction one of the most sought after volumes.” - Michael Ashley, Who’s Who in Horror and Fantasy Fiction

“Sustained atmosphere, versatile forms and dramatic effects ... the unusual ending is generally a surprise ... haunting.” - Kirkus Reviews