One of the most extraordinary, and prolific writing families of the last one hundred years must be the Bensons. Between them, the three brothers—Arthur Christopher (1862–1925), Edward Frederic (1867–1940 and Robert Hugh (1871–1914)—wrote more than one hundred and fifty books on a variety of topics, and Arthur left a four-million word diary; although his most lasting legacy may be the words he wrote for Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1, better known as Land of Hope and Glory.

All three brothers wrote ghost stories, and Fred Benson is acknowledged as one of the finest writers of supernatural fiction of this century, whose name is mentioned in the same breath as such other greats as M.R. James and H.R. Wakefield. However, for many years his success in the genre has overshadowed the work that Arthur and Hugh did in the field of the supernatural story; and their weird tales, long out of print and difficult to find, were known to only a few enthusiasts.

Now, for the first time, the best supernatural tales of A.C. and R.H. Benson have been gathered together into one volume. Hugh Lamb, whose ground-breaking anthologies of the 1970s were largely responsible for their re-discovery, has collected nineteen of the best stories by both writers, including A.C. Benson's masterful tales 'Basil Netherby' and 'The Uttermost Farthing'. Also included is a rare 1913 article, 'Haunted Houses', by R.H. Benson, reprinted here for the first time, and an Introduction which examines the lives and writings of these two complex and fascinating men.