Reviews

‘’Our love affair with trains - especially steam trains - is matched by our fear of them. Who amongst us has not, at one time or another, been ultra-cautious about standing too close to the edge of the platform as the train thunders in, or has hurried over a level-crossing just in case the train might appear at any second, or has found themselves alone in the labyrinth of the tunnels underground leading to a possibly deserted station. And who has not wondered who will sit next to them in a carriage, especially the older carriages where you could be trapped in a compartment.’’

Mike Ashley

When I saw the title in the catalogue of British Library Publishing, I knew that it was bound to offer an exciting edge to this daily commuter’s life. Commuting on a day-to-day basis is both a blessing and a curse (and trust me, I reacted much more vehemently during the early years…) and the idea of a ghost among the masses of commuters seems utterly illogical.

But is it really? Where else could a ghost appear in plain sight and pass (largely) unnoticed? Who is responsible for every single thing that turns our lives into a nightmare in the subway? Why do all these stupid people refuse to understand that the subway is not a place to make out, or to occupy 5,000 seats with shopping bags? Not to mention the zombies who walk like intoxicated Teletubbies on high heels, enjoying the non-existent sights on the platform while the rest of us are desperately trying to go to our jobs in safety.

Bottom line: Ghosts are always better than people.

The Strange Story of Engine Number 651 (Victor L. Whitechurch): A locomotive cursed with ill fortune and a tragic story of obsession.

The Conductor’s Story (Zoe Dana Underhill): The sad tale of a tragic accident that reveals the anger lurking in a problematic family, echoed in the sounds of a haunted bell…

A Desperate Run (Anonymous): A spectre is there to prevent an accident in the dark moors.

A Strange Night (L.G.Moberly): A pair of friends stumble upon a hamlet with no residents in sight, close to a railway that leads nowhere and trains that disappear. A haunting story that reminded me of the exceptional film Backtrack with Adrien Brody and Sam Neill.

The Tragedy in the Train (Huan Mee): A perplexing crime committed in a locked compartment occupied only by the victim. The structure of the story is outstanding.

The Man With the Cough (Mary Louisa Molesworth): A man carrying important documents finds himself in the centre of a strange nightly adventure, accompanied by ‘’the man with the cough’’.

Railhead (Perceval Landon): A message in the darkness coming from a disconnected instrument hides a terrible warning.

The Barford Snake (Edgar Wallace): An eerie tale about a junction where accidents take place, resulting in numerous casualties. Ιs it haunted? Cursed? The ending is astonishing!

A Ghost on the Train (Dinah Castle): A passenger on the last train to Brighton comes face-to-face with a murderer and a ghost in a story that is chilling and thrilling.

The Underground People (Rosemary Timperley): As a daily commuter I’ve always believed that public transport was created by Satan himself. This fascinating account of one of his minions confirms my conviction.

Really.

A Romance of the Piccadilly Tube (T.G.Jackson): A tragic accident in the Tube reveals the secret of a codicil and the unjust treatment of two brothers by their father. Don’t let the title mislead you…

In the Tube (E. F. Benson): A man witnesses a death that hasn’t happened yet in a complex story that defies the principles of Time and Place.

A Subway Named Mobius (A. J. Deutsch): A train disappears in the subway along with its passengers, possibly escaping to another dimension. A complicated tale that my mind refused to engage with on account of a character called Sweeney.

Don’t judge me.

The Last Train (Michael Vincent): Phantom lights glimpsed from dark windows. Phantom passengers eternally waiting for the one train. Spectres of people who committed suicide. Lines passing under cemeteries. Missing drivers. Spooks…

The Underground (R. Chetwynd - Hayes): In this memorable story, the spectre of a young soldier in the subway reveals a tragic loss to a woman who is trapped between her obnoxious father and a worthless suitor.

A Short Trip Home (F. Scott Fitzgerald): A young man, desperately in love, is willing to face a very persuasive rival to the end of the trip home…

The Companion (Ramsey Campbell): ‘’Stone closed his eyes. When he opened them he saw within the hood of an oval of white cloth upon which - black crosses for eyes and nose, a barred crescent for a moth - a grinning face was stitched.’’

This collection is absolutely precious! Brilliantly Introduced and edited by Mike Ashley.

‘’We are the Underground People. We dwell in that world of roaring trains and dark tunnels, moving staircases and bright platforms, crushing crowds and strange draughts that seem to come from nowhere.

You see us every day. You are familiar with many of our faces, for we have a set routine of movements and travel. We are always in the same places at the same time each day. Each one of us is governed by the will of Him. We do not know who or where He is. We know nothing. We act according to His will, having no will of our own.

We are not ghosts. We are solid. Very solid.’’

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/

elizabeth22's review

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adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

fruitkate's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

julesdill's review

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4.0

ronald_schoedel's review

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5.0

Loved it. Some great “Twilight Zone”-ish short stories in here. Will have to pick up the rest of the series. As always, some stories in a collection are always going to hit home better than others, but all of them in this collection were 5 or 4 star-worthy.

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