Can Such Things Be?
📘 About This Book
"Can Such Things Be?" is a thrillingly creepy collection of short stories from one of the 19th century’s masters of horror. Sit yourself by a campfire or candlelight and enjoy these 24 eerie stories, told in Bierce’s witty, clear prose, filled with ghosts, apparitions, doppelgängers, grave robbers, death omens and other strange, inexplicable occurrences. The story of "The Damned Thing" has appeared in the tv show "Masters of Horror", while "Haïta the Shepherd" and "An Inhabitant of Carcosa" have reverberated in the history of supernatural fiction from Robert W. Chambers’ "The King in Yellow" to HBO’s "True Detective" starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) was an American writer, journalist, critic, poet, and Civil War veteran, best known for "The Devil's Dictionary" (1911). He dominated the horror genre as the preeminent innovator of supernatural storytelling in the period between the death of Edgar Allan Poe and the rise of H.P. Lovecraft. Bierce’s death was as mysterious as his strange stories; sometime around 1914 he left for Mexico, wanting to experience the Mexican Revolution firsthand, and was never to be seen again.
📖 Summary
Can Such Things Be? is a thrillingly creepy collection of short stories from one of the nineteenth century’s true masters of horror, Ambrose Bierce. Spanning 207 pages in its 2017 edition, this volume invites readers to sit by a campfire or candlelight and enjoy twenty-four eerie stories. Bierce tells these tales in his signature witty, clear prose, filling them with ghosts, apparitions, doppelgängers, grave robbers, death omens, and other strange, inexplicable occurrences that challenge the boundaries of reality and human understanding. The collection holds a significant and lasting place in the history of weird fiction and supernatural literature. Notably, the story The Damned Thing has appeared in the television show Masters of Horror, demonstrating the enduring creepiness of Bierce's imagination. Furthermore, Haïta the Shepherd and An Inhabitant of Carcosa have reverberated deeply in the broader history of supernatural fiction, serving as literary stepping stones that influenced works all the way from Robert W. Chambers’ classic The King in Yellow to HBO’s hit series True Detective starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. Ambrose Bierce, who lived from 1842 to 1914, was a multifaceted American writer, journalist, critic, poet, and Civil War veteran. His firsthand experience with the brutality and suddenness of death during the war deeply informs his cynical wit, precise journalistic clarity, and fascination with mortality. Across these twenty-four stories, Bierce crafts an unsettling atmosphere where the supernatural bleeds into the everyday, leaving readers to question what lurks just beyond the edges of perception. Whether dealing with phantom armies, haunted dwellings, or invisible predators, Bierce proves himself a pioneer of psychological and supernatural dread. This collection remains an essential volume for anyone interested in the foundational architects of modern horror, showcasing a brilliant literary mind at the height of his chilling powers.
🎯 Key Lessons
⚖️ Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
Written by a master of 19th-century horror with a distinct literary voice.
Features twenty-four diverse and eerie short stories to explore.
Contains historically significant tales that influenced modern weird fiction and television.
Employs witty and clear prose that enhances the chilling atmosphere.
⚠️ Cons
The 19th-century writing style may not appeal to readers seeking ultra-modern horror tropes.
Some stories lean heavily into ambiguous, inexplicable endings that leave questions unanswered.
✍️ About the Author
Ambrose Bierce (1842-c.1914) was an American author and satirist known for the short story 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge' and 'The Devil's Dictionary'.
View all books →❓ FAQ
Who wrote Can Such Things Be? +
The book was written by Ambrose Bierce, a prominent 19th-century American writer, journalist, critic, poet, and Civil War veteran.
When was this particular edition published? +
This collection was published in 2017 and spans 207 pages.
How many stories are included in the book? +
The book features 24 eerie short stories filled with ghosts, apparitions, and strange occurrences.
Are any stories from this collection featured in popular culture? +
Yes, The Damned Thing appeared on the television show Masters of Horror, while other stories influenced works like The King in Yellow and True Detective.
What themes and elements are present in the stories? +
The stories feature ghosts, apparitions, doppelgängers, grave robbers, death omens, and other inexplicable occurrences told in witty, clear prose.
