The ghost story, in its many guises, continues to thrive, despite being written off many times over the past half-century, perhaps most notably by H.R. Wakefield, one of the masters of the genre, who wrote in 1961: "I believe ghost story writing to be a dying art." Wakefield could not have been more wrong; and the rich legacy of such writers in the genre as Wakefield himself, M.R. James, and Robert Aickman, who were all able to hint at horror rather than spell it out, is apparent in the twenty-five stories in SHADOWS AND SILENCE. There is horror here in abundance; but it is a haunting horror, which clearly demonstrates that the example given has been followed by the present day practitioners whose work appears in this volume. Of the seventeen stories which appeared in the first Ash-Tree Press anthology, MIDNIGHT NEVER COMES, in 1997, no less than fifteen received honourable mentions in THE YEAR'S BEST FANTASY AND HORROR. That success has provided added impetus to ensure that the stories in this volume live up to the quality of their predecessors. The stories in SHADOWS AND SILENCE encompass an even wider range of themes, showcasing the versatility of the supernatural story. The ghost story is alive, well, and ready to face the challenges of the future. An Ash-Tree Press Limited Edition. CONTENTS The Rag-and-Bone Men • (1999) • short story by Steve Duffy The Last of Mr. Benjimen • (2000) • short story by Rick Kennett Mr. Justice Delaney • (2000) • short story by John Morrow The Fairhaven Phantom Train • (2000) • short story by Jessica Amanda Salmonson The Man in the Blue Mercedes • (2000) • short story by Frances Oliver The Graveyard • (2000) • short story by Don Tumasonis The Slow Fall of Dust in a Quiet Place • (2000) • short story by Steve Rasnic Tem Tourist Trap • (2000) • short story by Barbara Roden The Witness Tree • (2000) • short story by Steve Burt Frosted Glass • (2000) • short story by Jane Jakeman Spider • (2000) • short story by John Pelan The Counsels of Night • (2000) • short story by Ron Weighell No Strings • (2000) • short story by Ramsey Campbell The Mummers • (2000) • short story by Paul Finch "Which, Being Translated, Means" • (2000) • short story by Cooper Renner "Excuse Me ... " • (2000) • short story by John Whitbourn The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter • (2000) • short story by Michael Chislett The Other Side of the Bay • (2000) • short story by Nick DiMartino Wolferton Hall • (2000) • short story by James Doig Littler • (2000) • short story by Hugh B. Cave One Over the Twelve • (2000) • short story by C. E. Ward The Chapel of Unrest • (2000) • short story by Stephen Volk The Last Reel • (2000) • short story by David G. Rowlands The Spirit Mirror • (2000) • short story by Keris McDonald Mr. Dark's Carnival • novelette by Glen Hirshberg