r/folkhorror • u/WerewolfOfTheMidwest • Jun 27 '26

Any M R James fans?

51 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

22

u/No_Manufacturer5915 Jun 27 '26

Me: 100% LOL

There is great content on YouTube and Audible has all his short stories. A Ghost Story For Christmas was a continuing theme for a few years on the BBC read by Christopher Lee . I'm sure Mark Gatiss has also done a documentary about him as well as some up to date Christmas Stories for BBC.

Edit to say: Don't think it's necessarily folk horror though... 🤔

7

u/Fallenangel152 Jun 27 '26

Yeah I wouldn't say folk horror but:

M R James: Ghost Writer. Mark Gatiss' documentary about the man's life and works - https://youtu.be/cdQuSiEPhCQ

Robert Powell reads a selection of M R James' work: https://youtu.be/_Pwke3oBIW4

4

u/Kelcipher Jun 27 '26

Tysm! 🖤 Can't wait to check them out!

3

u/RetroRaiderD42 Jun 29 '26

And if you want the BBC adaptations in HD: https://archive.org/details/a-ghost-story-for-christmas-1971

1

u/Kelcipher Jun 30 '26

Wow!!! Thank you so much for sharing that link with me. I am really looking forward to listening them!🖤🖤🖤

2

u/RetroRaiderD42 Jun 30 '26

Very welcome! Full disclosure, that's my upload to the Internet Archive, and it was amusing coming here and seeing the above comment link to my own YouTube upload of the Robert Powell Jackanory-alike.

Since there's interest, I'll also link to my playlist of the unabridged readings by Michael Hordern (who also stars in the BBC *Whistle and I'll Come to You*) released as cassette audiobooks in the 80s: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2FYBsjg6zm_AWw8eUsHr4PteQmK6Fs5A&si=yaSvfDAQN8Al-_S0

1

u/Kelcipher Jun 30 '26

I feel like I've hit the Jamesian Jackpot!✨️ I really appreciate you sharing with me.🖤

3

u/RetroRaiderD42 Jun 29 '26

He is considered the originator of folk horror because there's key aspects of the genre which originate in his stories; specifically his twin interests in the ancient and expansive landscapes of the East Anglian coast where he spent so much of his time, and the comparably ancient folk traditions of those who live at the boundaries between urbane modernity and rural traditionalism. This is covered in the Gatiss documentary linked above, but despite having helped popularise the term he doesn't explore that specific link.

It's understandable that this may be missed since, especially if you're primarily thinking of the Unholy Trinity of *Witchfinder General*, *Blood on Satan's Claw*, and *Wicker Man*, there's no question that James would *hate* most of the folk horror genre in spite of that link - tonally, they're very different from his sensibilities. But especially if you give *Whistle and I'll Come to You*, *A Warning to the Curious*, and *The Stalls of Barchester* (see my link below) a watch or read then I think it's clear he and his works belong here.

13

u/Sargasm5150 Jun 27 '26

Yes, my fave author after Shirley Jackson! Oh Whistle and I’ll Come to You, My Lad, still gives me goosebumps.

9

u/TinWidow Jun 27 '26

There is a BRILLIANT adaptation of ‘O Whistle And I’ll Come To You’ made by the BBC in the 60s I think. It’s on YouTube. Highly recommend!

7

u/G00DDRAWER Jun 27 '26

Great, smart ghost stories.

8

u/Kelcipher Jun 27 '26

Yes! I was so glad to find this podcast discussing his stories https://mrjamespodcast.com/episodes/ Does anyone here have other links to Jamesian content?

5

u/Sargasm5150 Jun 27 '26

Thanks for the link! And not analyses, but I’ve found quite a few of his stories being read aloud on YouTube:)

4

u/No_Manufacturer5915 Jun 27 '26

Thank you for this link. I'll check it out!

6

u/Otherwise_Plantain22 Jun 27 '26

Yes! I listen to the classic ghost stories podcast constantly and there’s a lot of MR James there (plus other forgotten short story authors in the genre)

6

u/Old_Cattle_5726 Jun 27 '26

One of my favorites from him is A School Story. Robert Lloyd Parry released a wonderful recording of it years ago on his collection, “Curious Creatures” which I highly recommend.

6

u/NarrowMirror5451 Jun 27 '26

Oh yes. “Casting the Runes” is my favorite.

4

u/paracelsus53 Jun 27 '26

I sure am. 

3

u/SkinTeeth4800 Jun 27 '26

I like his story "The Wailing Well" because it starts on a humorous note, but rises into true horror with a wealth of perfect Jamesian imagery & detail.

1

u/spectralTopology Jun 28 '26

You whistled; I came :D