Australian Hauntings

Australian Hauntings
Author: James Doig
Publisher: Wildside Press LLC
Total Pages: 343
Release: 2014-03-25
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1479409286

Twenty stories of horror, the supernatural, and ghostly hauntings. These tales show the way in which the Gothic form has been transposed to a new, alien environment--Australia! The outback, the desert, the bush are imbued with strange forces and beings that European explorers and fossickers must fathom and overcome. The colonists struggle to cope with the harsh landscape and climate, and are frequently claimed by it. The land itself seems almost a malignant force that exacts a terrible revenge on those who challenge it or wander thoughtlessly into its desert wastes. Thus, in many of the stories reprinted here, characters range across a landscape in which the supernatural can reach out and snatch the unwary at any time. Characters frequently fall victim to the bush; indeed, often it is the children, symbols of innocence and European naïveté, who fall victim to the evil "spirits" lurking just beyond human ken. Doig has resurrected these marvelous haunts from rare magazines and equally scarce collections, and has provided hard-to-find information about the authors and the times in which they lived. For any aficionado of the classic macabre tale, this anthology will be a treasure trove of chilling reading!

The Australian Ghost Whisperer

The Australian Ghost Whisperer
Author: Caterina Ligato
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Total Pages: 144
Release: 2012-01-31
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 0733628192

I opened the door and could just smell the blood and gunshots. I could sense these people who were still in agony because they were caught in the moment of being shot. It was so intense that excruciating pain...' This is the intriguing insight into the world of a Sydney psychic healer. Caterina Ligato first communicated with spirits at the age of three and has since come to accept her gift for dealing with the supernatural and to use her talent to help people in need. Her stories of exorcism, healing sessions and spiritual communication have spread through word-of-mouth, lectures and workshops so that she now receives requests for help from around the world. This is a fascinating and honest story of the astounding personal experiences and relationships between a psychic and the spiritual world.

Great Australian Ghost Stories

Great Australian Ghost Stories
Author: Richard Davis
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia
Total Pages: 276
Release: 2012-07-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1743095902

Australia has a rich history of ghost sightings and spooky tales, from the time of European settlement until today - and they are all here in GREAT AUSTRALIAN GHOST STORIES. From gore-spattered convicts and elegant women out of our colonial past to the mysterious ghost lights of the outback and angry poltergeists that wreak havoc on modern homes, Australia seems to be teeming with the restless spirits of our ancestors. You'll meet a wide cross section of them in this far-reaching collection of stories drawn from all the Australian states and covering two centuries of our nation's history. Some ghosts are vengeful, some aloof, others mysterious, sad, kind, wistful or amusing, but all share one quality - they're scary - and their stories are hair-raising. You'll join a terrified young couple on a Ferris wheel when a spectre appears inside their cage, you'll learn about Australia's most famous ghost and visit Australia's most notorious haunted house where icy hands gripped the throats of unsuspecting visitors. You'll meet a ghost made famous by Henry Lawson, discover what 'the haunted dunny' means to the people of a village in the Barossa Valley and share in the terror of a medical student when a cadaver comes back from the dead and takes up residence in the student's laptop. So, dear reader, if you have the courage, make sure the doors and windows are locked, settle in your favourite chair, keep a blanket handy (for when your blood runs cold) and join Richard Davis on this remarkable journey behind the veil that separates the mortal from the eternal - right here in our own back yard.

Australia's Haunted History

Australia's Haunted History
Author: Trudy Toohill
Publisher: Boolarong Press
Total Pages: 208
Release: 2016-05-04
Genre: History
ISBN: 1925236811

Australia’s Haunted History is a collection of spine-tingling, blood-curdling, frightening and often mysterious Australian paranormal tales from throughout our country’s turbulent past. Many of these historical accounts of spectral hauntings and strange happenings were documented in early Australian newspapers and have been accurately transcribed in the pages of this book. These ghostly sightings will challenge even the most ardent sceptic. Many of these chilling events remain largely unexplained to this day. Murder and mayhem, mystifying mysteries, haunted houses, ghostly goldfields, shocking tragedies, pestering poltergeists, strange and bizarre happenings – they are all included. Many of the historical ghost tales in this book have been forgotten through the passing of time. Australia’s Haunted History will bring these creepy tales back to life and spark the imagination of a new generation to ask that poignant question, are ghosts real? Old favourites have not been overlooked and several tales of well-known Australian ghosts are included. If you love a good ghost story, Australia’s Haunted History will keep you entertained for hours. But be careful, after reading this book you may need to sleep with the light on!

The Cambridge History of Australian Literature

The Cambridge History of Australian Literature
Author: Peter Pierce
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 623
Release: 2009-09-17
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 052188165X

Draws on scholarship from leading figures in the field and spans Australian literary history from colonial origins, indigenous and migrant literatures, as well as representations of Asia and the Pacific and the role of literary culture in modern Australian society.

A Brief Guide to Ghost Hunting

A Brief Guide to Ghost Hunting
Author: Leo Ruickbie
Publisher: Robinson
Total Pages: 186
Release: 2013-08-15
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 1780338279

There has been an upsurge in books, television programmes, films and websites exploring the reality or otherwise of the spirit world. Not since the founding of The Ghost Club in 1862 and the Society for Psychical Research in 1882 has ghost hunting been so popular. Television and the internet, in particular, have fueled this new level of interest, creating a modern media phenomenon that spans the globe. But while the demand for information is high, good information remains scarce. A Brief Guide to Ghost Hunting leads us through the process of ghost hunting, from initially weighing the first report, to choosing equipment, and investigating and identifying the phenomena, with an analysis of the best places to go looking, methods of contacting the spirit world, how to explain paranormal activity and, crucially, how to survive the encounter. However, it is also a book about ghost hunting itself, drawing on 130 years of research in the cavernous archives of the Society for Psychical Research and even older history to find the earliest ghost stories. A Ghost Hunting Survey makes use of interviews with those billing themselves as ghost hunters to find out their views, motivations and experiences. New and original research makes use of statistics to map the nebulous world of apparitions while a Preliminary Survey of Hauntings offers an analysis of 923 reported phenomena from 263 locations across the UK. This is, as far as possible, an objective presentation of ghosts and ghost hunting. It is no wonder that mainstream science largely refuses to deal with the subject: it is too complicated. Without trying to convince you of any viewpoint, this book is intended to help you understand more.

The Palgrave Handbook to Horror Literature

The Palgrave Handbook to Horror Literature
Author: Kevin Corstorphine
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 529
Release: 2018-11-07
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 3319974068

This handbook examines the use of horror in storytelling, from oral traditions through folklore and fairy tales to contemporary horror fiction. Divided into sections that explore the origins and evolution of horror fiction, the recurrent themes that can be seen in horror, and ways of understanding horror through literary and cultural theory, the text analyses why horror is so compelling, and how we should interpret its presence in literature. Chapters explore historical horror aspects including ancient mythology, medieval writing, drama, chapbooks, the Gothic novel, and literary Modernism and trace themes such as vampires, children and animals in horror, deep dark forests, labyrinths, disability, and imperialism. Considering horror via postmodern theory, evolutionary psychology, postcolonial theory, and New Materialism, this handbook investigates issues of gender and sexuality, race, censorship and morality, environmental studies, and literary versus popular fiction.

Either Side of Midnight

Either Side of Midnight
Author: Benjamin Stevenson
Publisher: Penguin Group Australia
Total Pages: 325
Release: 2020-09-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1760144665

'Either Side of Midnight is a gripping, gritty thriller with an ingeniously shocking premise and twists and turns you’ll never see coming!' Liane Moriarty, bestselling author of Big Little Lies 'An exceptional new talent' Jane Harper, bestselling author of The Dry 'A complex and hugely original page-turner. Stevenson has officially made my auto-buy-author list.' Christian White, bestselling author of The Nowhere Child How can it be murder when the victim pulled the trigger? At 9.01 pm, TV presenter Sam Midford delivers the monologue for his popular current affairs show Midnight Tonight. He seems nervous and the crew are convinced he’s about to propose to his girlfriend live on air. Instead, he pulls out a gun and shoots himself in the head. Sam’s grief-stricken twin Harry is convinced his brother was murdered. But how can that be, when one million viewers witnessed Sam pull the trigger? Only Jack Quick, a disgraced television producer in the last days of a prison sentence, is desperate enough to take Harry’s money to investigate. But as Jack starts digging, he finds a mystery more complex than he first assumed. And if he’s not careful, he'll find out first-hand that there’s more than one way to kill someone . . . 'The male relationships in Either Side of Midnight are layered in a way that transcends the crime genre. Funny, disturbing and unpredictable.' Jack Heath, bestselling author of Hangman 'Either Side of Midnight, which trips between light and dark, city and country, and twists the reader into knots, is for fans of solid Australian crime authors like Chris Hammer, Christian White and Candice Fox.' Books and Publishing 'A gripping thriller.' Who Weekly 'Stevenson writes solid Australian crime thrillers with a command of psychology and suspense and a dark comic edge. That the series extends its tendrils into satire – it neatly skewers the culture of our television industry – only adds to its appeal.' The Age

A Companion to Australian Aboriginal Literature

A Companion to Australian Aboriginal Literature
Author: Belinda Wheeler
Publisher: Camden House
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2013
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 1571135219

This international collection of eleven original essays on Australian Aboriginal literature provides a comprehensive critical companion that contextualizes the Aboriginal canon for scholars, researchers, students, and general readers.