The empty house by Algernon Blackwood — cover

The empty house

The Empty House and Other Ghost Stories is a collection of ten ghost stories by Algernon Blackwood, first published in 1906. It was his first book.

"Certain houses, like certain persons, manage somehow to proclaim at once their character for evil. In the case of the latter, no particular feature need betray them; they may boast an open countenance and an ingenuous smile; and yet a little of their company leaves the unalterable conviction that there is something radically amiss with their being: that they are evil. Willy nilly, they seem to communicate an atmosphere of secret and wicked thoughts which makes those in their immediate neighbourhood shrink from them as from a thing diseased."

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Horror Supernatural fiction Short stories Supernatural Fear Isolation The unknown

Public domain (US)·No sign-up·DRM-free·Real text, not scans

Pages
199
Reading time
5 hours 36 minutes
Pace
Intermediate
First published
1906
Language
English

120 years later, still timely

Why Read The Empty House in 2026?

Quiet rooms, careful footsteps, and the sense that a place remembers. Blackwood proves that suggestion can be more frightening than spectacle.

Today's connection

Ideal for readers who enjoy slow-burn supernatural fiction. It invites attention to sound, space, and the way fear grows from what we bring into a room.

Sound and silence

Horror built from hush.

Place as presence

Architecture that watches back.

Patient dread

Unease that lingers after light.

Perfect for Fans of classic horror Readers interested in supernatural fiction Those exploring the concept of fear and the unknown

These collections include The empty house

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About the author

Portrait of Algernon Blackwood

Algernon Blackwood · 1869–1951

Weird fiction of woods and rivers; clear prose where landscape turns uncanny and awe becomes thought.

5 books by Algernon Blackwood in the library →

If this one stays with you…