Grim tales

A short horror story collection titled "Grim Tales" is exactly what you would expect from an author named Edith Bland, but her pen name E. Nesbit has quite another reputation so don't let that scare you. Hopefully you can leave that to the stories. Well-versed in the realms of fantasy and magical kingdoms as a children's author, E. Nesbit has a knack for the supernatural, which she tackles here in seven fantastical tales. Take "The Ebony Frame" for example – a story about a man enchanted by a beautiful woman in a painting in his attic (no relation to "The Picture of Dorian Gray" aside from the incredibly obvious), or "Man-Size in Marble", in which, akin to the film "The Conjuring" (2013), a young couple ignore the warnings of buying a new house and spookiness ensues. Short story collections are like houseboats – you're only a page turn or anchor pull away from new friends and a new perspective... or possibly the cold depths of the abyss. And by reading this you're surely in pursuit of the latter? Edith Nesbit (1858 – 1924) (married name Edith Bland) was a prolific English author and poet, writing primarily children's books under the pen name E. Nesbit. Her work often characterized by a mix of realistic settings with fantastical elements, Nesbit went on to influence writers such as C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling. Her most notable works include "Five Children and It" (1902) and "The Railway Children" (1906) which have never gone out of print.