Can Such Things Be?

Can Such Things Be? is a collection of supernatural and horror short stories published by Ambrose Bierce in 1893. The book contains 24 tales that center on ghosts, unexplained disappearances, and mysterious occurrences in post-Civil War America. The stories take place across various settings - from isolated cabins and abandoned houses to military outposts and rural communities. Civil War veterans, frontier settlers, and everyday citizens encounter inexplicable events that challenge their understanding of reality. Many of the narratives involve characters investigating or documenting strange phenomena, with Bierce employing his background as a journalist to create reports and testimonials within the fiction. The writing style remains detached and precise, allowing readers to interpret the supernatural elements according to their own beliefs. The collection explores themes of death, psychological terror, and the thin line between natural and supernatural explanations for disturbing events. Through these stories, Bierce questions human perception and the limitations of rational thought when confronted with the unknowable.

Readers appreciate Bierce's dark humor, supernatural elements, and efficient prose style in these short stories. Many note that his Civil War tales feel authentic due to his firsthand military experience. Reviews highlight the atmospheric tension and psychological horror rather than gore or violence. Common criticisms include the dated language, uneven quality between stories, and abrupt endings that some find unsatisfying. Multiple readers mention struggling with the 19th century writing style and vocabulary. "The Death of Halpin Frayser" and "The Damned Thing" receive frequent mentions as standout stories in reviews. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (90+ ratings) LibraryThing: 3.8/5 (200+ ratings) Review quote from Goodreads: "Bierce creates an unsettling atmosphere with minimal exposition. The stories work because of what's left unsaid rather than explained."

The Other Side by Henry James This collection of ghost stories focuses on psychological terror and unreliable narrators in Victorian-era settings.

Ghost Stories of an Antiquary by M. R. James The tales blend academic settings with supernatural encounters and feature meticulous attention to historical detail.

The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers This interconnected collection combines cosmic horror with psychological dread through stories about a mysterious play that drives readers mad.

The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson The novel presents a dark future where humans face supernatural entities in a world without sun.

The Three Impostors by Arthur Machen This episodic novel weaves together occult horror stories through interconnected narratives set in Victorian London.

🗸 "Can Such Things Be?" was published in 1893 during the height of American supernatural fiction's golden age, sharing the literary landscape with works by Mark Twain and Edgar Allan Poe. 🗸 Ambrose Bierce disappeared mysteriously in Mexico in 1913 while observing Pancho Villa's forces during the Mexican Revolution, and his fate remains unknown to this day. 🗸 The story "The Death of Halpin Frayser" from this collection is considered one of the first literary works to feature a zombie-like creature, predating most modern zombie fiction. 🗸 Many of the supernatural tales in this collection were inspired by Bierce's experiences as a Union soldier during the Civil War, particularly the psychological trauma of combat. 🗸 The book's most famous story, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," has been adapted multiple times, including a critically acclaimed 1962 French short film that won an Academy Award and later aired on The Twilight Zone.