Book excerpt: They are the fearful images that have stalked humanity’s nightmares for centuries, supernatural creatures that feast on flesh and haunt the soul, macabre and uncanny beings that frighten and fascinate the imagination. Vampires, Zombies, Werewolves, and Ghosts collects classic stories from literary masters inspired by folklore and mythology who dared to explore the darker side of human nature and crafted tales that defied convention, stirred up controversy, and gave life to a storytelling genre that has endured for generations. With stories by Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, Henry James, Anne Sexton, Oscar Wilde, Yvonne Navarro, Fritz Leiber, Ramsey Campbell, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Angela Carter, and others…