Phantasmagoria, Lewis Carroll's longest poem, was first published by Macmillan and Co., London, in 1869. Written in seven cantos, it tells the tale, in quintains, of a gentleman called Tibbets and his experience conversing with a phantom. This amusing "epic" takes us through their initial fear of each other, a fierce debate over the goings-on of the supernatural world, and finally, to a touching mutual admiration.

The landmark new novel from Ross Welford, one of the fastest-growing and most critically acclaimed middle grade authors in the UK, this funny, moving and brilliant sixth book cements his position as the most exciting storyteller around for readers of 10+.When eleven-year-old Malky and his younger brother Seb become the owners of a “Dreaminator”, they are thrust into worlds beyond their wildest imagination.From tree-top flights and Spanish galleons, to thril...

One of Dickens' best loved short stories, The Signalman is the mysterious tale of a railway worker haunted by premonitions of disaster. The titular signalman works on a remote and forbidding part of the line, and finds himself with an unexpected visitor in the form of a tourist (the story's narrator), but the travelling man is not the only stranger the signalman encounters at his post. Part supernatural horror and part phycological thriller, this entertaining short is a paragon of the Vict...

Eleven years after its original publication, this is the third edition of D’Lacey’s cult hit, containing an introduction by Michael Wilson and a brand-new foreword by the author.In Abyrne, a strange town surrounded by a wasteland, the eating of meat is a sacred obligation. The town’s strict laws are brutally enforced by a ruthless Baron and a merciless Bishop. Adored by the townsfolk is Richard Shanti, Abyrne’s famous bolt-gunner – the most efficient slaughterhouse worker in living...

The world needs a hero, but all it got is Breed. Leaving the Empire to face the wrath of an angry demon and its infernal hordes, Breed takes a ship and flees to Shen. With pockets full of gold, the hammer of the Hammer of the North, a crate of whiskey, and a conscience unburdened by guilt, life doesn't get any better, does it? Well, yes, it does, but it gets a lot worse first. No matter how fast Breed runs, trouble is never far behind. Charged by an ancient power to find a way to stop Shal...

This collection of short stories by Anton Chekhov are all set at Christmastime. Rather than depicting a sentimental image of Christmas, Chekhov paints a picture of the harsh reality faced by many of the poorer members of society during a bitter Russian winter, while still injecting elements of pathos and humour. This collection includes "At Christmas Time (Parts 1 & 2)", "Vanka" and "The Shoemaker and the Devil".

The astonishing, beautiful new story for all readers of 10 and over from the bestselling and Costa-shortlisted author of TIME TRAVELLING WITH A HAMSTER.There are stories about people who want to live forever.This is not one of those stories.This is a story about someone who wants to stop…Alfie Monk is like any other nearly teenage boy – except he’s 1,000 years old and can remember the last Viking invasion of England.Obviously no one believes him....

The stunning new 10+ story from the bestselling and award-winning author of TIME TRAVELLING WITH A HAMSTER, for anyone who loved the humour of WALL-E, the action of STAR WARS and the deeply touching emotion of ET.A small village in the wilds of Northumberland is rocked by the disappearance of twelve-year-old Tammy. Only her twin brother, Ethan, knows she is safe – and the extraordinary truth of where she is. It is a secret he must keep, or risk never seeing her aga...

After half-killing Mother Blake's murderer, Breed is obliged to repay a debt to a powerful Prince of the Midnight Court.Armed with little more than a bad attitude, and partnered with a feckless sorcerer and an arrogant, gang enforcer, Breed sets sail for the land of Voskva.They say, no good deed goes unpunished.And damn them, they were right.No Good Deed is the fifth book in The Chronicles of Breed

There is a saying amongst the killers of the Midnight Court, when rivals cross paths, blades always follow.Shey Jing is an honourable warrior, Sebastian Schiller a louche, schism touched bounty hunter known as 'the Mosquito'.They are given a simple choice when they cross paths with the Roach King; work together or die together.But simple isn't easy when two people hate each other.Thrown together by capricious Fate, the arrachid and the Mosquito must overcome ...

This short story by Fyodor Dostoevsky was first published in 1848. A man walking past a wedding is reminded of a children's New Year's Eve party he attended 5 years previously – a party that was clearly an excuse for the parents to make advantageous connections in a casual setting. As an outsider at the party, he was able to observe the guests in greater detail than most, and took particular note of the children playing by the Christmas tree, and the social hierarchy they unwittingly parti...

They say that no good deed goes unpunished. It turns out, they were right.Breed saved a world, killed a demon, destroyed the gods that made it, and then went home.It was time to rest, perchance to die.But as any fool knows, there is no rest for the wicked.No one is going anywhere until an old friend is dead, an old enemy is saved, and hot or cold vengeance is served.The battle is over, now the war has begun.