The Ghost Pirates

In 'The Ghost Pirates', William Hope Hodgson seems to be working at slightly longer length in this novel when compared to some of his other books. And in contrast to some of his shorter novels, the weirdness quotient doesn’t ramp up all that quickly here, though he keeps saying “Something truly uncanny then happened…” and then it’s only slightly odd – nothing hair-raising the way it was in 'The Boats of the Glen Carrig', for example. Mind you, it shares that story’s load of naval proto-technobabble and I kept thinking of Edmund Blackadder’s encounter with Sir Walter Raleigh “and his Golden BeHind”. And guess what? The ghosts turned out to be pirates at the end, after all! (Or was it that the pirates were ghosts?) show more Hodgson pulls another reveal out of the hat in this one; the narrator turns out to have his mate’s ticket, but that hardly really influences what happens even though the ship’s captain suggests it might. The story ends very suddenly. All die. O the embarrassment (as Joe Haldeman once wrote). show less

I first read this book in the '80s and had fond memories of it. Having just re-read it (Dec 09), I was pleasantly surprised that it was every bit as good as I remembered it.

Having been published in 1905, this is not a graphic horror story, rather it is an atmospheric supernatural tale that builds tension through hints and suggestions; half-seen, half-imagined horrors. That the author, Hodgson, was in the British Navy for several years adds to the realism of his depiction of life aboard a sailing ship of the early 20th century, although his use of some technical naval terms does get you running for the dictionary.

On the whole, a very enjoyable read. Ghosts and pirates: it does what it says on the tin!

I always did like a horror tale wherein the main character is a completely normal guy dealing with abnormal circumstances.This was a good, spooky read. Told completely from the point of of the sole survivor, no explanation is given for the strange events that befall the cursed sailing vessel. It's a quick read with reasonably good pacing. I'd agree with other reviewers here in that this is the archetypal ghost story.I was happy to have downloaded this for free on my Kindle, because - being from the point of view of a common 19th century sailor - I needed a bit of help to get through the nautical lingo.

A vintage ghost story set at sea. There were a lot of nautical terms that went over my head, but not so many as to make me feel lost in the narrative. Perfect for when you want an older ghost story but feel like a change a scene from the more usual haunted house.

Great ghost story. Hodgson puts you on the ship. Great story and characters.

Hodgson is easily one of my favorites. Someone needs to publish an edition of this book that includes a glossary of nautical terms and an accompanying diagram of a ship.

3.5 stars