The Haunted Quarters of C.E. Ward: A Guest Post by Christopher Tompkins

C. E. Ward appears as a man who has stepped out of a different time and from another world. And because of that, his ghost stories are always welcome. Ward writes as great authors once did. His love of the English language and its grammar is manifest in every paragraph. His artful use of parts of speech and syntax are refreshing in an era in which adjectives have become endangered species and clauses identify as complete sentences.

Additionally, Ward consciously writes within a tradition. It is not quite enough to say that he is Jamesian, but rather, he is the orthodox Jamesian. (That modifier is intended in its deepest entomological meaning.) Yet, as a mature writer, Ward is not simply another M. R. James mimic, but a figure that has consistently exhibited an individual talent and voice.

A Ghost & Scholars alumnus, Ward has produced four collections of short stories: Vengeful Ghosts (1998), Seven Ghosts and One Other (2010), Malevolent Visitants (2016) and An Unheavenly Host (2022). All of his books have been published through Sarob Press, which means high quality and short supply. In the last decade, Ward has experimented by crafting five novellas. The longer length is employed by the author to great effect in terms of plot, atmosphere and tension. These novellas can be found in two volumes: Legionnaire (2019), a single story, and Ghostly Quarters (2025).

The second volume was printed in a limited edition of 325 copies and sold out rather quickly. As of writing, there are still few copies floating among online vendors. Naturally, there is an inflated price point by this time, but the show is worth the price of admission.

The first quarter, “Promenade Walk,” is a strong opener presenting the reader with an intriguing puzzle of death, revenge, deformity and occult hi-jinx. Incorporating the inherent weirdness of both a Punch and Judy show and an aging waxworks, we follow the reminiscences of the narrator who pays several visits to a seaside town, initially with his parents at ages ten, then sixteen, and finally, as a grown man with his partner. With each succeeding holiday, occurring from the late 1960s to 1990, the town has decayed and dilapidated further. More than once, he is attracted to a closed junk shop, but mysteriously denied entry. As the narrator slowly learns the strange history of the shop and its owners, the story gently flows with increasing tension until the final pages when the character gets his wish with a horrifying result. Ward adds vibrant motifs throughout the story such as the reoccurring vision of first his mother, then his partner Susan, standing away from the store with looks of apprehension. One mustn't expect a neat solution. As with all effective ghost stories, the mystery remains.

As the title of the next story may indicate, “Some Episodes of a Family History” conforms closest to the themes and affectations of the tradition. Though more conventional in approach than the previous tale, it is nonetheless a welcome read due to Ward's erudition and phrasing. As with many of his stories, the writer works within two arcs of time: one in the remoter past, and one closer which affects the main characters. Each period remains comfortably distant from the present day. This technique allows repetitions in tragedy as long as the haunting continues. It is a tragic tale, unrelenting and terrible for those involved.

The best realized story in the collection, “Where His Feet Pass,” traces the history of a set of faulted but sympathetic characters. At the center, the Reverend Giles Rumney is a haunted figure, both by his experiences of the recently-ended world war, and an older and unconfessed sin. Doomed by his cowardice, Rumney is instantly horrified by the sight of a mural within the church of his newly appointed position in the parish at Betton St. Anthony. The painting by an unknown, and probably sinister Renaissance artist, acts as a mirror of the spiritual state of the observer, at turns showing St. Anthony either triumphant over a demon, or terrorized and flailing. This is certainly the collection's most theologically profound tale - the risk of spiritual destruction being the greatest terror. This is ground which Ward, and most other contemporary supernatural writers, seem hesitant or uninterested in exploring. The theme is well-handled here and benefits from a slow build-up afforded by its length.

In comparison with the preceding stories, “Warlock's End,” the final quarter, is a weak closer to the excellent volume. “Lucien Starlight,” the warlock of the title, is more a comic book villain than a ghostly menace. The narrative has the feel of a Hammer film which surely the author knowingly incorporated. Interestingly, the story contains characters from a few of Ward's previous short stories and perhaps the concept may have performed better in that format. Nonetheless, it is an entertaining ride with some genuinely nice touches.

Of course, nothing is perfect. Ward demonstrates his “ticks,” that is, the overuse of certain words or phrases: “impedimenta,” “momento mori,” and an archaic use of “remove.” This can be quite distracting and may momentarily pull the reader out of the narrative. Some of his bogies, such as the one found in “Where His Feet Pass,” are described in detail that is too reminiscent of James's specters. Depth of character development is variable. Admittedly, these are mostly minor complaints.

In regard to writing longer stories, Ward once wrote, “ . . . it just isn't easy to sustain either interest or atmosphere in such a specialist field as the ghost story beyond ten to twelve thousand words.” Yet, in tackling the novella format, Ward has succeeded beautifully in the goal of writing a longer, better ghost story. He has accomplished that difficult task more than once.

The above quote comes from the author's introduction to Legionnaire, perhaps his greatest work to date. That excellent story deserves more space on a different day.

(Christopher Tompkins)