M.R. James' "Number 13" Film Online

A short film based on M.R. James' "Number 13," originally printed in his 1904 collection Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, is available for viewing on Youtube in five parts. It is a classic and elegant piece of spectral fiction exemplifying the typical Jamesian elements of style and mature storytelling. Fortunately, this television adaption of the short story, which originally appeared in Britain on their channel BBC 4, does James' piece great justice.

Though lesser known today in weird fiction and wider literature, M.R. James is considered an enduring master of the ghost story. Clark Ashton Smith and H.P. Lovecraft were among his admirers, and the latter praised James' stylistic innovations and antiquarian settings in his scholarly piece, "Supernatural Horror in Literature." Ramsey Campbell, a well known contemporary author of British horror and Cthulhu Mythos fiction, is also a great admirer of M.R. James.

See the full BBC adaption through Dr. Markway's Channel on Youtube, or through the five parts below. Each one is about ten minutes, and the full picture runs about an hour in length:

• Part I
• Part II
• Part III
• Part IV
• Part V

-Grim Blogger