20th Century Ghosts

20th Century Ghosts is a short story collection written by American author Joe Hill. It was his debut book, first published in 2005 by HarperCollins. Joe Hill is the son of the famous horror writer Stephen King, though he originally published this under his own chosen pen name.

The collection features a variety of horror, dark fantasy, and literary fiction stories, rather than one continuous narrative. Notable entries include "Best New Horror," "The Black Phone," and "Pop Art." Several stories combine supernatural premises with deeply emotional human elements.

Yes, one of the stories from the collection, "The Black Phone," was adapted into a highly successful horror film in 2021 directed by Scott Derrickson. The movie starred Ethan Hawke as a masked child kidnapper. The film's success brought renewed attention to Joe Hill's 2005 book.

While it is primarily categorized as a horror novel, the collection spans several genres including dark fantasy, science fiction, and literary fiction. Joe Hill experiments with weird fiction, making it a highly eclectic read. Some stories feature actual ghosts, while others focus purely on psychological dread.