Richard Middleton was an English poet and author, who is remembered mostly for his short ghost stories, in particular The Ghost Ship. Middleton suffered from severe depression, known as melancholia at that time. He spent the last nine months of his life in Brussels, where in December 1911 he took his life by poisoning himself with chloroform, which had been prescribed as a remedy for his condition. An encounter by Middleton with the young Raymond Chandler is said to have influenced the latter to postpone his career as writer. Chandler wrote, "Middleton struck me as having far more talent than I was ever likely to possess; and if he couldn't make a go of it, it wasn't very likely that I could." Check out this seven short stories by this author carefully selected by critic August Nemo: - The Ghost Ship. - A Drama of Youth. - The New Boy. - On the Brighton Road. - A Tragedy in Little. - Sheperd's Boy. - The Passing of Edward.

Esta colección de relatos de Richard Barham Middleton nos presenta una buena muestra del talento literario de un autor poco conocido en lengua española. El cuento que da título a la colección relata la historia acontecida en un pequeño pueblo costero llamado Fairfield, donde sus habitantes están acostumbrados al tránsito de fantasmas de familiares de varias generaciones que conviven con ellos en sus casas. Después de una gran tormenta, un barco fantasma y su tripulación queda encallado en un huerto de nabos. El propietario solo está preocupado por la reprimenda que recibirá de su mujer por haber perdido la cosecha, lo que desencadena una trama cómica y llena de absurdos. El relato tiene un ambiente mágico y de una cierta melancolía, pero de un excelente humor que nos anima a leer más relatos del autor.