M. R. James books in order
20th century British author, medievalist scholar and provost
- Lived
- 1862–1936
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Books
- 30
M. R. James published 2 novels, 1 novella, 14 short story collections, 5 non-fiction books and 8 other books, beginning with Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1904). The best-known is Collected Ghost Stories (1931).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with M. R. James
Start here
Collected Ghost Stories
M. R. James's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
The Five Jars (1922)
The Evil Image (1981)
Novellas in order
A Thin Ghost and Others (1919)
Short story collections in order
More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1911)
The Best Ghost Stories (1919)
Collected Ghost Stories (1931)
Ghost Stories (1956)
Great Short Stories of the World (1972)
The Nightmare Reader (1973)
Great Short Tales of Mystery and Terror (1982)
Chamber of Horrors (1984)
The Penguin Book of Horror Stories (1984)
The Penguin Complete Ghost Stories of M.r. James (1984)
Young Ghosts (1985)
Charles Keeping's Book of Classic Ghost Stories (1986)
Non-fiction in order
Apocrypha Anecdota (1893)
The Fourth Book of Ezra (1895)
The Manuscripts in the Library at Lambeth Palace (1900)
The Apocryphal New Testament (1924)
Suffolk and Norfolk (1930)
Other books in order
The Verses Formerly Inscribed on Twelve Windows in the Choir of Canterbury Cathedral (1901)
The Western Manuscripts in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge, Volume 3 (1902)
The Lost Apocrypha of the Old Testament (1920)
Lists of Manuscripts Formerly Owned by Dr. John Dee (1921)
Abbeys (1925)
The Apocalypse in Art (1931)
Alfred Hitchcock Presents 12 Stories They Wouldn't Let Me Do on Tv (1964)
The Ghost Stories of M.r. James (1973)
Free to read
All free classics
About M. R. James
Montague Rhodes James was an English medievalist scholar and author who served as provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905–1918) and of Eton College (1918–1936), as well as vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge (1913–1915). James's scholarly work is still highly regarded, but he is best remembered for his ghost stories, which are considered by many critics and authors as the finest in the English language and widely influential on modern horror.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
M. R. James FAQ
- How many books has M. R. James written?
- M. R. James published 2 novels, 1 novella, 14 short story collections, 5 non-fiction books and 8 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read M. R. James's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Collected Ghost Stories.
- What is M. R. James's last book?
- Collected Ghost Stories (1931).
- What is M. R. James's most famous book?
- Collected Ghost Stories (1931) is M. R. James's most widely read book.
- Can I read M. R. James's books for free?
- Yes. 7 books by M. R. James are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like M. R. James
Ambrose Bierce
Also wrote short stories and children's books
Edgar Allan Poe
Also wrote children's books and horror
Rudyard Kipling
Also wrote children's books and short stories
Kenneth Grahame
Also wrote children's books and short stories
Louisa May Alcott
Also wrote children's books and short stories
Arthur Machen
Also wrote horror and short stories
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.