Calling the Spirits
A History of Seances
Distributed for Reaktion Books
336 pages
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10 color plates, 20 halftones
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5 1/4 x 8 1/4
Review Quotes
Library Journal
"It’s not only fearful fiction that is having a moment. With the world full of real-life terrors, nonfiction writers are also responding. Informational texts about horror have traditionally been limited to local ghost tales or explorations of horror in film. Now, authors are entering new territory that goes beyond the confines of the genre. Morton, the world’s eminent expert on Halloween, has a fascinating new book, Calling the Spirits: A History of Seances, a fun and thorough look at how humans have tried to communicate with the dead over time."
Magonia Review of Books
"Morton is clearly skeptical of most of the claims made for séances and the phenomena of Spiritualism, but presents the claims of those involved in an even-handed manner, whilst also presenting the voices of those, throughout history, who have found no evidence for the reality of any form of postmortem communication. The fascinating history of séances is filled with mystery, deception, self-deception, genuine belief, scientific inquiry, and personal transformation, which is well described in this extremely interesting and readable account."
Alma Katsu, author of "The Deep" and "The Hunger"
"An impressive piece of research. . . . Calling the Spirits is a must-read for anyone fascinated with Spiritualism."
Who Do You Think You Are Magazine
"While Victorian obsessions are the meat of Calling the Spirits, it is bookended by the necromancy of the ancients and modern séances. . . . Morton’s book will interest anyone whose ancestors claimed psychic powers."
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