Originating in the British folktale and with an occasional infusion of gothic horror or fantasy, the stories of A.E. Coppard (1878-1957) still feel fresh and surprising today. Believing that short fiction is quite different from novels, Coppard came to the short story in midlife, penning two dozen books of tales. Spanning his career, the 15 tales here include "The Black Dog," "The Handsome Lady," "Ring the Bells of Heaven," and "The Higgler." Coppard's writing has earned the praise of Eudora Welty, Robert Frost, and Ford Madox Ford, and Pulitzer Prize finalist Russell Banks provides a substantial preface to this edition.