The Open Window
| First published | September 1928 |
|---|---|
| Type | Short Fiction |
| Length | Short Story |
Synopsis
A girl decides to have some fun with a visitor by convincing him that he's hearing ghosts. He flees.
Notes
Borderline genre; the haunting in "The Open Window" isn't real, but it's included in plenty of anthologies of ghost stories anyway. You might say it's a story about ghost stories. First published in The Westminster Gazette, November 18, 1911.
External Links
Publications (142)
| Date | Publication | Publisher | Type | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 1928 | Great Short Stories of Detection, Mystery and Horror | Gollancz | Anthology | 761 |
| 1929 | The Omnibus of Crime | Harcourt, Brace & Company | Anthology | 714 |
| April 1929 | Great Short Stories of Detection, Mystery and Horror | Gollancz | Anthology | 761 |
| August 1929 | The Omnibus of Crime | Payson & Clarke | Anthology | 714 |
| May 1930 | Great Short Stories of Detection, Mystery and Horror | Gollancz | Anthology | 761 |
| September 1930 | Great Short Stories of Detection, Mystery and Horror | Gollancz | Anthology | 761 |
| August 1931 | Great Short Stories of Detection, Mystery and Horror | Gollancz | Anthology | 761 |
| June 1932 | Great Short Stories of Detection, Mystery and Horror | Gollancz | Anthology | 761 |
| January 1933 | Great Short Stories of Detection, Mystery and Horror | Gollancz | Anthology | 761 |
| December 1933 | Great Short Stories of Detection, Mystery and Horror | Gollancz | Anthology | 761 |
| 1937 | The Haunted Omnibus | Farrar & Rinehart | Anthology | 537 |
| 1937 | The Haunted Omnibus | Oxford | Anthology | 537 |
| 1937 | The Haunted Omnibus | Cassell | Anthology | 537 |
| 1937 | The Omnibus of Crime | Garden City Publishing Co. | Anthology | 714 |
| 1939 | Great Ghost Stories of the World: The Haunted Omnibus | Garden City Publishing Co. | Anthology | 537 |
| July 1939 | Great Short Stories of Detection: Part II, Mystery and Horror | Gollancz | Anthology | |
| August 1941 | The Pocket Book of Mystery Stories | Pocket Books | Anthology | |
| 1944 | Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural | Modern Library | Anthology | 854 |
| 1944 | Famous Ghost Stories | Modern Library | Anthology | 186 |
| 1945 | Best Ghost Stories | Faber and Faber | Anthology | 257 |
| September 1945 | A Saki Sampler | Superior Reprint / The Military Service Publishing Co. | Collection | 72 |
| 1946 | The Mandrake Root | Jarrolds | Anthology | 116 |
| 1946 | The Mandrake Root | Progress Books | Anthology | 116 |
| 1946 | The Mandrake Root | Universal Distributors | Anthology | 116 |
| 1947 | Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural | Hammond, Hammond & Co. | Anthology | 667 |
| 1947 | Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural | Modern Library | Anthology | 854 |
| January 1947 | Great Short Stories of Detection: Part II, Mystery and Horror | Gollancz | Anthology | |
| 1948 | Short Stories | Oxford Book Co. | Anthology | |
| July 1951 | Argosy, July 1951 | The Amalgamated Press | MAGAZINE | 57 |
| 1953 | Tales to Be Told in the Dark: A Selection of Stories from the Great Authors, Arranged for Reading and Telling Aloud | Dodd, Mead & Co. | Anthology | 239 |
| 1953 | The Week-End Book of Ghost Stories | Ives Washburn | Anthology | 13 |
| 1953 | Tales to Be Told in the Dark | Faber and Faber | Anthology | 197 |
| March 1953 | Children of Wonder: 21 Remarkable and Fantastic Tales | Simon & Schuster | Anthology | 173 |
| July 1953 | Children of Wonder: 21 Remarkable and Fantastic Tales | Simon & Schuster / SFBC | Anthology | 173 |
| 1954 | Short Story Masterpieces | Dell | Anthology | |
| June 1954 | Outsiders: Children of Wonder | Permabooks | Anthology | 190 |
| 1956 | Famous Ghost Stories | Modern Library | Anthology | 186 |
| 1957 | Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural | Hammond, Hammond & Co. | Anthology | 667 |
| February 1957 | Best Ghost Stories | Faber and Faber | Anthology | 257 |
| 1959 | Tall Short Stories | Simon & Schuster | Anthology | 40 |
| 1959 | Modern Tales of Mystery and Detection | Hamish Hamilton | Anthology | 105 |
| 1959 | Tall Stories | Faber and Faber | Anthology | |
| 1960 | Horror Stories from Tales to Be Told in the Dark | Ballantine Books | Anthology | 103 |
| 1960 | Tall Short Stories | Ace Star | Anthology | 42 |
| 1960 | Best Ghost Stories | Faber and Faber | Anthology | 257 |
| January 1961 | Help!, #6 January 1961 | General Promotions Co. | MAGAZINE | 37 |
| 1962 | Famous Ghost Stories | Vintage Books | Anthology | |
| 1962 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents Ghost Stories for Young People | Golden Records | Anthology | |5 |
| 1963 | Stories of the Supernatural | Macfadden-Bartell | Anthology | 16 |
| 1964 | Tales to Be Told in the Dark: A Selection of Stories from the Great Authors, Arranged for Reading and Telling Aloud | Dodd, Mead & Co. | Anthology | 239 |
| 1964 | Best Ghost Stories | Faber and Faber | Anthology | 257 |
| 1965 | A Red Skeleton in Your Closet | Grosset & Dunlap | Anthology | 69 |
| January 1965 | Horror Stories from Tales to Be Told in the Dark | Ballantine Bal-Hi | Anthology | 103 |
| March 1965 | Humor Horror and the Supernatural | Scholastic Book Services | Collection | 58 |
| August 1965 | Owls' Watch | Fawcett Crest | Anthology | 88 |
| March 1966 | Incredible Tales | Dell | Collection | 185 |
| October 1966 | Thin Air: An Anthology of Ghost Stories | Blackie | Anthology | 211 |
| 1967 | Stories of the Supernatural | Macfadden-Bartell | Anthology | 16 |
| 1967 | Thin Air: An Anthology of Ghost Stories | Blackie | Anthology | 211 |
| May 1967 | Tales to Be Told in the Dark | Faber and Faber | Anthology | 197 |
| November 1967 | Terribly Strange Tales | Macrae Smith Company | Anthology | 151 |
| November 1967 | Terribly Strange Tales | Macrae Smith Company | Anthology | 151 |
| January 1968 | Humor Horror and the Supernatural | Scholastic Book Services | Collection | 58 |
| January 1968 | Stories and Storytellers | Addison-Wesley | Anthology | 154 |
| January 1969 | Horror Stories from Tales to Be Told in the Dark | Ballantine Bal-Hi | Anthology | 103 |
| October 1969 | Horror Stories from Tales to Be Told in the Dark | Ballantine Bal-Hi | Anthology | 103 |
| September 1970 | Humor Horror and the Supernatural | Scholastic Book Services | Collection | 58 |
| 1971 | Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural | Hammond, Hammond & Co. | Anthology | 667 |
| August 1971 | Incredible Tales | Dell Laurel-Leaf | Collection | 185 |
| 1972 | Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural | Hammond, Hammond & Co. | Anthology | 667 |
| January 1972 | Thin Air | Blackie | Anthology | 211 |
| January 1972 | Humor Horror and the Supernatural | Scholastic Book Services | Collection | 58 |
| October 1972 | The Ghostly Hand and Other Haunting Stories | Scholastic Book Services | Anthology | 80 |
| October 1973 | Short Story Masterpieces | Dell Laurel | Anthology | 346 |
| 1974 | A Little Night Reading: Twenty Tales of Horror and the Supernatural | Roger Schlesinger | Anthology | 61 |
| March 1974 | Stories of the Supernatural | Manor Books | Anthology | 20 |
| December 1974 | Humor Horror and the Supernatural | Scholastic Book Services | Collection | 58 |
| September 1975 | A Little Night Reading | Orbit / Futura | Anthology | 61 |
| 1976 | Ghosts and Ghastlies | Franklin Watts | Anthology | 105 |
| 1976 | Cries of Terror | Arrow Books | Anthology | 28 |
| 1976 | The Complete Works of Saki | Doubleday | Omnibus | 259 |
| 1977 | Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural | Book Club Associates | Anthology | 667 |
| 1978 | Short Stories | J. M. Dent | Collection | 181 |
| 1978 | Ten Ghost Stories | Hodder & Stoughton | Anthology | 1 |
| 1979 | 65 Great Tales of the Supernatural | Octopus Books | Anthology | 587 |
| 1979 | Fun Phantoms: Tales of Ghostly Entertainment | Lothrop, Lee & Shepard | Anthology | 122 |
| 1979 | Fun Phantoms: Tales of Ghostly Entertainment | Lothrop, Lee & Shepard | Anthology | 122 |
| 1980 | 65 Great Tales of the Supernatural | Sundial | Anthology | 587 |
| 1981 | Weird Worlds, #8 | Scholastic | MAGAZINE | 24 |
| 1981 | Twenty-Two Tales | The Franklin Library | Anthology | 365 |
| 1982 | Tales of Imagination and Suspense | Silver Burdett Press | Anthology | 113 |
| 1982 | The Complete Saki | Penguin Books | Omnibus | 259 |
| 1982 | 65 Great Tales of the Supernatural | Octopus Books / Marks and Spencer | Anthology | 587 |
| 1982 | Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural | Hutchinson | Anthology | 667 |
| 1982 | 65 Great Tales of the Supernatural | Octopus Books | Anthology | 587 |
| 1983 | The Best of Saki | Picador | Collection | 147 |
| 1985 | Short Stories | J. M. Dent | Collection | 181 |
| 1985 | Great Ghost Stories | Little Simon | Anthology | 39 |
| 1985 | Great Ghost Stories | Julian Messner | Anthology | 39 |
| 1992 | Great Vampires & Other Horrors | Chancellor Press | Anthology | 482 |
| 1993 | The Complete Stories of Saki | Wordsworth Editions | Omnibus | 186 |
| September 1993 | Tales of the Living Dead | Checkerboard Press | Anthology | 35 |
| 1994 | Campfire Thrillers: The Short and Scary Ones | Globe Pequot Press | Anthology | 67 |
| 1994 | Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural | Modern Library | Anthology | 818 |
| October 1994 | The Norton Book of Ghost Stories | W. W. Norton & Company | Anthology | 269 |
| October 1994 | Tales of Terror and the Supernatural | Bracken Books | Anthology | 499 |
| October 1994 | Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural | Modern Library | Anthology | 818 |
| November 1994 | The Norton Book of Ghost Stories | W. W. Norton / BOMC | Anthology | 269 |
| May 1995 | Beasts and Super-Beasts | Project Gutenberg | Collection | |
| October 1995 | Ghost Stories | Penguin Audio | Anthology | |
| 1996 | Tales of Terror and the Supernatural: A Classic Collection | Leopard | Anthology | 499 |
| 1997 | Crew's 13: Classic Tales of the Macabre & Fantastic | ABC Books (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) | Anthology | 57 |
| May 1998 | The Complete Saki | Penguin Books | Omnibus | 259 |
| September 1999 | The Open Door and Other Ghost Stories | Phoenix | Anthology | 242 |
| October 2000 | Saki: The Complete Short Stories | Penguin Books | Collection | 259 |
| 2002 | Great Vampire Stories | Chancellor Press | Anthology | 482 |
| September 2008 | Ghost Stories | Alfred A. Knopf | Anthology | 145 |
| September 2008 | Ghost Stories | Alfred A. Knopf | Anthology | 145 |
| August 2009 | Short Ghost and Horror Story Collection 5 | LibriVox | Anthology | |9 |
| April 2012 | The Mandrake Root | Kosta Press | Anthology | |
| September 2012 | The Big Book of Ghost Stories | Vintage Crime / Black Lizard / Vintage Books | Anthology | 594 |
| October 2012 | Cries of Terror | Bloomsbury Reader | Anthology | |
| October 2012 | Short Ghost and Horror Story Collection 18 | LibriVox | Anthology | |10 |
| December 2012 | The Big Book of Ghost Stories | Vintage Crime / Black Lizard / Vintage Books | Anthology | |594 |
| 2013 | Before Weird Tales: Early 20th Century Stories of Horror and the Supernatural | Sam Teddy Publishing | Anthology | |
| July 2013 | Short Ghost and Horror Story Collection 21 | LibriVox | Anthology | |16 |
| July 2013 | The Dog Megapack: 25 Curly Canine Tales, Old and New | Borgo Press / Wildside Press | Anthology | 580 |
| September 2015 | Ghostly | Vintage (UK) | Anthology | |
| September 2015 | Ghostly | Vintage (UK) | Anthology | |
| September 2015 | Ghostly | Knopf Canada | Anthology | |
| October 2015 | Ghostly: A Collection of Ghost Stories | Scribner | Anthology | 359 |
| October 2015 | Ghostly | Scribner | Anthology | |
| March 2016 | Great Ghost Stories: 101 Terrifying Tales | Fall River Press | Anthology | 461 |
| June 2017 | HorrorBabble's Classic Horror: Volume 1 | HorrorBabble | Anthology | |2 |
| June 2017 | HorrorBabble's Classic Horror: Volume 1 | HorrorBabble | Anthology | |2 |
| September 2018 | Ghostly | Vintage (UK) | Anthology | |
| September 2019 | Spectral Tales: Classic Ghost Stories | Warbler Classics | Anthology | 258 |
| 2020 | John Landis Presents Haunted Houses: Classic Stories of Doors That Should Never Be Opened | DK Publishing | Anthology | |
| June 2020 | The Big Book of Ghost Stories | Highbridge / Recorded Books | Anthology | |594 |
| July 2020 | John Landis Presents Haunted Houses: Classic Stories of Doors That Should Never Be Opened | DK Publishing | Anthology | 403 |
| September 2021 | 25 Unmissable Horror Stories | HorrorBabble | Anthology | |15 |
| October 2023 | Ghostly | Scribner | Anthology |