History Main / GhostStory

Not to be confused with [[Literature/GhostStory book 13]] of ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', the Creator/PeterStraub [[Literature/GhostStoryStraub novel]], the Music/{{Coldplay}} album, or the anime called ''Anime/GhostStories''. Super-trope to ScarilySpecificStory.

A common variation is for a parent -- who may also be a NightmareFuelStationAttendant, or perhaps simply has no sense of what would be HarmfulToMinors -- to tell their children a story like this right before bedtime, leading to [[NightmareFuel either nightmares]] on the kids' part, or overactive imaginations leading to a hunt for the ghosts like in the main version. In other cases a parent may employ such a story to [[ScareEmStraight scare a misbehaving child into behaving]].

Ah, the classic: everyone's gathered around a campfire, telling spooky stories just in order to see who can freak everyone out the most. Usually, in fiction, the stories will be made up on the spot and even have to do with the location the campers are staying in. Whenever this happens, it often turns into a ghost hunt when someone's fevered imagination takes the story a little too seriously. Whether or not the location actually is haunted varies, but even in cases where there's a rational explanation for the strange occurrences the campers experience, it's common to leave the story with a somewhat jokey MaybeMagicMaybeMundane ending.

Ah, the classic: everyone gathered around a campfire, telling spooky stories just in order to see who can freak everyone out the most. Usually, in fiction, the stories will be made up on the spot and even have to do with the location the campers are staying in. Whenever this happens, it often turns into a ghost hunt when someone's fevered imagination takes the story a little too seriously. Whether or not the location actually is haunted varies, but even in cases where there's a rational explanation for the strange occurrences the campers experience, it's common to leave the story with a somewhat jokey MaybeMagicMaybeMundane ending.

* The page image is from Rea Irvin's cover illustration for the June 16, 1951 [[https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1951/06/16 issue]] of ''Magazine/TheNewYorker''.

[[folder: Stand Up Comedy ]]

* Creator/BillCosby had a routine called "Chicken Heart" about listening to the radio show ''Lights Out!'' while home alone, and having basically the same reaction as from a campfire ghost story.

[[folder:Theater]]

* Creator/BillCosby had a routine called "Chicken Heart" about listening to the radio show ''Lights Out!'' and having basically the same reaction as from a campfire ghost story.

* The page image is from a Rea Irvin cover illustration for the June 16, 1951 [[https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1951/06/16 issue]] of ''Magazine/TheNewYorker''.

[[quoteright:320:[[Magazine/TheNewYorker https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/image_795.jpeg]]]]

* ''Webcomic/KingdomOfLoathing'': Ghost stories are a tradition of recurring holiday Yuletide. Most of these are parodies of urban legends and films, but some are retellings of in-game events in ''[[FauxHorrific spooooky]]'' ways.

Not to be confused with [[Literature/GhostStory book 13]] of ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', the Creator/PeterStraub [[Literature/GhostStoryStraub novel]], or the anime called ''Anime/GhostStories''. Super-trope to ScarilySpecificStory.

Probably the source of the {{Horror}} genre and a lot of UrbanLegends. For that reason, most actual literature that is this genre should probably go on one of those pages, rather than this one, which will restrict its examples to usage as a plot device.

Note that this doesn't ''have'' to take place on a camping trip, and the story itself needn't involve literal ghosts. Any fiction that has the characters trying to scare each other with stories counts.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' used this as a FramingDevice in their early "[[HalloweenEpisode Treehouse Of Horror]]" episodes

Note that this doesn't have to take place on a camping trip. Any fiction that has the characters trying to scare each other with stories counts.

* ''Film/TheGillymuck'': The film starts with a troop leader and her girls sitting around a campfire telling them a ghost story. The girls are... less than impressed.

A common variation is for a parent -- who may also be a NightmareFuelStationAttendant, or perhaps simply has no sense of what would be HarmfulToMinors -- to tell their children a story like this right before bedtime, leading to [[NightmareFuel either nightmares]] on the kids' part, or overactive imaginations leading to a hunt for the ghosts like in the main version. Though sometimes, the justification is that it's used to [[ScareEmStraight scare a misbehaving child into behaving]].

A common variation is for a parent -- who may also be a NightmareFuelStationAttendant, or perhaps simply has no sense of what would be HarmfulToMinors -- to tell their children a story like this right before bedtime, leading to [[NightmareFuel either nightmares]] on the kids' part, or overactive imaginations leading to a hunt for the ghosts like in the main version. Though sometimes, the justification is that it's used to scare a misbehaving child into behaving.

A common variation is to have a parent -- who may also be a NightmareFuelStationAttendant, or perhaps simply has no sense of what would be HarmfulToMinors -- attempt to tell their children a story like this right before bedtime, leading to [[NightmareFuel either nightmares]] on the kids' part, or overactive imaginations leading to a hunt for the ghosts like in the main version. Though sometimes, the justification is that it's used to scare a misbehaving child into behaving.

Ah, the classic -- everyone gathered around a campfire, telling spooky stories just in order to see who can freak everyone out the most. Usually, in fiction, the stories will be made up on the spot and even have to do with the location the campers are staying in. Whenever this happens, it often turns into a ghost hunt when someone's fevered imagination takes the story a little too seriously. Whether or not the location actually is haunted varies, but even in cases where there's a rational explanation for the strange occurrences the campers experience, it's common to leave the story with a somewhat jokey MaybeMagicMaybeMundane ending.

A common variation is for a parent who may also happen to be a NightmareFuelStationAttendant, or perhaps simply has no sense of what would be HarmfulToMinors attempt to tell their children a bedtime story like this right before bed, leading to [[NightmareFuel either nightmares]] on the kids' part, or overactive imaginations leading to a hunt for the ghosts like in the main version. Though sometimes, the justification is that it's used to scare a misbehaving child into behaving.

Ah, the classic -- everyone gathered around a campfire telling stories just in order to see who can freak everyone out the most. Usually, in fiction, the stories will be made up on the spot and even have to do with the location the campers are staying in. Whenever this happens, it often turns into a ghost hunt when someone's fevered imagination takes the story a little too seriously. Whether or not the location actually is haunted varies, but even in cases where there's a rational explanation for the strange occurrences the campers experience, it's common to leave the story with a somewhat jokey MaybeMagicMaybeMundane ending.

Not to be confused with [[Literature/GhostStory book 13]] of ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', the Creator/PeterStraub [[Literature/GhostStoryStraub novel]], or the anime called ''Anime/GhostStories''.

[[quoteright:300:[[Magazine/TheNewYorker https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/image_795.jpeg]]]]