India, March 21 -- Young King Vikramaditya is tasked with transporting a Vetala that hangs from a tree in an abandoned cemetery. Vikramaditya cuts down the corpse, throws it over his shoulder and starts the return journey. On the way, the corpse-spirit tells him 25 stories, each ending in a question that he must answer, or endure unimaginable pain. But each time the king answers the question, the Vetala is transported back to the tree and the task begins all over again. This retelling by Douglas J Penick narrates the stories, the Vetala's origin tale, and a conclusion to the overarching storyline. It highlights the humour, horror and vitality of these tales of passion, valour, love and deceit. With an introduction by Namita Gokhale that explains the ancient Indian antecedents to these stories that date back to at least the 1st century BCE, this is a treat for fans of Gothic and horror fiction....