The Almost Complete Collection of True Singapore Ghost Stories (also True Singapore Ghost Stories or TSGS) is the bestselling book series in Singapore. With over 1.5 million copies sold, the series has become a household name since its inception in 1989. Russell Lee, the pseudonym for a group of Singaporean authors, compiles reports, stories and interviews about the supernatural. Light and entertaining, each book, which comprises about 30 stories, appeals to both children and mature readers. The latest book in the series, True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 27, was released in 2023.
Most of the stories take place in Asia but some take place in other parts of the world. Lee also includes articles about the paranormal, featuring detailed investigations into the occult, witchcraft, vampires and other similar topics. The books are sold in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and some other neighbouring countries.
Under the Russell Lee brand, ghost story authors has been contributing articles and stories about the supernatural since 1989.
Books Below are a list of books published under the series:
The Complete List S/N Book Year Published 1 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 1 19892 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 2 1992 3 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 3 1994 4 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 4 1994 5 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 5 1995 6 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 6 1995 7 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 7 1995 8 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 8 1996 9 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 9 1997 10 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 10 1999 11 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 11 2003 12 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 12 2004 13 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 13 2005 14 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 14 2006 15 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 15 2006 16 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 16 2007 17 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 17 2007 18 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 18 2008 19 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 19 2009 20 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 20 2010 21 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 21 2011 22 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 22 2012 23 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 23 2013 24True Singapore Ghost Stories 25th Year Special Edition 2014 25 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 24 2015 26 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 25 2017 27 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 26 2020 28 True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 27 2023
Television series A 13-part TV series, True Singapore Ghost Stories, has been produced by I-Media Entertainment in Singapore.
USS Collaboration In 2015, Russell Lee and Universal Studios Singapore collaborated in the production of Halloween Horror Nights at Resorts World Sentosa. Stories and characters from the book series were used in the month-long event. It was like experiencing True Singapore Ghost Stories with a Hollywood twist.
Reception According to the Singapore Book of Records, the True Singapore Ghost Stories is the best-selling local series by a team of writers, and the all-time best-selling local book series, in Singapore.
The Straits Times mentions "Russell Lee’s True Singapore Ghost Stories has been a mainstay on Singapore bestseller lists since they hit shelves in 1989. The material is just so incredibly rich... You just want to read on". While the South China Morning Post stated that "Russell Lee is Singapore’s most popular writer by a long stretch. His prose is clear and his titles snappy." The Star reports that "True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 1 is Singapore’s all-time number one bestseller". However, the brand has been criticized for blatant misinformation in their reading articles, which the authors attempted to deflect by claiming the books are not meant for research but for fun reading. For instance, in the earlier books, the authors claimed that Satanism is literal Devil worship and that the Necronomicon is a real book.
References
External links True Singapore Ghost Stories on the Flame Of The Forest website