The Almost Complete Collection of True Singapore Ghost Stories 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, a Singaporean author, 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. 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. Lee stresses that the articles are for reading pleasure, not research. So far, 26 books have been released. Each book has a specific theme and an artwork on the front cover that characterises the book. Russell Lee's latest book is Book 25. Its lead story, The Cat Man, is a tale of how cats inexplicably rally for their hero. Other stories include The Mad Monk, Golden Oldies, and "Nama Saya Iblis". Russell Lee also documents the religious rituals used to "cleanse" homes. The books are sold in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and some other neighbouring countries.
Author
is the author of the series. He has been writing about the supernatural since 1989. Some of his claims are controversial but he writes as one having a great deal of authority.
Books
The latest book in the True Singapore Ghost Stories series is Book 25.
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.
Recognition
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.
"Russell Lee’s True Singapore Ghost Stories has been a mainstay on Singapore bestseller lists since they hit shelves in 1989." - THE STRAITS TIMES "Russell Lee is Singapore’s most popular writer by a long stretch. His prose is clear and his titles snappy." - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST "The Almost Complete Collection Of True Singapore Ghost Stories series continues to capture the imagination of Singaporeans." - THE STRAITS TIMES "The material is just so incredibly rich... You just want to read on." - THE STRAITS TIMES "True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 1 is Singapore’s all-time number one bestseller." - THE STAR "Angsana’s Russell Lee is Singapore’s biggest-selling author by a long, long way!" - THE BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION "The results of a Forbes survey commissioned by the National Library Board show that as many as four out of ten Singaporeans prefer to read horror-ghost stories... the most popular fiction is Russell Lee’s True Singapore Ghost Stories." - THE STRAITS TIMES "The True Singapore Ghost Stories by Russell Lee is to Singapore what manga is to Japan." - THE OFFICIAL SINGAPORE GUIDE & MAP "Angsana’s Russell Lee and his team of ghost writers are highly popular, judging by the number of times that the volumes in the True Singapore Ghost Stories series — published by Flame Of The Forest — have hit the bestseller lists of major bookshops in town since the series was launched in 1989." - THE STRAITS TIMES "Morality and the positive have a firm place in Angsana’s True Singapore Ghost Stories. Good triumphs over evil, always." - THE NEW STRAITS TIMES "The True Singapore Ghost Stories series has put local fiction at the top spot and opened up possibilities for other home-grown stories and authors. Its publisher, Flame Of The Forest Publishing, is a Singaporean English language press that has built its name by publishing Singapore authors. Its books, such as the True Singapore Ghost Stories, speak to the Singapore psyche." - CHANNEL NEWSASIA
