Railroad Graham Masterton is a fantasy book that brings together imagination, magic, and extraordinary worlds. It is a good fit for readers who enjoy imaginative settings, unusual characters, and stories that move beyond the ordinary.
Railroad by Graham Masterton is in the public domain, so you can read it online here in short, easy pages or save a copy for your phone, tablet or computer.
From "one of the few true masters" an epic novel of ambition and corruption inspired by the nineteenth century railroad tycoon Collis P. Huntington (James Herbert).
Originally published under the title A Man of Destiny, Graham Masterton's saga "runs spike-by-tie with historical fact" as it follows the eventful life of Collis Edmonds, a man determined to become rich and powerful by any means necessary (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
In 1857, Collis arrives in San Francisco without a friend or a penny to his name. But he will win and lose plenty of both as he works relentlessly toward his vision of an iron-horse empire. An arrogant, hard-drinking cad prone to gambling and womanizing, Collis is also charismatic, cunning, and ingenious in his pursuit of wealth. But what happened to make Collis Edmonds the man he is today? And what has he lost that has made him so corrupt?
Based on the true story of Collis P. Huntington,...
You can read Railroad by Graham Masterton pdf online or download for free for offline reading.
About Graham Masterton
Graham Masterton is a British author best known for horror fiction, supernatural thrillers, and suspense novels that explore humanity's deepest fears. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on January 16, 1946, Masterton built an international readership through stories featuring terrifying supernatural forces, ancient legends, mysterious creatures, and ordinary people caught in extraordinary situations. His fiction often combines traditional horror with modern settings, allowing familiar streets, homes, workplaces, and communities to become places of unimaginable danger. He is particularly known for creating disturbing imagery, unexpected twists, and situations that challenge the boundary between the natural and supernatural worlds. Readers who enjoy frightening stories with imaginative premises, fast-moving plots, and unsettling revelations frequently explore his extensive bibliography. Masterton has also written crime fiction, thrillers, historical fiction, and nonfiction, demonstrating a range that extends beyond horror alone.
Early Life and Literary Career
Before becoming widely known as a novelist, Graham Masterton worked in journalism and magazine publishing. His early professional experience gave him an understanding of how to attract readers, communicate information clearly, and maintain interest across a long narrative. He later established himself as a prolific writer whose books reached audiences in multiple countries. His early horror novel The Manitou, published in 1976, became one of his best-known works and helped establish his reputation for combining supernatural terror with contemporary storytelling.
The Manitou introduces a frightening conflict involving an ancient spiritual force and modern medical circumstances. The contrast between modern science and an inexplicable supernatural threat became an effective way to create tension. Medical professionals and ordinary people are confronted with events that cannot easily be explained through familiar knowledge, forcing them to consider possibilities that seem impossible. This mixture of everyday realism and supernatural danger is characteristic of much of Masterton's horror fiction.
Horror That Challenges Everyday Reality
One of Masterton's strengths is his ability to make ordinary surroundings feel threatening. Horror often becomes more effective when it begins in a recognizable environment rather than a distant fantasy world. A familiar building, an apparently harmless object, or an unexplained incident can become the starting point for a chain of events that grows increasingly disturbing. Readers are drawn into the story because the initial circumstances seem plausible enough to imagine happening nearby, even when the later developments are entirely supernatural.
Masterton frequently draws on myths, legends, folklore, and religious traditions to create his fictional threats. These sources provide an extensive collection of frightening ideas, from ancient spirits and...Read More