The complete Encyclopaedia Britannica; articles provide good introductions to topics and background for research papers.
Rampaging, driven, killing machines. Soulless and dead. Infected and infectious. Zombies. The epidemic of the living dead is stronger than ever in today's pop-culture, but long before exotic viruses, biological warfare, and sinister military experiments brought the dead back to life in our cinemas and on our television screens, there were the dark spells and incantations of the ancient Egyptians, the Sumerians, and the Babylonians.
The concept of ghosts has been an ongoing and universal element in human culture as far back as recorded history can document. In more modern popular culture and entertainment, ghosts are a popular mainstay--from A Christmas Carol and Casper the Friendly Ghost to The Amityville Horror, Ghostbusters, Poltergeist, The Sixth Sense, and Ghost Whisperer. This book comprehensively examines ghost and spirit phenomena in all its incarnations to provide readers with a holistic perspective on the subject . (Syndetics, 2017)
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Encyclopedias and Handbooks
Encyclopedias and handbooks are also good for overviews on a subject. Encyclopedias can be general, covering many topics, or subject specific. Handbooks are usually on one subject. Encyclopedia entries are usually short enough to read for an overview. Handbook entries tend to be longer, but are thorough.
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The Encyclopedia of the Gothic by 
