The Unsettled Dust was first published as a collection in 1990. Aickman received the British Fantasy Award for ‘The Stains’.
Aickman’s ‘strange stories’ are constructed immaculately, the neuroses of his characters painted in subtle shades. He builds dread by the steady accrual of realistic detail, until the reader realizes that the protagonist is heading towards their doom as if in a dream.
Curiouser and Curiouser
All of Aickman’s tales (he wrote 48 in all) include some kind of supernatural element. ‘Pages from a Young Girl’s Journal’ is a vampire story, ‘Ringing the Changes’ is a zombie story,...
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