One hundred years ago today, June 27th 1914, Robert Fordyce Aickman was born at 77 Fellows Road in London. Aickman is primarily remembered for two things: his campaign to save the English waterways, and his "strange stories".In Aickman's honor, I plan to re-read one of his strange stories tonight, but the question is which one? There are forty-eight in number, spread out over some seven collections. Shall I chose a favorite? Or a less often re-visited tale?
I think I shall select from Powers of Darkness, solely because it's been a while since I have perused this volume. Shall it be the old favorite, "The Wine-Dark Sea"? Or maybe "The Visiting Star"? Or maybe both. I'll decide later.
Anyone else up for honoring Aickman by reading one of his stories?
For the last couple off weeks, I've been carrying around Richard Dalby's The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories with the hope of rereading "The Unsettled Dust"; now I'll make a point of it!
ReplyDeleteI would go with "The School Friend." For some reason that story always makes me feel somewhat uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteWhile we are on the subject of Aickman, I have a copy of the Autumn 2005 issue of Wormwood, which I bought particularly to get the story "The Fully-Conducted Tour," stated to be by Aickman. It certainly reads like one of his stories, but the issue did not state where the story comes from or why it was published so long after his death. Do you know where it comes from?
Not precisely. It does not come from the large collection of Aickman's papers at Bowling Green. I do not think it reads like Aickman but like a lesser author trying to write an Aickman-styled story. In particular, it does not have the smooth subtleties of Aickman's style and characterization. Some have suggested that is because it is a rejected draft, but that argument doesn't hold water for me, for Aickman always had an immediately at hand surety and facility of expression that seem (to me) lacking in "The Fully-Conducted Tour". Others may disagree, of course.
Delete"The Fully Conducted Tour" originally came to Tartarus Press from an unimpeachable source -- the agents acting on behalf of the Estate of Robert Aickman. We thought it, perhaps, an early draft of a story. In the last few weeks we have been able to consult the original typescript, and it is clear that it was written by Aickman as a short story for broadcast on the radio. More details will follow in the next issue of Wormwwod.
DeleteThanks for writing in, Ray.
DeleteYes, but where does the manuscript come from? Wormwood must have gotten the manuscript from somewhere. A proper examination of the manuscript should provide some evidence of authorship.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. These are issues that need to be addressed properly.
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