Robert Aickman Experiment

[Lawrence Chalmers]

A few years ago on this site I was alerted
to RA. I couldn't afford to get his omnibus edition so I procured
individual ones from
used sources. The collections are THE WINE DARK SEA, COLD HAND IN MINE,
PAINTED DEVILS and NIGHT VISIONS. I started Cold Hand, etc. but never
finished it. I was distracted by
other purchases I made thereafter, so these titles remain unread. Can
anyone recommend 'must read' stories from these collections? I'm very
curious to find out what the excitement about RA is all about.

[Jim]

Post by Lawrence Chalmers
A few years ago on this site I was alerted
to RA.  I couldn't afford to get his omnibus edition so I procured
individual ones from
used sources.  The collections are THE WINE DARK SEA, COLD HAND IN MINE,
PAINTED DEVILS and NIGHT VISIONS. I started Cold Hand, etc. but never
finished it.  I was distracted by
other purchases I made thereafter, so these titles remain unread.  Can
anyone recommend 'must read' stories from these collections?  I'm very
curious to find out what the excitement about RA is all about.

I would start with THE WINE DARK SEA, which I believe is the most
consistently satisfying of the collections you list. The others also
contain some superb stories, but THE WINE DARK SEA strikes me as
exceptionally fine, even though it also contains one of my least
favorite Aickman stories - "Growing Boys". Where to start? One of my
favorites is "The Inner Room", then I would proceed to the more
straightforward "Never Visit Venice", then another mysterious but
powerful tale, "Into the Wood", then on to the disorienting "The
Trains", etc. If you are satisfied with any of those, I suggest
proceeding to "The Hospice" and "The Same Dog" in COLD HAND IN MINE,
and then read at will. Some stories will work powerfully for some
readers, but not "open" for others until they have come to appreciate
the author.

Jim

Jim

[Lawrence Chalmers]

Thanks for your input for the Aickman
collections I have. I'll dig them out now...

Larry