Compulsory Games

The Helen Brown / Ellen Black story in particular is nightmarish, in that it combines a very specific mix of desire and frustration and guilt. Or maybe that's just my nightmares? There are great, surreal touches through these, and the way Aickman will sometimes show, sometimes tell, and sometimes elide is great. For example, there's a story where two women are picnicking near an abandoned church; the women each look inside the church, are incredibly disturbed by what they see, but WE never see inside, nor is it even a big plot point. Just part of the unsettling atmosphere.

Noted on April 29, 2025

Really great, unsettling short stories. They're not quite horror stories, they're not quite ghost stories. But they are 'things get weird and I feel bad' stories. Honestly they feel like they sit between the Du Maurier short stories, and Whitehead's Voodoo Tales. But they are definitely modern. I think Aickman would like the creepier turns in the Charles Williams novels, too.

Of course, short stories aren't my thing and I always feel like I'm just getting into a rhythm with them when they suddenly stop. But Aickman is obviously good at this.

Noted on April 29, 2025