Intrusions by Robert AickmanIntrusions by Robert Aickman

Much has been said about the tales of Robert Aickman, but his own simple description I find best, he called them his ‘strange stories’ , and indeed they are.

His practical writing style isn’t unconventional, being for the most part clean and precise; it’s his scenarios and characters that are so strange and unique.

He can at times ramble a bit, and will sometimes devote an entire paragraph to a character’s sister/brother etc. who has no bearing on the story and does not appear again. This isn’t so often as to be distracting though.

This collection is my personal favourite, as apart from ‘Letters to the Postman’ I found the stories far more satisfying than say those of ‘Dark Entries’, whose ambiguities I found somewhat frustrating.

The best story of the collection, in my opinion, being ‘The Fetch’ is also the most conventional, dealing with a familial curse and hinting at some past ancestral crime. The scares themselves are memorable and have a very modern ‘Japanese horror’ feel to them. Another ‘stand out’ is ‘The Breakthrough’ which mixes high weirdness with more than a hint of M.R. James’ provincial sensibilities.

All in all a must-read for fans of the weird who like their tales crafted like abstract paintings.