Akin to Poetry

"Robert Aickman was one of the twentieth century's most distinguished and distinctive writers of weird fiction. He believed that supernatural stories should work upon the unconscious mind in a manner 'akin to poetry', and his 'strange tales', as he called them, are personal, elegant and elusive. Perhaps for this reason, they have so far received little of the critical attention they deserve. This book examines eight of Aickman's stories, noting their often indirect cultural and autobiographical allusions, and drawing out at least some of the meaning behind their frequently enigmatic plots." -- back cover blurb.