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Post by jonathan122 on Feb 21, 2009 17:39:34 GMT
Powers of Darkness - Robert Aickman (First published 1966; Fontana edition 1968)  Fontana edition, 1968Your Tiny Hand is Frozen My Poor Friend The Visiting Star Larger Than Oneself A Roman Question The Wine-Dark Sea "I am still of the opinion that only two topics can be of the least interest to a serious and studious mind - sex and the dead." - W.B. Yeats And yet if you combine the two it's frowned upon. Go figure. Anyway, there isn't a single story in here which is less than excellent, in my opinion. Some highlights... A Roman Question - Plutarch's Question No. 5: "Why are they who have been falsely reported dead in a strange country, although they return home alive, not received nor suffered to enter directly at the doors, but forced to climb up to the tiles of the house, and so to get down into the house from the roof?" Why indeed? Reluctantly attending a conference in Birmingham, the Wakefields find themselves billeted for the weekend in the house of Major and Mrs Peevers, along with a young, near-silent girl called Deirdre. The Peevers's son Harry went missing during the War, but Deirdre thinks she knows how to bring him back home. All she needs is a horse's eye and some sugar...
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Post by David A. Riley on Mar 15, 2009 20:12:58 GMT
 I managed to get a copy of this first edition, Collins, 1966, at a carboot sale for a staggering 10p several years ago. The slight wrinkles are the transparent cover I have protected its dustjacket with. This is a letter I received from Robert Aickman, in which he accepted being Guest of Honour at Fantasycon 1976, for which I was the program organiser.  For want of anything else, I keep this inside my copy of Powers of Darkness. David |
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Post by dem on Mar 15, 2009 20:41:40 GMT
What was he like at Fantasycon? From what little i've read about him, it seems he had something of a reputation for being a bit ... erm, "difficult"?
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Post by David A. Riley on Mar 15, 2009 20:53:46 GMT
He was...er, different.
Most of his speech at the convention was taken up either with his interest in canals or his involvement with literary gatherings, like Foyles dinners. From what I can remember he never once mentioned any of his ghost stories nor anything to do with them. He might just as well have been attending a meeting of the WI.
Other than that he was amiable enough, and I had the pleasure of being one of about a dozen members who went out for a meal with him at night. I do remember that one of our group - who shan't be named, but fancied himself as a bit of a wine connoisseur - deferred to Aickman, who was supposedly one himself, to choose what wines we should order. I was amused and pleased when he said to pick whichever was the cheapest!
David
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albie
Devils Coach Horse
Posts: 137
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Post by albie on Mar 16, 2009 11:11:50 GMT
>>I was amused and pleased when he said to pick whichever was the cheapest!
I like him more and more, if that's possible. A giant of words.
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Post by weirdmonger on Aug 13, 2021 12:48:37 GMT
LARGER THAN ONESELF by Robert Aickman
“‘He’s a Lewisite. He’s misplaced like me.’”
As with this story’s wide-eyed protagonist Mrs Iblis, who is almost a gatecrasher to its events, most of the things that happen or are spoken about in it seem to be above my head, beyond even the ‘subliminal self’ — a story that is larger than itself, larger than the subconscious whale mentioned in it. Larger than sin. Larger than the gin I need to drink after having read it!
A Forum of spiritual-meaning seekers assembles in this large house under the auspices of Mr Coner, eager to spend time together in locating the answer to life, the universe, everything. More than 42 people have assembled, though, and things get out of hand, with some of the women walking about in knickers and black brassieres, or having the vapours, or eating cakes or drinking cider as served by waiters in the billiard room, or watching young men follow shapely Sister Nuper into the night.
A darkness of night whereby the subsuming radiance of some ‘synthesis’ eventually sets its swelling searchlight upon our nudity as readers. The effulgent, spiritual vision at the end of this story is probably the nearest you will ever reach God while reading literature, at which time we as readers merge and are at one, having found something larger than ourselves — having become the essential gestalt… its vastness of source and original powers of darkness, notwithstanding. Not to speak of the “Avant Garde Synagogue” or even the Salvation Army.
“Reading alone will not avail. Words reach only the mind. It is the spirit, the Geist, we grope for, nicht wahr?”
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Post by weirdmonger on Aug 14, 2021 5:14:05 GMT
Everyone is welcome to have cakes in the Larger Than Oneself billiards room! As served by one of its characters, Ms Patacake. Good for “bowel discipline”.  LARGER THAN ONESELF by Robert Aickman“‘He’s a Lewisite. He’s misplaced like me.’” As with this story’s wide-eyed protagonist Mrs Iblis, who is almost a gatecrasher to its events, most of the things that happen or are spoken about in it seem to be above my head, beyond even the ‘subliminal self’ — a story that is larger than itself, larger than the subconscious whale mentioned in it. Larger than sin. Larger than the gin I need to drink after having read it! A Forum of spiritual-meaning seekers assembles in this large house under the auspices of Mr Coner, eager to spend time together in locating the answer to life, the universe, everything. More than 42 people have assembled, though, and things get out of hand, with some of the women walking about in knickers and black brassieres, or having the vapours, or eating cakes or drinking cider as served by waiters in the billiard room, or watching young men follow shapely Sister Nuper into the night. A darkness of night whereby the subsuming radiance of some ‘synthesis’ eventually sets its swelling searchlight upon our nudity as readers. The effulgent, spiritual vision at the end of this story is probably the nearest you will ever reach God while reading literature, at which time we as readers merge and are at one, having found something larger than ourselves — having become the essential gestalt… its vastness of source and original powers of darkness, notwithstanding. Not to speak of the “Avant Garde Synagogue” or even the Salvation Army. “Reading alone will not avail. Words reach only the mind. It is the spirit, the Geist, we grope for, nicht wahr?” |
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Post by weirdmonger on Sept 28, 2021 15:59:06 GMT
A ROMAN QUESTION by Robert Aickman Amazingly “Her head was as trim as a newly opened horse-chestnut.”  |
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