Essays in Books

Bloom, Harold, ed.  "Robert Aickman."  Modern Horror Writers.  New York: Chelsea House, 1995.

Challinor, Philip.  "A Fate Worse Than Death: 'The Same Dog.'" Akin to Poetry (see "Books").

Notes the dislocation of time, the hinted sexual theme, and the contrast between adulthood and childhood.

Challinor, Philip. "A Walk in the Woods: On Robert Aickman's 'Bind Your Hair.'" Akin to Poetry (see "Books").

Studies closely the ambiguities of the tale and notes the possible influence of Freud's Totem and Taboo on Aickman's writing of the tale.  Considers the influence of the character of Mrs. Pagani on the protagonist, Clarissa Hartley.

Challinor, Philip.  "Frustrated Love, Restless Death:  On Robert Aickman's 'The Unsettled Dust.'"  Akin to Poetry (see "Books").

"The dust seems to represent a psychological rather than a social decay, the kind of rot that sets in when needs and desires are chronically denied self-expression."

Challinor, Philip.  "How Deep It Goes:  'No Stronger Than a Flower.'" Akin to Poetry (see "Books").

Challinor appears to emphasize the things that are "unseen" in the story.  The character Nesta wears veils and keeps things from her husband.  In the context of the story, beauty is mystery.

Challinor, Philip.  "The Icy Depths of Robert Aickman's 'Niemandswasser.'" Akin to Poetry (see "Books").

A close reading of the imagery of life and death in this tale.  All of the sad events indicate that Aickman's character Elmo was already dead before he committed suicide.

Challinor, Philip. "Lost in the Dark:  On Robert Aickman's 'The Hospice.'" Akin to Poetry (see "Books").

An excellent and close reading of the tale that asserts it can be regarded as presenting poetic variations on the theme of being lost.  Studies the allusions and name meanings to show that all the characters, like Lucus (a name meaning "light") Maybury are "lost in the dark."

Challinor, Philip. "Outstaring Time: 'Le Miroir.'" Akin to Poetry (see" Books").

Discusses the dislocation of time in the story, and relates it to death.

Challinor Philip.  "Ravishing Art:  On Robert Aickman's 'Ravissante.'" Akin to Poetry (see "Books").

A long and detailed discussion of the story concludes with the idea that the story is about rape, and metaphorically the rape of art. Brings into consideration Aickman's ideas about the arts, which lead to Challinor's conclusion.

Clute, John.  "Robert Aickman, 1914-1981."  Strokes: Essays and Reviews, 1966-1986.  Seattle, WA: Serconia Press, 1988.

A revised version of Clute's essay in Bleiler's Supernatural Fiction Writers.

Crawford, Gary William.  "The Poetics of the Unconscious:  The Strange Stories of Robert Aickman."  Discovering Modern Horror Fiction II.  Mercer Island, WA: Starmont House, 1988.

Surveys the ghost stories from the perspective of Freud and his influence on Aickman.

Dirda, Michael.  "Walter de la Mare."  Classics for Pleasure.  New York: Harcourt, 2007.

Briefly mentions Aickman's stories as similar to de la Mare.

Kirk, Russell.  "A Cautionary Note on the Ghostly Tale."  The Essential Russell Kirk:  Selected Essays.  Ed. George A. Panichas.  Wilmington, DE: ISI Books, 2007.

Regards Aickman alongside Mircea Eliade as "talented fabulists of the occult and the crepuscular."  Like Eliade, Aickman pieces "together into a pattern those hints and glimpses offered fragmentarily by mystical vision, second sight, hauntings, dreams, wondrous coincidences."

Ricketts, Martin.  "Enigma Macabre: An Evaluation of the Short Stories of Robert Aickman."  Voices from Shadow.  Ed. David Sutton.  Birmingham, England:  Shadow Publishing, 1994.  pp. 7-14.

An assessment of Aickman for the general reader.