A Bundle of Nerves: Stories of Horror, Suspense, and Fantasy

Nineteen short stories are collected here, the majority originally appearing in Argosy -- a British magazine which appeared between 1926 and 1974 and for which Joan Aiken was Features Editor (from 1955 to 1960). They are indeed 'stories of horror, suspense and fantasy', and though rather mild -- if occasionally racy -- by today's tastes they were, and still are, perfect for the young teenage readership the collection aims at.

Nineteen stories then, rather too many to summarise other than to say that they can surprise as well as satisfy the reader's sense of mystery. Quintessentially British -- Scottish, Cornish and Welsh colour often tints the otherwise very English settings -- these tales bring a bite of the unexpected into show more everyday life. Many have a publishing house scenario, as may be expected from the author's background in the London office of the United Nations, as well as feature writing for Argosy and copywriting for an advertising agency. Others have macabre twists where just desserts are doled out -- a partially-sighted woman who operates by smell identifies her burglar, a bullied teacher inadvertently but terribly pays his tormentor back, and a man who predatorily profits from a stolen patent is dealt poetic justice. Revenge is indeed a dish best served cold.

A significant number have music running through them as a leitmotiv, from titles like Do You Dig Grieg? and Sonata for Harp and Bicycle to a ghost story ending with the music of William Byrd. In fact every genre you can think of is touched on, not just horror and the supernatural but fantasy and science fiction, black comedy and sweet romance. 

Like other collections of her short stories -- A Touch of Chill for example, or The Monkey's Wedding -- there is so much to be savoured, then saved up to be read again. Four decades on this may speak of a recently departed past but human emotions nevertheless remain constant. Curiously, I acquired this collection soon after it appeared in paperback but have only just got round to reading it now; I shan't be leaving it so long again.

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Originally published in Britain under the title A Bundle of Nerves: Stories of Horror, Suspense, and Fantasy, this collection of fifteen short stories features the supernatural and fantastic, and is told with Aiken's peculiarly subtle humor. Her quirky characters are always a joy to encounter. Selections include:

Lodging for the Night, in which a traveling salesman is driven to his death after staying the night in a haunted house, because all the inns in town are full...

Postman's Knock, which chronicles the trials and tribulations of shy playwright Fred Hwfa, who becomes a postman in order to escape his pushy fans, falling in love with a local girl who cannot recall faces. When his lady-love cannot remember him, the day after their show more wedding, Fred briefly retreats to the magical jar he inherited from his uncle...

As Gay as Cheese, concerning a psychic barber who foresees the death of one of his clients at the hands of her husband, but declines to intervene...

Furry Nights, which tells of Dr. Ian Peachtree's efforts to keep his werewolf employer in check, and his romance with a young woman who is more than she at first seems...

Five Green Moons, in which an alien refugee from Mars is briefly harbored in a quiet English village, until his mind-reading abilities make the locals uncomfortable, and he is asked to leave...

Sultan's Splash, which tells the story of a young man who avenges himself on his duplicitous thief of a boss, by using one of his aunt's potions to turn him into a crocodile...

The Far Forests, in which the saintly Canon Dallas sees a vision of giants moths eating a huge leaf in the sky above his cottage, but has no luck convincing his sister that it was real...

The Story About Caruso, which follows the story of a young woman who engineers the death of her elderly uncle, with whom she is sick of living...

The Rented Swan, in which another playwright rents an apartment, complete with butler and swan, only to discover that the swan is his landlady, in enchanted form. Romance and further adventure ensue...

Safe and Soundproof, which follows a young woman whose job of shredding confidential documents gets her into trouble, when she is kidnapped by thieves...

Cricket, in which an officious clergyman is murdered by the Melanesian family he is pestering, regarding the baptism of a young child...

Our Feathered Friends, in which a batty old woman insists she will pay for her landlord's cottage with an antique piece of furniture...

The Man Who Had Seen the Rope Trick, in which a coldhearted woman who runs a miserable home for the elderly gets her just deserts, when she harrasses the wrong man...

The Cold Flame, in which a young woman attempts to honor her ghost-friend's request that she publish his poetry, only to be balked by his stubborn mother...

And finally, A Taxi to Solitude, in which two people meet in a taxicab and recognize one another, despite having very different ideas about how they met... show less

Apt cover image (the one with butterfly & crocodile, not the hand in the sky); if it intrigues you, you'll probably like these stories.  They are very short, but rather sophisticated: this is not a children's book (I'm putting a note in the copy I read advising them to retag it as YA instead of JUV).  

A collection of short stories, including: Lodging for the Night / Postman's Knock / As Gay As Cheese / Furry Night / Five Green Moons / Sultan's Splash / The Far Forests / The Story About Caruso / The Rented Swan / Safe and Soundproof / Cricket / Our Feathered Friends / The Man Who Had Seen the Rope Trick / The Cold Flame / A Taxi to Solitude.