First published back in August of 2020, British author Richard Ayre’s ‘Nightmares And Daydreams’ was a short story collection containing both horror stories as well as slightly more wistful tales.
At the end of each story, Ayre provides a short piece about the story, how he came to write each one, and other little nuggets of insightful information. In fact, DLS Reviews gets a brief nod of recognition in the first of these write-ups, which I gotta be honest, brings a smile to this reviewer’s face if nothing else.
The Screaming – 29 Pages
After learning of his great uncle’s death, Felix MacKean had flown over from his home in Massachusetts, all the way to Strathcarron in the Scottish Highlands to work out what he was going to do with the estate he’d suddenly recently inherited. He’d not seen Castle Doon for a good fifteen years, ever since he’d left Scotland for the US. In reality the estate wasn’t so much a castle but more a fortified manor house. As Felix approached the property, it seemed that Doon had been the one waiting for him for the last four months. And now he was here, it was as if something embedded in the castle’s history was waking. Felix had been informed his uncle died of a heart attack. Although, as he was soon to learn, no one local had actually seen the body. The death certificate was signed by a doctor in Glasgow, and his uncle was buried the day after. No wake. No funeral. No open casket for the Laird of Strathcarron. It was as if someone didn’t want the body seen. Except someone did see. Someone saw what happened to Felix’s uncle the night he died. And it was no heart attack. However, it wasn’t until Felix was woken in the middle of the night that he realised there could well be something wrong with Castle Doon. At some point the screaming had started, and with that a thought weaved its way drunkenly through his mind. The screaming had seemed to be drawing closer…
There’s just something about the Scottish Highlands that makes it such a perfect setting for a supernatural horror story. Whether it’s the isolated location, the fact that so many of the impressive properties are steeped in centuries of history, or maybe it’s the numerous local legends that have been passed down through the generations. Whatever the reason, having a bleak Highlands backdrop for a horror story is rarely a bad move. Sure enough, Ayre’s capitalised on the qualities afforded by the isolated locale with the skill of a writer who knows exactly what he’s aiming for in his tale. Like with a lot of Ayre’s work, there’s a very noticeable James Herbert influence embedded within his writing. Again, it’s another aspect that works in perfect harmony with the Scottish backdrop. However, the real strength in the short undoubtedly comes from the mounting unease that Ayre’s managed to inject into it. From the moment Felix first steps inside Castle Doon, a very real sense of foreboding starts to edge its way to the surface. And when the Death Bogle – the screaming banshee of the piece – reveals itself, it’s like being shoved in front of a careering lorry. A proper, old school supernatural horror that is another absolute perfect accompaniment for a stormy winter’s night.
The short story was originally published within the ‘Shadows And Teeth: Volume Three’ (2017) anthology.
No More – 11 Pages
Gravari’s bookshop held a special place in his heart. Fond memories from picking up books from there as a child. It’s probably because of that bookshop that he’d eventually become a writer. He was set to start writing his tenth book to date when he discovered that Gravari’s was up for sale. Just seeing it empty, lost to time, made the decision for him. He’d buy the bookshop and amongst the shelves of paperbacks, he’d stock his own publications. That was the plan. However, things rarely go how we imagine and how we hope they might. In fact, he’d often find himself looking up at the attic room door and see it standing open again. The darkness within sending chills up his spine. But it was the moaning that got to him. That awful, low moaning, terrorising him through the days and into his restless nights…
Authors so often write about authors. Write what you know and all that jazz. Well, here we have that again. Ayre writing about a tired author who doesn’t want to see his childhood bookshop succumb to the changing times. It’s one of those ghostly stories which draws upon a haunted old building and utilises the strength of vivid writing to capture the reader’s imagination and immerse them in the creepy atmosphere of the piece. With that alone the story is wonderfully successful. It’s a sentimentally compelling piece, driven by a sorrowful situation which almost somehow embodies the gradual downfall of our own precious childhood memories. It’s a sombre and subdued offering which quietly and effectively, plays with your emotions.
Black Bridge, Northumberland – 24 Pages
Jim Kelso had been researching stories about the Cold War for a proposed book when he decided to investigate Black Bridge. Although every map simply showed an area within the Northumberland National Park where an unnamed lake was situated. But Jim knew it was there that the village of Black Bridge was said to have once been located. Rumours of an MOD facility set up during the Cold War where all sorts of experiments were alleged to have happened. But in 1982, something had happened. All of a sudden, the valley had been flooded and the village was put under fifty feet of water. But this summer the unprecedented heat had dried the water up. The water was now completely gone, and the village below was exposed for all to see. The question was, what else was now uncovered…
Oh my is this a good one. The story’s backdrop and premise feel like something legendary pulp author Guy N Smith might have conjured up. In fact, Smith’s novel ‘Demons’ (1987) utilised the idea of a village being completely submerged under water then years later mysteriously the water dries up. It’s a great idea for a creepy horror setting, and Ayre uses the atmosphere it provides to his absolute advantage. Mix in a ‘28 Days Later’ (2002) style vibe, and you’ve got the formula for a pretty darn winning short story. Guy N Smith meets Alex Garland – what’s not to like?!
The short story was originally published within the ‘Postcards From The Void’ (2018) anthology.
Escape – 12 Pages
Rainbow was one of the many ragged people who belonged in this grim and dirty netherworld. She was also part of the resistance against the Militia. The new world had begun with the Militia closing the cities and telling the people it was war and the world beyond the city boundaries was gone. They called what happened the Escape. But Rainbow saw it as the end. However, now the Militia were set to unleash further misery on the remaining population under the name of Escape 2. Although Rainbow would do whatever she could to preserve what was left of humanity. What was left of the remaining world…
In his short write-up about the story, Ayre describes this short tale as a piece of YA fiction. Personally, I’m not sure such a dark and gloomy piece of poignant dystopian fiction necessarily falls into the category of YA fiction. What it does do though, is offer up a thought-provoking window into a dystopian future depicting a mass-governmental control ala ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ (1949). In fact, despite its short page count, Ayre crams in so many snippets of the dystopian setting and its creation, that the short feels more like a chapter ripped out of a larger offering. The whole story’s miserable as sin, but so utterly captivating in an oppressively smothering way. This is a short which again showcases Ayre’s versatility as an author. It’s also a story that begs the reader to read between the haunting lines and pose their own questions.
Reflections In Silver And Gold – 7 Pages
Last month he’d turned ninety. With reaching that milestone he decided it was time to finally return to Rome. The last time he’d been there, standing in front of that beautiful fountain, was back in 1946 when he was due to marry the love of his life. A time when all he saw was happiness and post-war hope. That was then, and this is now. An aging old crazy man, looking into the rippling water of the fountain where he had once danced with his beloved Sophia. A long time ago, but his memories of then are as fresh in his mind as if they were only yesterday…
In his short write-up about the story, Ayre describes it as almost a precursor for his novel ‘A Life Eternal’ (2020). You can definitely see a great deal of the novel within this short story. Not just with the entire lifetimes that are covered in the two stories, nor because of the post-war romance and all that it entails, but rather with the attention and focus that is applied to the emotional attachment this tired old man has with such a prominent moment in his past. There’s a feel and atmosphere in the story that is echoed throughout the aforementioned novel. A never-forgotten link to a past which remains with someone through the entire journey of their life. A sad and sombre piece, and one that evokes if not implores an emotional response from the reader.
They Watch – 3 Pages
He was marooned on a tiny island in the middle of a seemingly endless sea. Alone, without any food or water to sustain him. But not totally alone. For he felt their presence. The closer to death he slips, the more of them seem to appear. Moving around him as he sleeps, growing stronger as he grows feebler. Waiting out his end days. As the last vestiges of his life slip away…
This one’s a short, snappy piece of haunting fiction, delivered in a barely conscious, purposefully disorientated fashion, akin to the final barely coherent thought of a starving and severely dehydrated man. Stranded on a small, isolated island, without a hope of rescue, the eventual submission within this man’s final thoughts is as harrowing as the notion of him being watched by some unknown vulture-like entities. Of course, we never learn if these lurking entities are real or just the paranoia of a severely dehydrated mind. A spectacularly evocative piece.
The Killing Shop – 15 Pages
It was Halloween night in 1978 when the young twelve-year-old lad from Ashington witnessed what he would later describe as a possible UFO. He’d grown up in that area, where at the bottom end of the lane was ‘The Killing Shop’. It had once been an abattoir, although when he was a young lad, it was mostly just an empty building where they’d sneak inside and play. However, on that particular Halloween night, it had been getting late, and he’d left his friends to return home, walking past the Killing Shop. It was there that he saw it. He was alone, with no one else to verify what his eyes were registering. No one around but himself, and that strange, eerie white shape in the night sky…
Here we have a short biographical story plucked from Ayre’s childhood and cast to paper for us to enjoy, ponder and perhaps come to our own conclusions. Ayre himself suggests what he potentially witnessed might have been little more than a figment of his overactive imagination. However, honestly, that’s really not important here. Because this is a story. A magnificent window into a past, with a vivid memory which played an important part in Ayre’s childhood. The story itself is one which spends much more time setting the scene. Loving memories of the local area and the games he and his mates would play. It’s rich in childhood charm, where the memories Ayre shares with us feel so palpable and personal, that you can’t help but feel your heartstrings being tugged at. Honestly, this short is an absolute delight to read. A small personal insight into a snippet of time from the author’s past, told with the touching humanity that’s only achievable from someone who lived and breathed every second of what is shared with us.
Wings Over Avalon – 11 Pages
Now he’d turned one hundred, he’d become something of a minor news story. In fact, a local TV reporter was doing a piece on him. After all, he was one of the last survivors from the Battle of Britain. Although his story wasn’t quite what the young reporter was expecting. A story of missions and crashes and all that horrific madness which comes from a World War. But also a story about Pilot Officer Peter Angelo, or ‘Angel’ as he was better known, and how Angel had always been nearby in the sky, looking after him. Keeping him safe. Even after all those years since Angel’s death. Angel was always there when he needed him…
As Ayre explains in his short write-up, the story is his attempt at a memorial to those brave men who fought in the Battle of Britain. And it’s a truly spectacular tribute. A story rich with bravery and emotion, linking present to the past. Ayre wrote the piece from the perspective or the tired old man telling his story to the reporter. However, each mini vignette from this man’s story, is awash with such vivid detail that you’re instantly pulled into each one. Into the flames of the burning cockpit, or the tight grip of the plane’s unyielding harness. The whole piece is a wonderful short story and a truly fitting memorial to respectfully honour those brave pilots who fought for us all.
A Moment In Time With Black Shadow Tess – 21 Pages
Dave had just become the biggest lottery winner the UK had ever produced. He was now worth almost a quarter of a billion pounds. More money than he could likely ever spend. The epitome of life changing. After a three-week holiday in the Caribbean he bought himself a big mansion, a handful of expensive cars, and of course a collection of motorcycles. But when he saw the Vincent Black Shadow in the back of the local showroom, he knew it would become the pride of his collection. It was the most coveted motorcycle ever made. A classic piece of timeless beauty. A motorbike that would shape his future and quite literally carve up the past…
Ending the short stories in this collection we have a wild pulp horror offering akin to a wildly fucked-up ‘Back To The Future’ (1985) where our tragic anti-hero-cum-villain is able to travel back through time on his Vincent Black Shadow motorcycle when the bike reaches 125 mph. But what does he do when he’s transported into the past? Well of course he goes on a killing rampage, then shags the human persona of his beloved motorbike – Tess – amongst the bloody gristle and gore of their victims’ dead bodies. Oh yes, this story is every bit of that over-the-top pulpy madness, almost tripping over its own feet to get stuck into the gore-drenched good stuff after only a handful of pages of motorbike-porn (yeah, Ayre’s a motorbike enthusiast too!). The speed at which this tale descends into horror madness is breathtaking. From the euphoria of a lucky lottery winner, to wallowing in his love of motorcycles, to plummeting into an all-out sleazy pulp-horror, which at times edges towards something out of the ‘Nekromantik’ (1987) films. Yeah, this one’s a frigging roller-coaster of a ride through and through. And jeez is it a damn good read too!
The short story was originally published within the ‘It Came From The Garage’ (2019) anthology.
Bonus Material:
The anthology ends with a nine-page extract from the author’s novel ‘A Life Eternal’ (2020) to whet the appetite for anyone who hasn’t yet read this magnificent book.
The collection runs for a total of 143 pages (plus the additional 9 pages for the bonus material excerpt).
© DLS Reviews
