Three stories by Aickman and three by Howard. This was Aickman's first foray into print and Elizabeth Jane Howard went on to become an accomplished writer in the non-weird vein, I think historical fiction. Opinions vary as to how much collaboration there was between the two authors but the best living authority, Howard, says there was very little with Aickman in his lifetime claiming there was more. Howard and Aickman were "involved" at the time.

The View is the only story that appears to be similar to the more mature Aickman. It is anthologized in a slightly different form elsewhere. This version is unique to this anthology. The Trains is Aickman's first published story and it has a fairly conventional ending that pretty much ties things up. The Insufficient Answer is the strangest, for Aickman, story here being a straight Gothic mystery however with some typical Aickman weird elements.

The Howard stories are also very good and although mostly conventional spook stories actually partake of more Aickmanesque elements than the Aickman stories. Three Miles Up you would swear was written by Aickman particularly because of its enigmatic ending and the fact that it entirely takes place on a British canal.

A worthwhile collection particularly as it shows Aickman's development into a more mature and unique writer and all the stories are very good. There is a very good but brief introduction by the publisher R.B. Russell based mainly on interviews with Howard who is still living. There is a transcript of the actual interview not included here somewhere on the Tartarus Press site. ( )