"Among the stories collected in this omnibus, are some of the very first
Joan Aiken stories that I ever fell in love with, starting with the
title story 'The People in the Castle, ' which is a variation on the
classic tales of fairy wives."--Kelly Link
"[A] haunting and wondrous book."--Emily Nordling, Tor.com
"This short story collection, edited by Aiken's daughter Lizza and the
2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction finalist Kelly Link, compiles tales of
the surreal and supernatural suited for an adult audience."--Ryan
Porter, Toronto Star
"Sprightly but brooding, with well-defined plots, twists, and punch
lines, these stories deserve a place on the shelf with the fantasies of
Saki (H.H. Munro), Sylvia Townsend Warner, and Susanna Clarke."--Kirkus
Reviews (starred review)
Here is the whisper in the night, the creak upstairs, the sound that
raises gooseflesh, the wish you'd checked the lock on the door before it
got really, really dark. Here are tales of suspense and the supernatural
that will chill, amuse, and exhilarate.
Best known for The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Joan Aiken
(1924-2004) wrote over a hundred books and won the Guardian and Edgar
Allan Poe awards. She supported her family by copyediting at Argosy
magazine and an advertising agency before turning to fiction and went on
to write for Vogue, Good Housekeeping, Vanity Fair, Women's Own,
and many others. Visit her online at www.joanaiken.com.
