Short Stories

What It's About This is a self-compiled omnibus edition bringing together 132 of Algernon Blackwood's short stories, drawn from across his long career as a writer of supernatural and weird fiction. The collection ranges from early ghost stories to the John Silence psychic-detective cases, tales of nature as a living, conscious force, and explorations of altered states of mind. Well-known pieces such as "The Willows" and "The Wendigo" sit alongside dozens of lesser-known stories, giving a broad picture of Blackwood's range across horror, the occult, and quiet psychological unease. Key Concepts Blackwood's fiction returns again and again to a handful of preoccupations: nature — particularly wild, remote landscapes like forests and rivers — as something alive and indifferent to human presence; psychic and paranormal phenomena, often investigated through the recurring character of Dr. John Silence; the fragility of ordinary consciousness when confronted with forces beyond it; and an interest in mysticism and higher states of perception rather than straightforward shock or gore. His horror tends to be atmospheric and suggestive rather than explicit. About the Author Algernon Blackwood (1869–1951) was an English writer, journalist, and broadcaster, and one of the most prolific ghost story writers of his era. Raised in a strict religious household, he later worked a series of jobs in Canada and the United States, including farming and journalism, before returning to England and establishing himself as a writer. He was a lifelong student of mysticism and the occult, interests that shaped much of his fiction, and in later life became a well-known radio and television broadcaster in Britain.