Blackwater Days
Encyclopedia
Blackwater Days is a collection of horror stories
by Australian writer Terry Dowling
. The collection won the Ditmar Award
for Best Collection 2001, and from it, "Jenny Come to Play" (Eidolon, Spring 1997) won the Aurealis Award
for Best Horror Short Story (1997) and "The Saltimbanques" (Eidolon 29/30, 2000) won the Ditmar Award
for Best Short Story (2001).
Blackwater Days features seven closely linked tales set around the Blackwater Psychiatric Hospital at Everton in the Hunter Valley
, featuring Dr Dan Truswell and his two "psychosleuths", Peter Rait and Philip Crow. "Downloading" (Event Horizon Online, 14 September 1998) is a chilling exercise in murder and possession. "Beckoning Nightframe" (Eidolon, Spring 1996) plays with narrative framing devices in the atmospheric story of a woman convinced that there is a presence behind the fluttering curtain of a shed visible from her home. "Basic Black" is a complex serial killer tale in which (mistaken) identity plays a pivotal role. "The Saltimbanques" features the otherworldly impact of a troupe of travelling carnival players on some youths of a small Australian outback town. "Jenny Come to Play" is a bizarre reconciliation of opposites in the story of sisters joined by more than simply flesh; "Light from the Deep Pavilion" is another disturbing tale about ritualistic murder and psychic detection; and "Blackwater Days" draws the threads of the book together, an unforgettable tale of dioramas, catatonic withdrawal, mystery and madness.
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
by Australian writer Terry Dowling
Terry Dowling
Terence William Dowling, born at Lystra Private Hospital , is an Australian writer, freelance journalist, award-winning critic, editor, game designer and reviewer...
. The collection won the Ditmar Award
Ditmar Award
The Ditmar Award has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction and science fiction fandom...
for Best Collection 2001, and from it, "Jenny Come to Play" (Eidolon, Spring 1997) won the Aurealis Award
Aurealis Award
Aurealis Award for Excellence in Speculative Fiction is an annual literary award for Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction. Only Australians are eligible for the award.-History:...
for Best Horror Short Story (1997) and "The Saltimbanques" (Eidolon 29/30, 2000) won the Ditmar Award
Ditmar Award
The Ditmar Award has been awarded annually since 1969 at the Australian National Science Fiction Convention to recognise achievement in Australian science fiction and science fiction fandom...
for Best Short Story (2001).
Blackwater Days features seven closely linked tales set around the Blackwater Psychiatric Hospital at Everton in the Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
, featuring Dr Dan Truswell and his two "psychosleuths", Peter Rait and Philip Crow. "Downloading" (Event Horizon Online, 14 September 1998) is a chilling exercise in murder and possession. "Beckoning Nightframe" (Eidolon, Spring 1996) plays with narrative framing devices in the atmospheric story of a woman convinced that there is a presence behind the fluttering curtain of a shed visible from her home. "Basic Black" is a complex serial killer tale in which (mistaken) identity plays a pivotal role. "The Saltimbanques" features the otherworldly impact of a troupe of travelling carnival players on some youths of a small Australian outback town. "Jenny Come to Play" is a bizarre reconciliation of opposites in the story of sisters joined by more than simply flesh; "Light from the Deep Pavilion" is another disturbing tale about ritualistic murder and psychic detection; and "Blackwater Days" draws the threads of the book together, an unforgettable tale of dioramas, catatonic withdrawal, mystery and madness.