Renowned for writing fantasy and horror, this talented author turned to the suspenseful historical novel with The Terror, a tale of Arctic exploration. Now he looks at the mystery of Dickens’ unfinished last novel. A sinister journey through and beneath Victorian London, told by Wilkie Collins, Dicken’s great friend and rival. How many of the horrors and strange places he finds are drug induced hallucinations? Is Dickens a murderer? And who is the mysterious and terrifying man known as Drood? The search for answers leads Collins into a strange underworld and deep into his own dark thoughts in this enthralling and unusual literary mystery. A creepy, suspenseful and very enjoyable read.
This story shall be about my friend (as at least about the man who was once my friend) Charles Dickens and about the accident that took away his peace of mind, his health, and, some might whisper, his sanity...' Sealed for one hundred and twenty-five years, Wilkie Collins's scribbled words launch a feverish descent into the underbelly of Victorian London as he is dragged into Charles Dickens's pursuit of a spectral figure known only as Drood. Their investigation will lead them through slums, opium dens, catacombs and sewers. What they discover will destroy their friendship, driving each writer to the very brink of insanity. And murder...
Dan Simmons was born in Peoria, Illinois, in 1948, and grew up in various cities and small towns in the Midwest. He received his Masters in Education from W ashington University in St. Louis in 1971. He worked in elementary education for eighteen years, winning awards for his innovative teaching, and became a full-time writer in 1987. Dan lives in Colorado with his wife, Karen, and has a daughter in her twenties. His books are published in tw enty-nine counties and many of them have been optioned for film.