Acclaimed Herts writer returns with new thriller
Added: (Wed Jan 11 2023)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
Hertfordshire author Arron Hickman can confidently claim to be one of the most versatile writers in the country.
The 41-year-old has already earned rave reviews and accolades for his short film scripts and poetry anthology.
And in 2020 he finally fulfilled his lifelong ambition of publishing his debut novel, Sebastian, to critical acclaim.
The psychological thriller brilliantly explored self-doubt and friendship.
Now Arron, who lives in Bishop Stortford with his long-term partner Ann, is back with a gripping collection of mind-bending short stories called Nightmare Alley.
All of the intensity, intrigue and psychological depth displayed in his first full-length book are back for excited readers to delve into, with stories such as Love in the Time of Insanity, Stag-do Apocalypse and Vomit.
Arron, who admits to suffering with mental health disorders, said: “My nightmares were once described to me as a ‘mind cleansing’.
“The diagnosis wasn’t the most eloquent - my mind was just a hazardous waste bin after all - but from that razor-edge description burst forth the 14 tales contained in Nightmare Alley.
“They explore, in all its twisted glory, a dissection of a brain that cannot stop thinking.
“My pen is not mightier than a sword, it is just an extension of a scourge veering towards a world-shattering apocalypse.”
Although always harbouring an ambition to become a full-time writer, Aaron didn’t make it into print until his remarkable poetry collection, Sounds of a Broken Radio, was released in 2016.
The stunningly original anthology reached the top three in Amazon’s charts.
His short films have also been screened at festivals across Europe.
Despite further success with Sebastian and the building anticipation surrounding Nightmare Alley, he reveals that his first attempt at being an author was not widely appreciated.
Arron, who includes Ian M Banks and Fyodor Dostoevsky among his influences, added: “My mother taught me to read from a very young age, I must have been about three years old.
“I first started writing stories when I was about eight - but one story I wrote around then got me in trouble with the teachers at school for being a bit too near-the-knuckle.”
For more details, visit Amazon and search for Arron S Hickman, where the paperback and Kindle formats of Nightmare Alley are both available.