The Matrix

Fans of deep and subtle horror from intelligent writers, not of the cheesy slasher or forbidden passion genres, should be more familiar with Jonathan Aycliffe's novels from the 1990s. (Aycliffe is one of the pen names of professor Denis McEoin, who also writes fiction as Daniel Easterman.) This novel is a fairly typical psychological horror story and most of the backdrop is built on stock literary devices of the Dracula/Frankenstein variety. In short, the intellectual hero does research on amateur occult groups and finds himself mixed up in the real thing, falling under the sway of an evil master pursuing the most forbidden knowledge. Thus, the action and character developments here are quite predictable for anyone who has seen more than one old horror movie. Though Aycliffe does have a few advantages thanks to his voluminous education in religious practices and occult history, and this novel rises above a few of its stereotypes with a very robust knowledge of international occult phenomena and a rather disturbing Lovecraftian take on ancient knowledge. Unfortunately there are too many unresolved subplots and unexplained psychic phenomena, previously unknown and under-described characters pop up mysteriously near the climax, and the conclusion to the action is disappointingly implied off-camera. The works of Aycliffe and his alter egos are certainly worth exploring for the educated horror fan, though this particular novel shows his in-depth knowledge playing second fiddle to stereotypical plot construction and too many loose ends. [~doomsdayer520~]

I don't know why Jonathan Aycliffe is not better known. This story is about a man's search for forbidden knowledge. The story has its roots in Faustian myth, forbidden knowledge, that type of thing. Andrew's wife is dead. That simple, and she was the love of his life. Andrew is now a bright professor, and is doing some research into occult practises and groups. The more research he does the more he sees that these people are wanting something tangible, but Andrew believes that these rituals and meetings are just shams put together by those who don't know what true secret knowledge is. At one of these meetings he meets a man named Duncan. Duncan is a brilliant and wealthy lawyer, and has a very large private collection of occult and arcane books. Andrew befriends Duncan, and Duncan hints that these amateur and ritual meetings that they attend are but the tip of the iceberg of knowledge that Duncan hints that he has. All he asks of Andrew is to be a good student, and give himself over to the serious study of the occult that Duncan can provide. Andrew does, becoming immersed in ancient manuscripts and texts in several languages. All of these are mere primers though for what awaits. Duncan hints at even deeper knowledge if he will travel with him to Morocco to meet with others that share his thirst for arcane occult knowledge. Andrew agrees to do this. Just before Andrew leaves, all sorts of mysterious and horrible things happen to Andrew and his other more level-minded friends. Sickness, tragedy, strange sounds and things that go bump in the night. Then one night, as Andrew is studying in the library with a table filled with occult books, he finds one small old book crammed into a corner of a shelf that he has not noticed before. The name of the book is the "Matrix Aeternitatus", which could be described as a "Necronomicon" book right out of H.P. Lovecraft fame. A horrible book filled with terrible knowledge that is never fully revealed to us the reader, although we can make good guesses. Between his studies, the Matrix text, and his trip to Morocco, Andrew finds that he is getting deeper and deeper into something that he isn't sure he is fully prepared for...

Jonathan Aycliffe specialises in a subtle, scary brand of horror that isn't graphic or bludgeoning but which lets your imagination do the work. Set in a wintry Edinburgh, his student hero finds himself sucked into a nightmarish world by an insidiously charming occultist. The ending is powerful and haunting. I recommend all of Aycliffe's books to those who crave elegantly-crafted horror in the tradition of M R James. Jonathan Aycliffe is a pen name ; these books are actually written by Daniel Easterman whose thrillers (equally nightmarish in quality) are also well worth seeking out.

The matrix is a wonderful book with the reading quality of Ben Bova's Orion series. If you read this book you will not be able to put it down as it keeps firmly entrenched in its suspense. You just have to see what happens next after every chapter. Though dark and frighening at times, even children who currently read Rl stein will want to read this book and not be bored with it until they put it down.