, ▁he ▁is ▁best ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁super natural ▁fiction , ▁which ▁he ▁described ▁as ▁" st range ▁stories ". ▁ ▁The ▁writer ▁of ▁his ▁ob itu ary ▁in ▁The ▁Times , ▁as ▁quoted ▁by ▁Mike ▁Ash ley , ▁said , ▁"... ▁his ▁most ▁out standing ▁and ▁last ing ▁achiev ement ▁was ▁as ▁a ▁writer ▁of ▁what ▁he ▁himself ▁like ▁to ▁call ▁' st range ▁tales .' ▁He ▁brought ▁to ▁these ▁his ▁immense ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁occ ult , ▁psych ological ▁ins ights ▁and ▁a ▁rich ness ▁of ▁background ▁and ▁character isation ▁which ▁rank ▁his ▁stories ▁with ▁those ▁of ▁M . R . ▁James ▁and ▁Walter ▁de ▁la ▁Mare ." ▁Ash ley ▁himself ▁wrote : ▁" A ick man ' s ▁writ ings ▁are ▁an ▁acquired ▁taste ▁like ▁fine ▁w ines . ▁I ▁have ▁no ▁doubt ▁that ▁his ▁work ▁will ▁always ▁remain ▁unknown ▁to ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁readers , ▁and ▁perhaps ▁he ▁would ▁have ▁wanted ▁it ▁that ▁way . ▁He ▁wrote ▁what ▁and ▁how ▁he ▁wanted , ▁for ▁expression , ▁not ▁for ▁popular ity . ▁In ▁another ▁of ▁his ▁letters ▁to ▁me ▁he ▁said ▁' I ▁have ▁received ▁a ▁good ▁deal ▁of ▁este em , ▁but ▁never ▁a ▁big ▁commercial ▁success , ▁and ▁am ▁usually ▁wondering ▁whether ▁anything ▁by ▁me ▁will ▁ever ▁be ▁published ▁again .' ▁... ▁It ▁is ▁aston ishing ▁that ▁someone ▁of ▁A ick man ' s ▁stat ure ▁should ▁have ▁difficulty ▁in ▁s elling ▁his ▁work . ▁Perhaps ▁now , ▁too ▁late ▁for ▁A ick man ' s ▁benefit ,