Harold Begbie was well known, in the first three decades of the twentieth century, as a journalist, as a writer of sharply satirical works, and as the author of a series of novels which looked at various social problems of the day. What he did not do, to any great extent, was write short stories; although in 1904 he made an exception, penning a series of six tales for the London Magazine. The stories were, for their time, startlingly original, featuring as they do a 'dreamland' which is quite real, and has its own existence quite separate from everyday waking life.

This dream world can, in Begbie's stories, be travelled to—and through—by someone who is, or has made himself, 'aware'. Such a person is Andrew Latter, who is able, via the medium of this dream world, to view the chain of events leading up to an otherwise inexplicable occurrence, and throw light on matters which appear baffling to the rest of the world. Such is Latter's reputation that he is even consulted by Scotland Yard, as in 'The Flying Blindness', in which a vicious murderer, stalking the streets of London, seems to vanish into thin air after each horrific attack.

In his introduction, Jack Adrian examines the busy life of Harold Begbie and the author's varied writings. He also discusses the confrontation between Begbie and Arthur Machen regarding the latter's 'Bowmen of Mons' tale: a confrontation played out in full view of the public, and one in which Machen almost certainly did not stand a chance.