Into The Uncanny

 Into The Uncanny by Danny Robins (2023 BBC Books Kindle eBook 341pp)

 

Danny Robins was a low-profile UK author and playwright who ventured into producing and fronting paranormal-themed podcasts during the Covid lockdowns and found himself becoming something of a celebrity. Broadcast by the BBC, Uncanny became the most popular production and led to a recent spin-off television series and this book.

I’ve never actually listened to any of the Uncanny podcasts (or seen the TV programme) so this has been my introduction to the author’s trademark wit and style.

It’s easy to understand Robins’ popularity – he positions himself as an every-man investigator discovering the story along with the audience and reacting as they would at every twist and turn. He’s chatty, jokey and asks the reader to question their own beliefs before judging others.

The bulk of this book is taken up by just four main ‘cases’ – The apparent Poltergeist phenomena experienced by a young expat Australian living in Rome, apparitions and sounds experienced by some families in the English town of Averham, the dark fate of a woman seemingly being foretold by a Ouija Board and the ongoing UFO experiences a man in North-East England.

In each case the witnesses’ stories are told then Robins diverges off to talk about related topics and the history of similar events. Sometimes he interviews experts or sets out to research topics himself.

For a seemingly simple book, its very skillfully written. The text often loops back to earlier topics and how they connect with what’s currently being discussed. When new information comes to light the author drops it into the text and adds suspense about coming revelations.

For most of the cases there’s more than what first meets the eye and we follow Robins as he uncovers earlier experiences and possible explanations for them.

While most of the book involves supposed ghosts, his venture into the UFO phenomenon is welcome although it is somewhat slight. It does however set him on a path pondering what could be in common between the two paranormal fields and he comes up with some tentative theories that aren’t a million miles from my own thinking.

The major weakness in the book (in my opinion) is that the author seems too naive and trusting when it comes to witness accounts – he can’t seem to imagine why people might be fantasists or simply liars. Some of the experts he quotes are a little lacking as well.

Overall, it’s good to read a modern book on these topics which is fairly balanced rather than being mired in true-believer woo territory. Early on in the text Robins asked the reader if they are “Team Believer” or “Team Sceptic” and goes on to present evidence that could swing you either way. It’s a refreshing take on these things which probably goes a long way in explaining the author’s current popularity.