The Man Made of Smoke

The Man Made of Smoke uses conventions from Gothic and psychological horror to present a character-driven version of the crime thriller. Focusing on the inner lives of characters, the novel deploys psychological terror and generational trauma to create a sense of disquiet; the horrors within reflect those outside. For instance, John’s sense of alienation often makes the world around him seem a hostile place, while Dan’s bitter childhood memories cause him to think of the island as a place stuck in time. In addition, like Gothic masters Shirley Jackson, author of The Haunting of Hill House (1959), and Susan Hill, author of The Woman in Black (1983), North uses everyday spaces and situations to generate horror, as in the case of the mundane service station where Dan encounters the “Pied Piper” killer. Ordinary objects like photographs and camper vans take on a terrifying quality in the novel. This effect is further amplified by isolated settings mirroring the characters’ inner loneliness, a hallmark of Gothic fiction. An example of such a setting is the beach from which James Palmer is abducted; its off-season bleakness highlights James’s sense of unease.