Unpublished Raymond Chandler Manuscript Nightmare Published by Strand Magazine

The Strand Magazine today releases in its issue 76 the previously unpublished Raymond Chandler manuscript Nightmare that has remained unseen for decades.

"In this unsettling piece, Chandler recounts a dream with the tension and atmosphere of his greatest fiction, a glimpse into the private imagination of the man who defined American noir," said Managing Editor Andrew F. Gulli. "Preserved in the archive of his secretary Jean Vounder-Davis and later sold at Doyle Auctions, the manuscript has been authenticated and now appears in print for the first time with the permission of the Chandler Estate.

"To heighten its effect, we have paired Chandler’s words with a graphic adaptation that brings his nightmare vividly to life on the page. After careful review and consultation with the estate, we believe Nightmare has never before been published."

The original Doyle listing described the undated and unsigned manuscript as: "This one page recording a nightmare had by Raymond Chandler reads like a condensed crime story. In the dream, Chandler finds himself on death row awaiting news of his impending hanging which he compares to having his rejected manuscripts returned, a concept he reports Cissy [Chandler's wife] found funny despite being part of his nightmare!"

The piece begins: “We were in prison somewhere and there seemed to be four of us - two men whom I can’t recall, myself, and a girl called Elsa who was pregnant.”

Nightmare was part of the largest archive of Raymond Chandler’s unpublished works to come to auction and the November 2024 sale included his favourite 1953 Olivetti Studio 44 portable typewriter, inscribed books, original manuscripts, assocation copies, letters, and ephemera such as his scarf and two-page typed list of 46 Things I Hate.

The Strand has previously unearthed similar forgotten works by authors including Agatha Christie, Graham Greene, and Ian Fleming.