The book begins with "The Wood on the Hill", a short story about a bourgeois woman who is soon to learn a terrifying lesson concerning her complete disregard for anyone other than herself.

The second tale, "The Candle in the Cloud", is a novella of dark fantasy that follows three children who discover a magical candle that transports them to a world where a plague-cloud is destroying everything in its wake.

These two tales, the first ever written by Clive, are offered here for the very first time. Their production has been lovingly supervised by Clive himself to ensure that these are not mere books, but works of art to be cherished. First Tales is sure to delight everyone from longtime fans to new listeners.

In his own words:

"These two stories represent the two essential structures of fantastique literature. "The Wood on the Hill" is about an incursion of unearthly elements into an approximation of our world. "The Candle in the Cloud" is about a journey taken by people from our world into another reality. Yin and Yang, if you like. Forces pulling in opposing directions but to achieve the same end: Revelation."