The stories in Terry Lamsley's first collection of supernatural tales, Under the Crust, were set in and around his home town of Buxton in the heart of England's Peak District: Terry's idea was that the stories might appeal to local readers and tourists to the area. It was not long, however, before excitement stirred outside Buxton, as enthusiasts of supernatural fiction came to realise that an exciting new talent had emerged. Under the Crust reached the hands of the late Karl Edward Wagner, who was instrumental in ensuring that the book was nominated for three 1994 World Fantasy Awards, with the result that Terry won the award for Best Novella for the title story of the collection.