Book Review: Exploring Dark Short Fiction #6: A Primer to Ramsey Campbell

 

Exploring Dark Short Fiction #6: A Primer to Ramsey Campbell 

 

Eric J. Guignard (Editor, Contributor), 

Ramsey Campbell (Contributor),  

Michael A. Arnzen  (Contributor),

Michelle Prebich (Illustrator)

Who am I to argue with The Oxford Companion to English Literature who refers to Ramsey Campbell as “Britain's most respected living horror writer.” I would never dare which is why I want to start this review with something I shouldn’t.  It is like giving the terrorists a win but on one of the many horror writer Facebook groups, there is a troll I refuse to name that constantly attacks indie writers and self-published authors. While he is an asshole from time to time he does point out correctly when self-published authors release poorly edited books. The thing is instead of being helpful and supportive he is a dick. Keep in mind he asshole attacks are the only thing the dude is known for.

When he really jumped the shark as a troll was when he attacked Britain's most respected living horror writer in the group. I was surprised that a few people didn’t understand what he was doing or who he was attacking. For real guy you clearly do not know who you are messing with, but I was happy to see many people saying this is Ramsey freaking Campbell you are trolling. The author of The Face That Must Die, The Influence, The Count of Eleven, and The Doll Who Ate His Mother.
To stay he has written classic horror novels and short stories is an understatement.

In the commentary Michael Arnzen correctly points out that Campbell has a knack for titles that are both genius and simple at the same time.  That said I mean he has titles like The Face That Must Die that are over the top and awesome. How can you not be interested in a book with that title?

So Campbell in the Exploring Short Dark Fiction series is a combo I have been waiting for. I have been on record 5 times before that I think Guignard and Arnzen are doing amazing work. These books are pretty, well designed, and overflowing with important commentary. You don’t just get the stories you get insights into the stories. Each volume is like a masterclass in storytelling and that has never been more clear than this edition.  That is because each volume comes with several essays, commentaries, and an interview with the author. Of the six stories, 5 are classics chosen to highlight Campbell’s skill and an original tale.
 
All six stories show a command and skill for genre storytelling that many writers could stand to slow down and look carefully at. That is the power of a book like this. There are moments in each one of the stories we could drill down on. The first story “The Place of Revelation” was not my favorite although it had one of my favorite moments of beautiful prose.

“As soon as you went in the woods you had to step on shadows everywhere, and that was the only way you knew there was still a sun. And the day was so still it felt like the woods were pretending they never breathed, but the shadows kept moving whenever he wasn’t looking-he kept nearly seeing very tall ones hiding behind trees.”

For this horror author reading that prose is like taking an awesome sugary bite of a good cookie. Yum.  It is a very moody and dark piece of coming-of-age horror. Like many of the stories in this collection when you finish it you’ll want to re-read because the ending always seems to provide extra weight to the stories.

The second story The Companion is set in a fairground and the neatest trick of the story is the fairgrounds themselves feel like a living breathing monster. I liked that about. The alternative is one that I feel like I read before, but I could be wrong about that. It is a kind of sleight of hand story about a man living a double life. It has some themes about choice, and how we make them. Only One Copy is a fun story that is about a haunted bookshop. This one is fun for book nerds.

My two favorite stories of the book were the new one The Bill the story and the story of spousal loss in Recently Used. Both stories felt very haunting, each of them has a zinger ending that is clear. Sometimes I feel horror authors use too much mystery in the last moments of stories like these. Recently Used has a looping element and Campbell explores the idea that someone who has lost everything might get stuck repeating the madness of sorrow. It is a powerful story.

The Bill the last story is a moody and sad piece about a character who intends to be good and has a good heart. This story more than the others seems to have a morality and message to the ending. It also has a moment of amazing horror prose.

“As he walked home he couldn’t tell whether a stray animal kept darting ahead of him. He seemed to hear its claws on the pavement, and each time he reached one of the dark gaps between streetlamps he thought it could be there waiting for him.”

Ramsey Campbell is one of the greatest horror writers living and it is moments like these that really hammer it home. If you need a primer to his work then start here for stories and The Face That Must Die for novels. I'll be around and you can thank me later.