Modern Masters #6 Presents: Exploring Dark Fiction: A Primer To Ramsey Campbell was published in 2021 by Dark Moon Books. Edited by Eric J. Guignard, it presents a selection of Ramsey Campbell’s stories, each of which includes commentary by Michael Arnzen, PHD. There’s also an interview with the man himself, along with an essay he contributed entitled My Roots Exhumed. The book contains evocative illustrations throughout by Michelle Prebich. As I’m a huge Campbell fan, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and there were several stories here I hadn’t previously encountered before, which is saying something since I’ve read a lot of them over the years. I highly recommend picking this one up if you’re a fan of Ramsey’s work or of top-notch horror fiction in general.
THE STORIES:
“The Place of Revelation” (2003) – After a young boy is sent to bed by his parents and aunt, his uncle comes up and prompts the boy to tell a story. The story he tells is an eerie one and even when he wants to stop relating it, his uncle pressures him to continue.
“The Companion” (1973) – A man who loves carnivals but suffers from anxiety is directed to an old, rundown carnival. Once there he ends up boarding the car of a Ghost Train ride in order to avoid some shady figures he believes are pursuing him. As the ride moves along, he’s reminded of his childhood fears. I love the fantastic ending of this brilliant, atmospheric tale.
“Recently Used” (2011) – A man receives a call from the hospital that his wife has suffered a bad accident and that he needs to get there as quick as possible. Upon his arrival, he struggles with a frantic journey through the place’s twisting, warped corridors in search of her room, having eerie encounters along the way.
“The Alternative” (1994) – A successful accountant with a happy family life suffers from a recurring dream where his life is drastically different. In that version, he and his family are miserable and living in extreme poverty. In the real world, he finds the downtrodden house where his unfortunate alternative-self resides and recognizes things inside as identical to that of his dreams. He begins to try and secretly assist this divergent family, often at the expense of his own real one. This is an excellent, weird tale!
“One Copy Only” (2002) – A judge by day, who spends her downtime reading all manner of fantasy books, finds herself growing weary of her favorite author’s new, recently-adopted prose style. After discovering a bookshop called Books Forever, she happily accepts recommendations from the seller there. While enjoyable, these recommended books are all geared toward younger readers. When she asks for something meant for a more adult market, he directs her to an upstairs room which features a large collection of never before seen books by classic authors, including one by her favorite, Clarence Cole Hope, called The Glorious Brethren. The only drawback is that these books can only be read in that room and never removed from it. There’s something magical about the place which only a select few are permitted to enter. Later it’s revealed to contain completed works which were left unfinished by the authors during their lifetime (Edwin Drood, etc.). This superbly written story will particularly appeal to book lovers.
“The Bill” (2017) – After an Optician is given a handbill which reads, “sEE YOu nEXT tIME” he begins to see and smell something around him from time to time. It reminds him of a terrible mistake he made back in his teen days, the consequences of which he’s never been able to forgive himself. It seems something from his past has returned.
U.S. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Dark-Short-Fiction-Campbell/dp/1949491161
U.K. Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Exploring-Dark-Short-Fiction-Campbell-ebook/dp/B098LD4YVL
Article by Matt Cowan
Horror Delve 