By the Light of My Skull - Hardcover

Ramsey Campbell

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1786363305 ISBN 13: 9781786363305

Publisher: PS Publishing, 2018

Synopsis

SYNOPSIS

Before I could prevent myself I jerked up the flashlight beam. What did I see? Not much for long, but far too much. The hands belonged to a shape that occupied all the space on a solitary dilapidated chair. Like the hands, the shape appeared to owe its substance to the grime that was everywhere in the dark. Perhaps the soft insidious sound I heard was demonstrating how restless that substance was, but I had the awful idea that it could be an attempt to breathe. I just had time to glimpse a face eyes as black and unstable as the rest of the lopsided bulk, nostrils desperately dilating, lips that sagged into a helpless grimace and then struggled to produce another expression if not to speak before the figure collapsed...

By the Light of My Skull collects many of Ramsey Campbell s recent tales of supernatural horror and psychological disintegration, and finds disquiet in the most familiar places. A game of Bingo and its calls conceal a dark secret, and the number-plates of cars convey a monstrous message. A headphone commentary guides a visitor to a stately home deep into terror, and the remains of a funfair are unearthed, awakening much worse. A fairy tale is retold for our time both grim and Grimm and a page from a book turns into a tribute to one of the greatest creators of fantasy. A search on a beach brings an uncannily unwelcome helper, and a return to a childhood memory rouses a nightmare. The power of the first great horror film refuses to stay on the screen, and even a Beatles tour contains the seeds of madness. The classically spectral is roused by brass rubbing, and Halloween is celebrated by an apparition. A bird hide conceals an increasingly sinister watcher, and a communication from the dead letter office leads to the restless dead. The passwords we all need these days may work on our nerves, but here they re the source of worse than panic.

The book is illustrated by the award-winning artist J. K. Potter, whose surreal images perfectly complement the nightmares in the prose.

About this title

About the Author

The Oxford Companion to English Literature describes Ramsey Campbell as Britain s most respected living horror writer . He has been given more awards than any other writer in the field, including the Grand Master Award of the World Horror Convention, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Horror Writers Association and the Living Legend Award of the International Horror Guild.

PS has published 19 of his books, among which are the novels: The Darkest Part of the Woods, The Overnight, Secret Story, The Grin of the Dark, Thieving Fear, Creatures of the Pool, The Seven Days of Cain, The Kind Folk, Ghosts Know, Think Yourself Lucky and Thirteen Days by Sunset Beach.

His trilogy The Three Births of Daoloth further develops the cosmic horrors he introduced in his first published book, The Inhabitant of the Lake. The Searching Dead is the first volume, followed by Born to the Dark and culminating with The Way of the Worm.

His PS collections include Told by the Dead, The Inhabitant of the Lake and Just Behind You.

His nonfiction is collected as Ramsey Campbell, Probably, along with Letters to Arkham, S. T. Joshi s compiled and annotated volume of letters between Ramsey and Arkham House founder August Derleth. Lavishly illustrated by Pete Von Sholly, Ramsey Campbell s Limericks of the Alarming and Phantasmal is a history of horror fiction in the form of fifty limericks.

Ramsey Campbell lives with his wife Jenny on Merseyside where he was recently presented by Liverpool John Moores University with an Honorary Fellowship for his outstanding contribution to literature.

Review

Certain themes permeate the stories isolation and the consequences of age among them and there s a sometimes savage lyricism to the writing that can belie the horror within (beautifully expressed in some of the artwork by J.K. Potter). These are stories to savour in the dark nights ahead . . . Verdict: Ramsey Campbell weaves his magic with words once again. 9/10. --Sci-Fi Bulletin

There are scant happy endings in this gripping collection from British horror legend Campbell. Though he rarely breaks from the classic horror structure, Campbell manages to evoke creeping dread from nearly any premise . . . Fans of classic supernatural horror will find this collection has plenty of dark gems to keep them up late at night. --Publishers Weekly

Edition details

• Publisher: PS Publishing
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1786363305
• ISBN 13: 9781786363305
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 300
• Illustrator: J. K. Potter