One of the most respected living horror writers in the world, Ramsey Campbell is also one of the least known, with names like Peter Straub, Clive Barker, Stephen King, and Jonathon Carroll leading in ...
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Ramsey Campbell's work is notable for both its focus and its breadth. His novels, short fiction, and even nonfiction always concern, in one way or another, the emotions of fear and horror. Characteris...
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Klein is an American author of horror fiction whose works include the novel The Ceremonies (1984) and the novella collection Dark Gods (1985). In the following excerpt from an essay originally written...
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In the following excerpt, Morrison celebrates Waking Nightmares and Dark Feasts as evidence of the continuing development of Campbell's skill as a writer.
If you're a Campbell enthusi...
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The interview was conducted primarily in July 1991 and updated in December 1992. In the following excerpt from the interview, Campbell talks about the beginning of his career, focusing on his short fi...
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An American editor and critic, Joshi has written extensively on authors of weird fiction and is the leading figure in the field of H. P. Lovecraft scholarship and criticism. He is also the editor of T...
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In the following essay, Joshi traces the influence of H. P. Lovecraft in Campbell's short fiction, noting that Campbell developed his own distinctive literary style in Demons by Daylight.
Al...
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In the following excerpt, MacCulloch explicates Campbell's concept of evil as illustrated in the story "The Guy. "
He believed that the worst murders were inexplicable in term...
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Ryan is the author of short stories and a horror novel. The Kill (1982). In the following excerpt, he praises Campbell's Dark Companions.
Stand in a bookstore, near a display of horror ficti...
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In the following excerpt from a review of the retrospective collection Cold Print, Cannon expresses a preference for Campbell's later stories over his earlier ones, finding them more effective ...
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In the following essay, Campbell discusses the current state of the horror fiction genre.
The tale of supernatural terror often deals with the cyclical nature of things: the ghost that always retur...
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Barker is an English short story writer, novelist, playwright, screenwriter, and film director known especially for the horror stories published in his popular six-volume collection, Clive Barker�...
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An English critic and playwright, Newman is the author of Nightmare Movies (1985), a critical history of horror film since 1968, and coauthor of Ghastly beyond Belief (1985), a celebration of the most...
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An American educator and critic, Sullivan is the author of Elegant Nightmares: The English Ghost Story from Le Fanu to Blackwood (1978) and has edited Lost Souls: A Collection of English Ghost Stories...
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A short story writer, poet, and critic, Crawford is also the editor of Gothic, a journal of Gothic literature studies. He has published essays on such Gothic writers as Robert Aickman, J. S. Le Fanu, ...
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In the following essay, which was written in 1990, Campbell discusses the intent and sources of inspiration for the stories collected in Waking Nightmares.
Horror fiction can be many things. The fi...
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Ramsey Campbell
(John) Ramsey Campbell
Critical Essay by T. E. D. Klein
