![]() ![]() When it doesn’t, as with ‘The Announcement’ or ‘Skeleton Woods’, it feels as though Campbell is going through the motions. When it works well, as in ‘Feeling Remains’ or ‘Raised by the Moon,’ the stories have the power to both move and unsettle us. ![]() The idea of misinterpretation – of talk and behaviour – is one recurring trope, as is the figure of the lonely, alienated outsider. For example, mobile phones feature as a key plot element in three of the stories introspective or alienated kids are at the heart of five and teachers and university academics appear in five more. At times he treads a fine line between engaging his readers and tiring them through familiarity. Just Behind You is the first time I’ve read an entire collection of his stories back to back, and while there are a few weak tales whose impact is diminished in comparison to others that deal with similar themes and subject matters, on balance the collection succeeds in portraying Campbell’s distinct and unforgiving world view. ![]() ![]() Since then I’ve read six or seven of his novels and dozens of his stories in various journals and anthologies. I ’ve been a fan of Ramsey Campbell’s fiction for well over thirty years, ever since a friend gave me a copy of the 1983 novel Incarnate. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |