Subtle mastery, that propels the novel forward. Movie, the paranoia and distrust, which Campbell conveys with such His fictional cinematic creations and their intersection with real-life movie culture isn't cute or self-aware, nor is it pretentious or faux-intellectual (*cough* Flicker *cough*), it simply is.īut it's the creeping unease when dealing with those who helped make the She even hangs out with a disreputable group of grungy young movie fans who put out a gore zine. Sandy meets the editors and designers and and writers and actors who were involved with Tower of Fear, and as I said, it's a pleasure to read Sandy is a smart and capable character. Even Sandy's parents are put off by it, although Dad admits, 'Neither your mother nor I have heard of it, though it's the kind of thing we would have lapped up before the war changed all that.' To a one they seem agitated, even fearful, to have Tower of Fear brought up again and again many principals are aging and their adult children don't want their parents bothered by some trash horror nonsense from long ago. What sinister force made this movie such a troubled production, caused it to be banned, led its makers and stars into seclusion, secrecy, even death? I mean, I love this kinda shit!Ĭampbell shines as he creates the unique characters Sandy meets. Like so many novels before and since, this research quest is a pleasure to read. The mystery grows, for director Giles Spence was killed in a carĪccident just after filming ended. A measured, mature, and well-paced thriller that finds the prolific modern master Campbell plying his quiet horror trade in top form, I devoured this book in a matter of days, eager to get back to it every time I had to put it down.Īrmed with Graham's notebook that contains contact info of people who'd worked on and starred in the film so many decades before, Sandy begins tracking them down, determined to save Graham's reputation. So I'm well chuffed to report that Ramsey Campbell's 1989 novel Ancient Images (Tor paperback, June 1990, art by Gary Smith) ticks all those boxes successfully. Rural landscapes, taciturn locals, primitive religious and cult practices, and doomed interlopers are the essential tropes that form the basis for this always-fascinating pocket of horror. Fans have long spoken of the rustic, pagan, creepy charms of books and movies like Harvest Home, Blood on Satan's Claw, The Wicker Man (based on the near-forgotten 1967 novel Ritual by David Pinner), Witchfinder General, The Ceremonies, 'Children of the Corn,' 'The Lottery,' most recently Midsommar, and of course back to the greats like Arthur Machen.

Folk horror has been enjoying a resurgence in popularity in recent years, but it is certainly not a new subgenre.

Ancient Images by Ramsey Campbell