Robert R. McCammon
Author of Swan Song
About the Author
Robert R. McCammon is a popular horror fiction writer. He was born in 1952 in Birmingham, Alabama and attended the University of Alabama. After college he spent a number of years working in advertising for bookstores in Birmingham, where he still lives. McCammon's first novel, "Baal," was published show more in 1978. He quickly joined the group of horror writers that includes Stephen King, Dean R. Koontz, and Anne Rice, who write suspenseful stories with modern-day settings. He has published over two dozen books to date. With the publication of "Boy's Life" in 1991, McCammon left behind the horror genre, noting that he finds real life horrifying enough these days. While there are some aspects of the supernatural in "Boy's Life," it is more a story of growing up in a small Southern town. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Works by Robert R. McCammon
A Little Amber Book of Wicked Shots 7 copies
Eat Me 4 copies
The Miracle Mile [short fiction] 3 copies
Pin [short fiction] 3 copies
The Deep End 2 copies
On a Beautiful Summer's Day He Was 2 copies
Il canto di Swan (Fanucci Editore) 2 copies
1990 - Mine v4 2 copies
2015 1 copy
Best Friends [short story] 1 copy
The Red House 1 copy
The Thang 1 copy
Die Schwarze Pyramide 1 copy
Wandernde Seelen 1 copy
The Listener 1 copy
Associated Works
Hollywood Ghosts: Haunting, Spine-Chilling Stories from America's Film Capital (American Ghost Series) (1991) — Contributor — 12 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- McCammon, Robert R.
- Legal name
- McCammon, Robert Rick
- Other names
- McCammon, Robert R.
- Birthdate
- 1952-07-17
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Places of residence
- Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Education
- University of Alabama (Journalism)
- Occupations
- novelist
- Awards and honors
- Bram Stoker Award (Short Story, 1987) "The Deep End" (Short Story ∙ 1987)
Bram Stoker Award (Short Story, 1989) "Eat Me" (Short Story ∙ 1989)
World Fantasy Award Nominee (Short Story ∙ 1985)
World Fantasy Award Nominee (Novella, 1988) "Best Friends" (Novella ∙ 1988)
World Horror Convention Grand Master Award (2008)
Members
Discussions
THE DEEP ONES: "Black Boots" by Robert McCammon in The Weird Tradition (May 2023)
Disfigured faces later change to reflect a persons heart in Name that Book (August 2015)
horror book twin brothers powers in Name that Book (September 2012)
Sci Fi - post apocalytic -diease that causes face to crystalize calcifi in Name that Book (April 2012)
Anyone remember They Thirst? in Thing(amabrarian)s That Go Bump in the Night (August 2011)
Robert McCammon's Speaks the Nightbird/The Queen of Bedlam in Thing(amabrarian)s That Go Bump in the Night (July 2008)
Reviews
Speaks the Nightbird by Robert R. McCammon
this book is in desperate need of editing. it is way too long. the first quarter of the book or so does not pertain to the plot of the book. It establishes the element of illness for a character, which could have been done in another way, in much less time.
Horror, thriller, kidnapping, action adventure - this book has it all. Definitely a wild read and an addicting page turner. I am a huge Robert McCammon fan and this novel did not disappoint. Highly recommended.
Telepathic Talking & Listening
Review of the Audible Studios audiobook (February 27, 2018) narrated by Marc Vietor released simultaneously with the Cemetary Dance Publications hardcover original.
I'd never read anything from Robert McCammon previously, but after reading a recent enthusiastic 5-star review of Boy's Life (1991) from GR friend Debbie Y I decided I had to check him out. Coincidentally a mid-March 2024 Audible 1/2 price sale provided this copy of The Listener shortly afterwards, so I dipped in with this shorter work.
This was a completely engaging crime story set mostly in 1934 New Orleans during the heart of the so-called "public enemies" era. The Lindbergh kidnapping (1932) and Bonnie & Clyde's rampage (ended in 1934) are reference points. A trio of small-time grifters come together to stage a double-kidnapping from a wealthy family. The villains are cold-blooded and merciless but unbeknowst to them, one of their victims has a special talent of telepathy which is connected to a similarly gifted teenage Red-Cap porter who works at the local railway station. As the porters in that era were exclusively Black-Americans this book also somewhat ties in to my recent read of Suzette Mayr's The Sleeping Car Porter (2022).
The story is harrowing enough on its own and may not have needed the supernatural connection element, but obviously some method of tracing and solving the crime was needed, so you just have to accept that sort of Stephen Kingish element to the story. I thought all of this was well done, and the narration by Marc Vietor in all voices was excellent as well.
There was an further element of peril added towards the end which did take it over the top somewhat though and a bit of a downbeat ending kept it out of 5-star territory for me. Still McCammon is terrific in atmosphere and scene setting and in the portrayal of the culprits who are chilling in the extreme (some of them more than others). I look forward to further McCammons in the future!
Trivia and Links
The foggy grey-white cover of both the English language hardcover and the audiobook editions has to be one of the dullest ever designed. Foreign language edition cover designs such as Момчето, което чуваше всичко and Słuchacz and Слышащий did so much more.… (more)
Review of the Audible Studios audiobook (February 27, 2018) narrated by Marc Vietor released simultaneously with the Cemetary Dance Publications hardcover original.
I'd never read anything from Robert McCammon previously, but after reading a recent enthusiastic 5-star review of Boy's Life (1991) from GR friend Debbie Y I decided I had to check him out. Coincidentally a mid-March 2024 Audible 1/2 price sale provided this copy of The Listener shortly afterwards, so I dipped in with this shorter work.
This was a completely engaging crime story set mostly in 1934 New Orleans during the heart of the so-called "public enemies" era. The Lindbergh kidnapping (1932) and Bonnie & Clyde's rampage (ended in 1934) are reference points. A trio of small-time grifters come together to stage a double-kidnapping from a wealthy family. The villains are cold-blooded and merciless but unbeknowst to them, one of their victims has a special talent of telepathy which is connected to a similarly gifted teenage Red-Cap porter who works at the local railway station. As the porters in that era were exclusively Black-Americans this book also somewhat ties in to my recent read of Suzette Mayr's The Sleeping Car Porter (2022).
The story is harrowing enough on its own and may not have needed the supernatural connection element, but obviously some method of tracing and solving the crime was needed, so you just have to accept that sort of Stephen Kingish element to the story. I thought all of this was well done, and the narration by Marc Vietor in all voices was excellent as well.
There was an further element of peril added towards the end which did take it over the top somewhat though and a bit of a downbeat ending kept it out of 5-star territory for me. Still McCammon is terrific in atmosphere and scene setting and in the portrayal of the culprits who are chilling in the extreme (some of them more than others). I look forward to further McCammons in the future!
Trivia and Links
The foggy grey-white cover of both the English language hardcover and the audiobook editions has to be one of the dullest ever designed. Foreign language edition cover designs such as Момчето, което чуваше всичко and Słuchacz and Слышащий did so much more.… (more)
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Statistics
- Works
- 88
- Also by
- 42
- Members
- 17,632
- Popularity
- #1,252
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 548
- ISBNs
- 398
- Languages
- 13
- Favorited
- 73