Ancient Images

Absolutely phenomenal folk horror in disguise. Runs by its own logic set that reveals itself to be wild and creepy in ways unexpected. Great protagonist who we know inside and out by the books conclusion. Deserves to be brought back into print, time to seek out as much Campbell as I can find.

This really wasn't up to Campbell's usual standards and I was surprised. Other than the early apparent suicide of Graham Nolan and presumably a flashback to an earlier death from a car accident (and something else), which both happen in the first 50 pages, nothing much frightening happens in this book. Campbell attempts to build a disturbing atmosphere with vague suggestions that also telegraph all too well what WILL happen in the last 20 pages, but it never works. The confrontation by Sandy with the townspeople, which ultimately leads to nothing, is the only mildly menacing scene. He doesn't even use the incident of the crippled Roger alone dumped at the side of the road to do anything. The final monster(s) and brooding evil turn out show more to be fairly easy to thwart. The ultimate film screening is a big nothing as well.

The premise is also preposterous: a "lost" and suppressed British film called Tower of Fear starring Lugosi and Karloff and a famous director that nobody except a few film buffs seems to know anything about or even knows still exists. It was supposedly suppressed suggestively for being too disturbing (its not it turns out, just personally offensive to one British family and a little prosperous, but deadly, town). The director is considered to be some type of James Whale or Tod Browning type who dies mysteriously in a car crash after the film is made. This is what the flashback presumably is, although a monster supposedly devours whats left of him after the crash, so the death should be more mysterious and notorious than it is actually considered.

This flimsy premise of the novel takes its story from the actually lost silent Lon Chaney Sr. vehicle London After Midnight. Real life people who have actually seen London After Midnight, despite still photographs of Chaney's truly demonic appearance, say the entire film is so laughably silly that it would be considered comic by today's standards. Campbell throws in his usual hippie flourish with the Enoch and his roving pariah caravan tribe looking for a place that will "accept them." There is also an early theme about the rampant meaningless violence, grue, and its sinister adherents in current (for 1989) film and media which is abandoned after the first quarter of the novel; never developed or used again. It was like Campbell just didn't know where to go with it but decided to leave it in as a little social commentary.

Campbell is usually a master of urban horror but the bucolic and only vaguely menacing rural setting for the novel never lets him apply what he is best at. I got the feeling Campbell wanted to try something altogether different, but it ultimately fails.

This is no place to start (but maybe a place to end) with the usually excellent Campbell. show less

Slow Burn Horror...............

Ancient Images by Ramsey Campbell gives you a taste of Lovecraft horror. For the first half of the book, the plot moves slowly. But after that it felt like watching a horror movie. Sandy Allen's character makes a drastic development from the beginning to the end. It is my first time I have read a book by the author. And, I must say that I am really impressed with his writing style. But the book is not for beginners, as the language is little bit difficult. But, a perfect one for horror lovers.

I would like to give 4 stars to the book. Thanks to Netgalley and Random Things Tours for providing me with an opportunity to read and review the book.

urban-fantasy, horror, suspense, thriller, supernatural, 1980s, British, film-industry, twisted,****

This is a reissue of a much earlier book of traditional horror.
The story is creepy, chilling, ghostly and scary. There is the sense of horrors lurking everywhere in the strange yet outwardly idyllic village of Redfield. The whole is centered around a lost film starred by the giants in the field of 1938 horror films but goes way beyond that. Excellent book for fans of the genre!
I requested and received an EARC from Flame Tree Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

Although this book claims to be a 'disturbing' read, I found it more of a suspense novel! It has the makings of a rather good horror movie I should think, for me it failed to raise a shudder at all, a great story none the less.

I liked the part where nothing happened for 280 pages and then everything that did happen was really stupid and happened for no reason.

Definitely a book to read. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time!