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3.25 AVERAGE
3.25 AVERAGE
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Three stars because of some plot holes and unresolved elements. Four stars for the awesome creepiness and imagination.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It took a little bit for me to really get into this one, but by the time I got a third of the way through the plot started to pick up. I found the writing a little choppy at times, but that worked later on in the more tense scenes when the mystery and terror became more prominent. As a movie lover, I enjoyed the concept - I just wanted some parts of the story to be a bit more fleshed out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Sexual content, Blood
Minor: Homophobia
I think that Ramsey Campbell is one of our genre authors who should be better known. Although you might not recognise the name, he’s a World Fantasy Award winner, an editor, anthologist, reviewer and critic. Quietly constructing his own Horror stories for over 40 years, Ramsey has honed his craft to become a master of producing stories that create unease – as well as the odd Grand Guignol tale as well! There’s M. R. James-ian ghost stories, Lovecraft homages, Clive Barker-like bloodbaths and pretty much everything in-between.
With well over 50 books published, rather like Stephen King, it can be difficult to know where to start. However, this one’s not a bad one in my opinion.
Sandy Allen is a film editor, whose friend Graham Nolan has, at last, unearthed a copy of the long-lost black and white movie named Tower of Fear starring Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. Accepting an offer for a personal viewing, Sandy finds Graham apparently committing suicide and the film missing.
Sandy, with her friend and co-colleague Toby, are determined to find the film and the reason for Graham’s death, which they believe was not suicide.
As they follow a trail attempted to meet people involved in the production of the film for clues, mysterious events suggest that there is more to the film than they realised. There’s the suicide, of course, but also the odd circumstances and death of one of the film’s comedic double-acts, not to mention the people who suddenly refuse to answer their phones or respond to enquiries. Many believe that the film is cursed and refuse to even talk about it.
The search is not easy. Nevertheless, the rest of the book deals with Sandy’s findings which lead to an idyllic Lincolnshire village named Redfield whose landowner family is connected to the film and its suppression.
Following my brief description of Ramsey’s work above, anyone expecting a slash-horror story here will be sadly mistaken. Instead, I found Ancient Images to be a slow burner, one that began with a hook and then built up the tension until the end. There are icky moments, admittedly, but they are far outweighed by the descriptions of the seemingly ordinary British way of life, whilst in the shadows things lurk. As good as Ramsey is at describing bucolic ‘Britishness’, it is always an undertone where someone’s watching you, that something is not quite right. This is emphasised in the village of Redfield where Archers type rurality turns into Wicker-Man-like events.
This is further emphasised by experiences happening that at times seem dreamlike and unreal, experienced by Sandy in particular. Are they nightmares created by tension and stress, or are these something else, even something real? Ramsey’s prose often creates this sense of vagueness and ambiguity, but then adds some contrasting, even startling, descriptions along the way to jolt you back to what is the everyday.
It’s not entirely perfect, although I enjoyed it a great deal. Most of the characters are fairly simple and relatively undeveloped. I must admit that talk of using typewriters, having change to use in a phone box and the need to go out and do physical research did throw me a little at first. (The book’s a reissue, first published 1989 – no Google, internet or mobile phones here!**)
The chapter where Sandy meets a group of film buffs who write a fanzine named Gorehound and spend their time with degraded bootleg VHS tape copies for their entertainment also aged this, but could equally apply today – I’m reminded of the ongoing search for Dr. Who episodes, for example. Despite the feeling that today Social Media and Google would make much of this book redundant, much of the book feels quaintly historical and yet still relevant over 30 years on.
Occasionally there’s a feeling that there’s an odd coincidence too many, or that things all interconnect too conveniently, but generally the flow of the plot and the tension created by the need to solve the mystery keep things moving along nicely.
Lastly, I must admit that a welcome addition to this edition is the afterword written by Ramsey in 2011, in which he gives us some context. Ramsey tells us that the book is partly inspired by classic cinema and reminds us that the book was written at a time when “video nasties” were reviled by the British media. It is (rather like Ramsey himself!) thoughtful, self-depreciating and gently critical.
In short then, Ancient Images is a novel that is ‘of a time’, an impressively quick and deceptively effortless read, that draws you in and kept me reading. It’s not a bad place to start the Campbell experience.
* Ring by Koji Suzuki was actually published two years after Ancient Images.
**And just to put that in perspective – also published in 1989: Midnight by Dean Koontz, The Dark Half by Stephen King, Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett and Hyperion by Dan Simmons.
With well over 50 books published, rather like Stephen King, it can be difficult to know where to start. However, this one’s not a bad one in my opinion.
Sandy Allen is a film editor, whose friend Graham Nolan has, at last, unearthed a copy of the long-lost black and white movie named Tower of Fear starring Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. Accepting an offer for a personal viewing, Sandy finds Graham apparently committing suicide and the film missing.
Sandy, with her friend and co-colleague Toby, are determined to find the film and the reason for Graham’s death, which they believe was not suicide.
As they follow a trail attempted to meet people involved in the production of the film for clues, mysterious events suggest that there is more to the film than they realised. There’s the suicide, of course, but also the odd circumstances and death of one of the film’s comedic double-acts, not to mention the people who suddenly refuse to answer their phones or respond to enquiries. Many believe that the film is cursed and refuse to even talk about it.
The search is not easy. Nevertheless, the rest of the book deals with Sandy’s findings which lead to an idyllic Lincolnshire village named Redfield whose landowner family is connected to the film and its suppression.
Following my brief description of Ramsey’s work above, anyone expecting a slash-horror story here will be sadly mistaken. Instead, I found Ancient Images to be a slow burner, one that began with a hook and then built up the tension until the end. There are icky moments, admittedly, but they are far outweighed by the descriptions of the seemingly ordinary British way of life, whilst in the shadows things lurk. As good as Ramsey is at describing bucolic ‘Britishness’, it is always an undertone where someone’s watching you, that something is not quite right. This is emphasised in the village of Redfield where Archers type rurality turns into Wicker-Man-like events.
This is further emphasised by experiences happening that at times seem dreamlike and unreal, experienced by Sandy in particular. Are they nightmares created by tension and stress, or are these something else, even something real? Ramsey’s prose often creates this sense of vagueness and ambiguity, but then adds some contrasting, even startling, descriptions along the way to jolt you back to what is the everyday.
It’s not entirely perfect, although I enjoyed it a great deal. Most of the characters are fairly simple and relatively undeveloped. I must admit that talk of using typewriters, having change to use in a phone box and the need to go out and do physical research did throw me a little at first. (The book’s a reissue, first published 1989 – no Google, internet or mobile phones here!**)
The chapter where Sandy meets a group of film buffs who write a fanzine named Gorehound and spend their time with degraded bootleg VHS tape copies for their entertainment also aged this, but could equally apply today – I’m reminded of the ongoing search for Dr. Who episodes, for example. Despite the feeling that today Social Media and Google would make much of this book redundant, much of the book feels quaintly historical and yet still relevant over 30 years on.
Occasionally there’s a feeling that there’s an odd coincidence too many, or that things all interconnect too conveniently, but generally the flow of the plot and the tension created by the need to solve the mystery keep things moving along nicely.
Lastly, I must admit that a welcome addition to this edition is the afterword written by Ramsey in 2011, in which he gives us some context. Ramsey tells us that the book is partly inspired by classic cinema and reminds us that the book was written at a time when “video nasties” were reviled by the British media. It is (rather like Ramsey himself!) thoughtful, self-depreciating and gently critical.
In short then, Ancient Images is a novel that is ‘of a time’, an impressively quick and deceptively effortless read, that draws you in and kept me reading. It’s not a bad place to start the Campbell experience.
* Ring by Koji Suzuki was actually published two years after Ancient Images.
**And just to put that in perspective – also published in 1989: Midnight by Dean Koontz, The Dark Half by Stephen King, Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett and Hyperion by Dan Simmons.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
The disappearance of a haunted film meets an ancient folk horror. I loved loved loved this! The relationship between Sandy and Graham was so unique and really got me invested beyond my love for all the familiar tropes - plenty of mysteries start with a girlfriend or a child or a friend dying, but few star a young woman seeking to fulfill the last wish of a dear mentor who helped her build her career. Also, since I’ve started my horror novel kick, this is the first book to genuinely creep me out! I think because Campbell is a master of subtle one-liners that make your skin absolutely crawl.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
One of those books that changes genre/plot halfway through. Starts out as a dark-mystery of a young woman who, after the death of a friend, takes over his research into an old horror movie whose cast/crew either deny the existence of it or refuse to talk about it, or whom have died in mysterious circumstances. The 2nd half of the book is a folk horror.
I found the mystery more engaging and interesting than the first, but the change in genre/plot makes much of the first half of the book irrelevant. The author also overdoes the same techniques for building suspense over and over (the main character sees a glimpse of something sinister out of the corner of her eye, which turns out to probably be innocuous on just about every page it seems) and for every well crafted sequence there's a dull friend to accompany it. There's no real dramatic conclusion, it just sort of peters out and ends on a ho-hum level.
The 1st half mystery element is generally interesting though, even if I felt the relationship between the main character and her dead friend was never developed enough to make me understand why she then goes to the lengths she goes to to continue his work.
The best aspect of the book is the actual prose, Campbell has a deceptively simple style which feels like an old friend sat in a pub telling you a story, which is as well because it this was an even slightly challenging read, I wouldn't have finished. If someone in a pub told me this story my response might be, "so what?"
Probably just enough promise to make me be up for reading another Campbell book down the line, but that's about it.
I found the mystery more engaging and interesting than the first, but the change in genre/plot makes much of the first half of the book irrelevant. The author also overdoes the same techniques for building suspense over and over (the main character sees a glimpse of something sinister out of the corner of her eye, which turns out to probably be innocuous on just about every page it seems) and for every well crafted sequence there's a dull friend to accompany it. There's no real dramatic conclusion, it just sort of peters out and ends on a ho-hum level.
The 1st half mystery element is generally interesting though, even if I felt the relationship between the main character and her dead friend was never developed enough to make me understand why she then goes to the lengths she goes to to continue his work.
The best aspect of the book is the actual prose, Campbell has a deceptively simple style which feels like an old friend sat in a pub telling you a story, which is as well because it this was an even slightly challenging read, I wouldn't have finished. If someone in a pub told me this story my response might be, "so what?"
Probably just enough promise to make me be up for reading another Campbell book down the line, but that's about it.
I am so glad I do not have to drive anywhere tonight! I love Ramsey Campbell's "what's that hiding in the shadows?" horror. His stuff is just so organic and textured. He is one of the few authors I read that can make me actually smell something. I squealed aloud numerous times during this book. Spooky!
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Greatly enjoyed this book! Excellent research and use of setting add a great deal to this book!
This book is about a search for a lost film from the early 19th century, set in 1988. The protagonist, Sandy, is searching for it after a tragic accident and encounters much more than she expected. Sandy is honestly such a well written character, independent and intelligent while also being vulnerable to the horrors she uncovers, which helps the reader fully relate and transfers some of the shivers to them. Lots of other interesting and colorful characters are in the book, I'm especially fond of Roger who is Sandy's helper in the search.
Quite a bit of commentary of the horror movie genre here, especially from the British viewpoint. As a horror enjoyer, this was right up my alley and Campbell makes several points that I actually found quite interesting.
Overall, this book is the perfect mix of dread, mystery, and hope for horror enjoyers. I'm definitely planning on reading Campbell's other works now, and I hope they are as good as this one.
Cw: animal death (cats), mild discussions of gore
This book is about a search for a lost film from the early 19th century, set in 1988. The protagonist, Sandy, is searching for it after a tragic accident and encounters much more than she expected. Sandy is honestly such a well written character, independent and intelligent while also being vulnerable to the horrors she uncovers, which helps the reader fully relate and transfers some of the shivers to them. Lots of other interesting and colorful characters are in the book, I'm especially fond of Roger who is Sandy's helper in the search.
Quite a bit of commentary of the horror movie genre here, especially from the British viewpoint. As a horror enjoyer, this was right up my alley and Campbell makes several points that I actually found quite interesting.
Overall, this book is the perfect mix of dread, mystery, and hope for horror enjoyers. I'm definitely planning on reading Campbell's other works now, and I hope they are as good as this one.
Cw: animal death (cats), mild discussions of gore
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes