Customer Reviews

Conference with the Dead

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4 star:		(1)
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I first discovered Lamsley's fiction when he was printed in the old DAW's Year's Best Horror edited by the late Karl Wagner. The story that I initially read was truly unique and exhibited a style and a voice and a point of view that was completely new. So I did not hesistate to purchase CONFERENCE WITH THE DEAD as soon as I learned of it.

I was not disappointed, and the years between my discovery of his work and the appearance of this collection have not diminished my impression. Lamsley's stories are just as I recalled them. His is a singular voice with a style unlike that of any of his contemporaries. His stories are extremely well executed, and very, very disturbing.

I look forward to his next collection.

The author of this book is one of the leading lights among the proponents of the kind of darkness (rather oxymoronic statement, I am afraid) that is envisioned by the followers of M.R. James. The stories are of a very high quality, and they are so polished that you would feel rather disheartened if you try to detect the tell-tale signs of craftwork in these stories (for that, you may go back to his first collection: "Under The Crust"). The contents are: -

(*) Introduction by Ramsey Campbell

1) Walking the Dog
2) Blade and Bone
3) The Break
4) Someone to Dump On
5) Running in the Family
6) Screens
7) The Toddler
8) The Outer Darkness
9) Inheritance
10) The Extension

Among all these stories, the most 'Jamesian' kind would be "Blade and Bone", while all others are of the most superior quality. BUT, I was rather stunned to find that in all these stories the protagonists, without doing anything wrong, kept coming to most unsavoury ends at the hands of the nasties, without any chance of retribution in sight. Some of these stories also veered towards Lucius Shepard territory, where you know that something horrifying is going to take place, but neither you nor the author nor even the protagonist shows the inclination to save himself/herself. Pretty frustrating in the end, and hence one star knocked off! Otherwise, a very good collection of horrifying stories, with emphasis upon the inflicting of pain & sorrow, and NOT on the supernatural.