Criticism

Crawford, Gary William. Ramsey Campbell. Mercer Island, Wash.: Starmont House, Inc., 1988, 74 p.

Critical survey of Campbell's works, mainly his novels. Crawford provides primary and secondary bibliographies and a concise account of the author's life.

Dziemianowicz, Stefan R. "The Illusion of Control: An Appreciation of Ramsey Campbell." Tekeli-li!: Journal of Terror, No. 3 (Fall 1991): 25-8.

Asserts that Campbell's short fiction, beginning with the collection The Inhabitant of the Lake, depicts horrors originating in the human psyche.

Mariconda, Steven J. A review of Needing Ghosts. Studies in Weird Fiction, No. 9 (Spring 1991): 32-4.

Judges the novella Needing Ghosts "a Campbell tour de force—nearly surreal, a juxtaposition of reality and unreality, with nothing to guide the reader on his terrified journey."

Winter, Douglas E. "Ramsey Campbell." Faces of Fear: Encounters with the Creators of Modern Horror. New York: Berkley Books, 1985, pp. 65-78.

Relates Campbell's thoughts on several subjects, including his psychological approach to characterization and his perception of a tendency toward exaggeration and sensationalism by contemporary horror writers.

Additional coverage of Campbell's life and career is contained in the following sources published by Gale Research: Contemporary Authors, Vols. 57-60; Contemporary Authors New Revision Series, Vol. 7; and Contemporary Literary Criticism, Vol. 42.