By the Light of My Skull

There are scant happy endings in this gripping collection from British horror legend Campbell. Though he rarely breaks from the classic horror structure, Campbell manages to evoke creeping dread from nearly any premise. In “Find My Name,” a grandmother guards her grandson against a fairy tale evil. In “On the Tour,” a washed-up Liverpool drummer becomes increasingly convinced a Beatles bus tour is mocking him. In the unnerving “Reading the Signs,” a master class in constantly increasing tension and dread, a driver picks up a strange man and boy who are not what they seem. “At Lorn Hall” and “Fetched” explore uneasy class dynamics, while other stories feature children lost in the woods, a sinister Bingo game, and Campbell himself in what is hopefully a fictionalized career retrospective. Campbell’s supernatural landscape is thoroughly British, and almost all these characters are in some way isolated. His best works reflect on aging and loss: in “The Fun of the Fair,” a widow discovers the ruins of a macabre fairground, and in “Know Your Code,” a retired couple faces the terrors of dementia. One or two stories are less memorable, but fans of classic supernatural horror will find this collection has plenty of dark gems to keep them up late at night. Agent: John Jarrold, John Jarrold Literary (U.K.). (Oct.)[strong] [/strong]