By the Light of My Skullcollects many of Ramsey Campbell’s recent tales of supernatural horrorand psychological disintegration, and finds disquiet in the mostfamiliar places. A game of Bingo and its calls conceal a dark secret,and the number-plates of cars convey a monstrous message. A headphonecommentary guides a visitor to a stately home deep into terror, and theremains of a funfair are unearthed, awakening much worse. A fairy taleis retold for our time – both grim and Grimm – and a page from a bookturns into a tribute to one of the greatest creators of fantasy. Asearch on a beach brings an uncannily unwelcome helper, and a return to achildhood memory rouses a nightmare. The power of the first greathorror film refuses to stay on the screen, and even a Beatles tourcontains the seeds of madness. The classically spectral is roused bybrass rubbing, and Halloween is celebrated by an apparition. A bird hideconceals an increasingly sinister watcher, and a communication from thedead letter office leads to the restless dead. The passwords we allneed these days may work on our nerves, but here they’re the source ofworse than panic.The book is illustrated by the award-winningartist J. K. Potter, whose surreal images perfectly complement thenightmares in the prose.