But I think it’s even more terrifying to read about someone whose mind and body are no longer their own, when they are forced to commit acts they don’t want to. Sure, it can be terrifying to read about evil people doing terrible things. These ideas of brainwashing, mind control, and perhaps even a bit of spirit possession are horrific because they infringe on the sense of self and one’s free will. Here the touchstones are groups like the Manson family and other cults that reshape the personalities of their members to better fulfill the goals of the group, often to commit violence or other reprehensible acts. In THE NAMELESS Campbell explores issues of identity and self, particularly – and this is where the horror comes in – those people and things that seek to tamper with or even annihilate an individual’s sense of self. (Because of this tendency, I’ve always thought that Campbell’s writing pace is uniquely British.) Though I should note that there was one scene about halfway through that made me really cringe – and not much does – to the extent that I could hardly bear to finish the chapter even though I knew how pivotal it was. That’s not the kind of experience that Campbell offers.

Don’t read this one expecting non-stop action, or even gore. It begins slowly, almost mundanely, with Campbell only gradually ratcheting up the tension. Like a lot of great horror, THE NAMELESS is a slow burn. Seemingly a simple premise, but this is a terrific atmospheric horror tale. She begins to get strange phone calls and gradually picks up circumstantial clues that point to her daughter, who would now be 13, still being alive, perhaps having been kidnapped and brainwashed by a nameless cult. Despite this tragic past, she’s now got a new career, a new home, a boyfriend, and a whole new life. Fast forward a number of years, and the mother has advanced in her career as a very successful literary agent. It all seems so random, so sudden, so senseless. A day or so later, the girl’s body is found, the head obliterated by a shotgun blast. THE NAMELESS begins simply enough: a young widow’s daughter goes missing one day and it rapidly becomes apparent that the girl has been abducted. I’m happy to report that Samhain Publishing has now reprinted Campbell’s THE NAMELESS along with many of his other earlier novels.

THE NAMELESS is one of Campbell’s earliest novels (originally published by Fontana in 1981, then reprinted in successive editions by Tor, Panther, and Warner in the mid-‘80s through the early ‘90s). I first became aware of Campbell’s work years ago through his (continuing) contributions to Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos, but he’s a prolific author of horror and dark fantasy who has penned a great deal of non-Lovecraftian fiction as well. Ramsey Campbell is one of the most celebrated horror authors still writing today.

The Nameless by Ramsey Campbell