Dead but Dreaming

by Ramsey Campbell, Kevin Ross (Editor), Keith Herber (Editor)

Fifteen tales of Lovecraft-inspired Cosmic Horror from Ramsey Campbell, Adam Niswander, Stephen Mark Rainey, Darrell Schweitzer, and others."The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." H.P. Lovecraft

Genres: Horror, Lovecraftian, Cthulhu Mythos, Fiction, Anthologies

Paperback

First published April 15, 2002

About the author

Ramsey Campbell is a British writer considered by a number of critics to be one of the great masters of horror fiction. T. E. D. Klein has written that "Campbell reigns supreme in the field today," while S. T. Joshi has said that "future generations will regard him as the leading horror writer of our generation, every bit the equal of Lovecraft or Blackwood."

Reviews

[Henrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

FEBRUARY 18

"Why We Do It" by Darrell Schweitzer:

Short (3 pages!) tale about a young man returning to outback with his girlfriend--where things turn out to be quite occult... And pity the girl;-)

This story doesn't quite live up to the excellent goal of the editors, Kevin Ross & Keith Herber (who wrote Ramsey Campbell as editor/author for this book? He's a contributor), but still manages to stay on the right side of clichés, in my opinion.

FEBRUARY 22:

"Salt Air" by Mike Minnis:

A very nice Kingsport story (with a little dash of Arkham). Minnis manages to weave great, brooding atmosphere without stealing from the masters--he has a quite unique writing style, I think, especially in this particular sub-genre. Short sentences. But to the point. And it's working.

A professor with the last name Gammell (rings a bell?) is advised to take a sabbatical and it is decided that Kingsport is the right place for him. The narrator promises to visit him, even if he has weird memories from childhood when his family once visited that dark place. And he keeps his promise... Unfortunately;-)

A story I greatly enjoyed.

"The Disciple" by David Barr Kirtley:

A freshman wants desperately to impress Professor Brose. And the fact that he is so mediocre to barely even be noticed at all doesn't help things for the frustrated freshman narrator.

What could have been a mediocre Mythos tale about a dark cult turns out to have a surprising, well-managed twist. I very much liked this one.

FEBRUARY 25:

"Epiphany: A Flying Tiger's Story" by Stephen Mark Reiney:

Probably my favorite so far in this anthology. Reiney has composed a tale with a different, quite original setting and with wonderful imaginary scenes of cosmicism. The latter in particular is rare nowadays. And while the ending borders on the "haha, it was all only a dream" (which could have turned the story into an all-time bummer) it is cleverly wrapped up so it doesn't end like that, but in a much more satisfying, eerie way.

There were a few times where the "humans are immensely tiny and insignificant" card was overplayed, I think (since it was too early and too little had happened), but besides a nice action-introduction with airplanes fighting the tale also delivers otherwise very credible characterizations of a lone person's mounting (if, probably, justified) paranoia and dread, as the night closes in on him hanging up there in the trees of an unknown jungle with unknown sounds and wildlife... And, even more scary, without sounds, at a certain point...

Hugely recommended. Rainey is always a writer whose stories are worth more than a casual glance.

MARCH 5:

"Bangkok Rules" by Patrick Lestewka:

A story with a high disgust-factor. I liked this story about the narrator (a hitman) who goes to a meeting with his boss--and there things go awfully wrong.

The classic "hardboiled investigator voice" works well enough, but I found the narrator's sudden thoughts of "unspeakable" things, creatures that "have sat by and watched solar systems burnt and faded" (p. 44) and suchlike unbelievable and off-beat, since he didn't strike me as a kind of person who'd contemplate things enough to see things in a more cosmic view. And the actual situation he's in doesn't warrant these kinds of metaphysical thoughts, that's for sure, horrible as it is. And neither is there time to think it through.

MARCH 8:

"Through the Cracks" by Walt Jarvis:

Schizophrenia and other mental disorders are obvious story elements in a horror story. This is one such story. It is one of those with the underlying question: "What if (some) schizophrenia is not a disorder after all, but something dealing with the truth?"

I enjoyed this tale, and think Jarvis manages to tell it in a credible tone of voice as well as having a story that is interesting enough to read to the end. The schizophrenia element is, however, quite over-used in the horror genre; and is in many ways a version of the "(maybe) it was all a dream, after all" plot device. A device I have my problems with; too easy, so to speak.

It also borders on the Lovecraftian/Cthulhu Mythos line of things--and the Invisibles to me seem too interested in human affairs, and with human-like emotions, to be Lovecraftian--but I understand why it's in this collection.

Well told, though, and recommended.

MARCH 10:

"The Thing Beyond the Stars" by Robin Morris:

The spirit of this tale is genuine Lovecraftian, in terms of cosmicism. That alone is worth reading it:-)

Unfortunately, in my opinion, the author tells it in too dry a voice, creating a distance between the dreadful consequences and the unmeasurable scope of the story & its conclusions. It's quite well if you want a straight scientific narrative, but less so if you also want (as I do) a horror tale.

Lovecraft managed the combination of both. Morris doesn't, but I still give huge kudos to the sheer scope of this sci-fi tale spelling out the doom of mankind. Now living on several planets in the universe doesn't help mankind at all--at best it postpones the inevitable.

MARCH 13:

"The Unseen Battle" by Brian Scott Hiebert:

A fairly low-key tale well illustrating horrors of war. We only hear about the war through a person who is diagnosed with shell shock, but enough to get an idea that it's not funny.

The tale was okay, but something about the dialogues didn't really sound true. For instance, when something absolutely unforeseen and dangerous happens in the small society, the protagonist's mother--in haste and bewildered about everything--replies her daughter's question with a sort of well-reasoned (almost logical) sentences, going carefully from A to B to C... It did not ring true; it was "written talk", not real life talk, which it is supposed to imitate. In real life most people would answer much briefer, and mention the immediate danger (in the story's reply this is instead only mentioned in the "conclusion") first, at least.

MARCH 16:

"Final Draft" by David Annandale:

This is the highlight so far for me! And that's an accomplishment.

In this story the narrator is invited to a small, insignificant village where an oddly huge cathedral that no-one have ever really heard of resides. And as he tries to uncover it's history and age things turn more and more strange and eerie--even downright disturbing.

Let me put it this way: The angles are certainly wrong!

Annandale does an amazing job at creating vivid, bizarre scenes where the Lovecraftian core is splendidly combined with a nighmare vision Escher's drawings. And as the story nears its horrible conclusion the loosening of reality as we know it speeds up, so even the odd Escher-like scenes are left behind.

Wow!


MAY 11:

"Fire Breathing" by Mehitobel Wilson:

A story about a radio DJ and the stars and music influencing his own voice system... In a not so nice way;-)

At first I didn't like this story much--but as the threads started to show themselves as we neared the end, and in fact things started to unravel in a dark, inescapable manner I was hooked and ended up thinking this was among the top stories I've read in this collection so far. Kudos to the (several-times award winning) author for that!

And the ending. I shudder! Poor protagonist!


MAY 17:

"The Other Names" by Ramsey Campbell:

I am a great admirer of Campbell, but this tale isn't one of his best.

I like the idea well enough--spooky house, kids and the way they can be rather mean to each other, a boy who is rather enstranged to his parents... And a mysterious book found in said spooky house.

But what ends up as a kind of revenge tale with hints of something larger at play didn't work for me. 2 or 3 stars.

AUGUST 23:

"Bayer's Tale" by Adam Niswander:

Cops are sent out to investigate what turns out to be the grim result of a dark rite. We follow the protagonist as this is uncovered and in the end he faces an unbelievable horror from the ocean.

Something about the opening scene and the rest of the tale's approach to the story didn't match, in my opinion. I also found that too much was given away too early (about halfway in). And the "villain" (the human one, anyway) makes a telephone call I didn't believe in.

The odd thing is that I liked the protagonist well enough and I found the tone of voice credible and suitable realistic in this Mythos & Private Detective Noir set in our time. The plot was also interesting enough. Too bad it crashed with the aforementioned elements, sigh.

3 stars.

AUGUST 25:

"The Call of Cthulhu: The Motion Picture" by Lisa Morton:

On the whole this one was okay and entertaining. I was intrigued by the idea of some cult (it turns out) wanting to make a movie of HPL's "The Call of Cthulhu." The protagonist is a screenwriter who is hired to write the screenplay... And who is visited by HPL talking to him in dreams and helping him write the film adaption...

Unfortunately I am too much of an HPL geek to ignore that the HPL depicted is the boring cliché and not the "real" man. It bugged me, to state it bluntly. In my opinion it would not have detracted from the story to have a more correct HPL appear on the scene--even if it turns out he is no longer human. As it is, it was instead a huge distraction.

The ending turns the story into a kind of In the Mouth of Madness (the film directed by John carpenter), but instead of books it is a film that is the "religion" bringing forth the ancient horrors. In casu Cthulhu Himself.

Neat.

DECEMBER 11, 2011:

"The Aklo" by Loren Macleod:

This one certainly has a Lovecraftian ambition: Archaeology and the theme of "deep time" and ancient, horrible races.

As a whole, though, I wasn't entirely convinced. It's a matter of style preferences, I suspect, but the story's narrative -- everything is supposed to be "from the papers of Nigel Moresby" (p. 19) -- was simply too detached to work for me. This approach is a difficult one, and it can be very succesfull (HPL's stories are clear evidence of that), but it can also destroy a story, in spite of the underlying good idea. Now, I won't say the story is destroyed, it was fascinating and I did want to see how things ended, but it did not grab me on a more emotional level -- something that e.g. HPL himself excelled in doing: Combining the dry language of scientists' journals and said scientists' emotional reaction to the horrors they experience.

A good effort, though.

DECEMBER 18, 2011:

"Under an Invisible Shadow" by David Bain:

Mankind is doomed, and a character (supposedly HPL or someone very much like him?) writes down some notes about it. That's essentially the premis of this story.

I were fairly entertained and can appreciate the idea. The execution could have been better, though. Some of it is because of the too brief scenes presented (although, intellectually I can see the idea with this) and some of it is because of the talk of "The Invisible Lovecraftian Terror" within the narrative.

All in all a good, if a little uneven, collection.

(Received this one Feb. 17, as a gift from a friend in the US.)

[Phil Berdecio · Rating 4 out of 5]

When one looks at many of the hundreds of volumes of Lovecraftian fiction that have been published, it's difficult to avoid the conclusion that many of the lesser Mythos stories were slapped together merely to serve as a stage for the sudden appearance of one of those familiar tentacled monsters, with stock characters and familiar locales such as Innsmouth or Dunwich hastily sketched out with just enough detail to prod you into reading on to the predictable conclusion. Typically, the more effective contemporary Lovecraftian tales avoid direct reference to the Mythos and its pantheon/bestiary, instead drawing on the more subtle and subtextual tropes of Lovecraft's work for inspiration (see Lovecraft Unbound for an excellent selection of stories in this vein).

What's great about Dead but Dreaming is that many of its stories are able to bring in Cthulhu and other eldritch entities while largely avoiding cliched settings and plot devices. Only one story takes place in fictional locales of Lovecraft's own devising—Arkham and Kingsport. Others are set in a variety of places, including a Burmese jungle during WWII, the offices, off-site workshops, and location shoots of a b-movie studio, a Gothic cathedral in Germany, and the slacker's milieu of a college radio DJ and part-time police informant in the southeastern U.S., to name a few. The occultists who inevitably appear here and there are more likely to come in the guise of a New Age therapist or a snarky bar-hopping sorcerer than the typical reclusive robed magus poring over ancient tomes.

In his preface, one of the editors states that he and his co-editor sought out stories whose characters share the dread and despair in the face of unspeakable horrors experienced by so many of Lovecraft's own protagonists. For the most part, their selections succeed in this respect, and even those stories which are formulaic ("Bayer's Tale") or have a silly premise ("The Aklo") are well-crafted and atmospheric. Discerning Mythos maniacs would do well to take a look at this excellent anthology.

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plenty has been said about this volume, and I don't want to ape it. I've read Lovecraftian horror for 30 years and I can honestly say this book is a rare gem. It deserves the praise it has been given. If you are a fan of the genre you deserve to read it.

[Mike Mclatchey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Often touted as one of the best Cthulhu mythos anthologies, Dead But Dreaming mostly lives up to its reputation. Close to 2/3 of the stories are well worth reading, but my favorite was David Annandale's closer "Final Draft" whose culmination connects a couple, one working on dating a cathedral in the Black Forest while his new wife heads to Easter Island. It's not overtly a mythos story but Lovecraft fans will recognize most of it. I also quite liked the science fiction extrapolation of the mythos in the future of Robin Morris "The Thing Beyond the Stars" possibly because I seem to like anything in this vein. Lots of other cool stories and only one or two that were fair to average which is a very high hit percentage for a 00s mythos collection.

[Cameron Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading a few glowing reviews of this anthology I was very keen to get my hands on it. Suffice to say I was rather disappointed when I read it. The only story that really Impressed me was Bangkok Rules, the rest ranged from average to forgetable to horrendous. A story by story rating:

A Flying Tiger's Story: 2/5
The Alko: 3/5
Bangkok Rules: 5/5
Why We Do It: 1/5
The Disciple: 2/5
Salt Air: 1/5
Through the Cracks: 3/5
The Unseen Battle: 3/5
Bayer's Tale: 1/5
The Call of Cthulhu, The Motion Picture: 3/5
Under An Invisible Shadow: 1/5
The Thing Beyond the Stars: 3/5
Fire Breathing: 2/5
The Other Names: 1/5
The Final Draft: 3/5

[Carpentermt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead But Dreaming was originally released in 2002 from Dark Tales Publication. There was an initial print run of 75 copies and then either sales were slow or the publisher tanked. I may have gotten the very last copy sold at the list price back in 2004. Until now, collectors have been paying exorbitant prices for used copies, up to $300. Now Miskatonic River Press has released a new edition of this marvelous anthology. I'll leave it to someone else to figure out what this might do to the value of the first edition copies and whether this edition will ever be a collector's item. I am ecstatic that interested mythos fans can finally see an affordable copy of what may be the finest anthology of Cthulhu mythos fiction in the modern era. The new issue has a new afterward and authors' biographies. The original had 194 pages of text; cover art was a mysteriously evocative cephalopod eye; I can't figure out who created it. Editorial chores were performed by Kevin Ross and Keith Herber; they hit a home run with this one. The book starts with an incisive essay by Kevin Ross that skewers everything wrong with run of the mill mythos pastiches and gives the underlying philosophy of the book. I found myself nodding in agreement with everything he wrote.

Epiphany: A Flying Tiger's Story by Stephen Mark Rainey - In this story a world war II pilot in the Pacific encounters an immense and unfathomable entity deep in the jungle. I believe this is the story Mr. Rainey later expanded into his novel Blue Devil Island (which is clamoring for attention in my to-be-read stack). This was a very well written story; I was pleasantly engaged.

Bangkok Rules by Patrick Lestewka - And now with Bangkok Rules I began to get a glimmer that this was no ordinary anthology. This is a brilliant piece, compulsively readable, creepy and oozing Lovecraftian sensibilities. A hit man perhaps works for a different boss than he thinks. How I wish Mr. Lestewka would write a mythos novel.

Why We Do It by Darrell Schweitzer - I loved this one too! A sort of dorky college student brings a girl back home to observe his family's religious rites.

The Disciple by David Barr Kirtley - Three brilliant stories in a row! Please write some more mythos fiction Mr. Kirtley! At good old Miskatonic University some students come to learn arts other than the humanities.

Salt Air by Mike Minnis - I have always loved the fiction of Mike Minnis. I think there was a planned single author collection from Lindisfarne Press before that worthy company tanked. Salt Air is a wonderfully somber and evocative Yellow Sign story.

Through the Cracks by Walt Jarvis - The anthology moves from strength to strength with this cautionary tale of catching the attention of indescribable things that live in or world beyond our senses.

The Unseen Battle by Brian Scott Hiebert - In Tahiti, an escapee from the carnage of WWI is pursued to the ends of the earth b something noxious from the battlefield. Another good read.

Bayer's Tale by Adam Niswander - Adam Niswander wrote only a few mythos stories, which are in his collection of short fiction, Blurring the Edges of Dream. Bayer's Tale is the best of his work, although it does not stand out in such formidable competition. A detective investigating a strange mass murder is lead to a terrifying reality.

The Call of Cthulhu: The Motion Picture by Lisa Morton - What would happen if someone did make a motion picture The Call of Cthulhu, with an unexpected guest appearance by the title character, and it caused many more people to believe in it? This one also was pretty darned good.

Under an Invisible Shadow by David Bain - This was OK for me, at least in comparison to the stories that have come before. In this zombie apocalypse, the zombie bodies are collected by something indescribable.

The Thing Beyond the Stars by Robin Morris - For me this story worked pretty well. In the vastness of space there lurk entities that have less regard for us than we do an ant at a picnic.

Fire Breathing by Mehitobel Wilson - Another thought provoking story, where a DJ finds out he is the instrument rather than the musician.

The Other Names by Ramsey Campbell (originally in Interzone Nov 98) - Wow. A simpleton finds a few copied pages of the Necronomicon when he goes into an old house on a dare. He learns how names can affect reality when spoken in the name of Daoloth. Beautifully written and it will make your flesh crawl.

Final Draft by David Annandale - How fitting that this astonishing work closes an astonishing anthology. I do not have the superlatives to do this story justice. It competes with A Colder War by Charlie Stross for the title of the finest Cthulhu mythos story of the modern era.

So, what to say? Most of these stories are brilliant, among the best of contemporary Cthulhu mythos works. All are good and worth your while. I urgently recommend this book to anyone who cares about Lovecraftian fiction and especially to those of you who are skeptical of HPL's mimics. No pastiches here; these writers have embraced Lovecraft's themes and put their own original stamp on them. You are in for a real treat with Dead But Dreaming.

[Chris Lira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a number of Lovecraftian horror anthologies, and this one is definitely high there among them in terms of story quality. There’s not a clunker in there at all, and several of them are exceptionally good. Highly recommended.

[Pascal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really great ones (The Final Draft, Call of Cthulu: The Motion Picture and more) mostly very good, some duds (unfortunately the first story is the weakest). Highly recommended for Fans of Weird Fiction and Cosmic Horror.

[Phil On The Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite good. Like many of these anthologies several stand out stories and a couple that are below par.

[Arthur B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Above-average Cthulhu Mythos anthology. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/202...

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure why it's listed as by Ramsey Campbell (it's an anthology, he's one of the authors). Keith Herber originally published this in 2002, with Kevin Ross editing. This edition has corrections, revisions and author bios.

The general theme is epiphany - various people have horrific revelations related to the Cthulhu Mythos in some way. But these aren't the usual formulaic pastiches by the same contingent of authors. There are a mix of established and (at the time) new authors, and actual variation in structure, style and tone.

My favorites were "Ephiphany: A Flying Tiger's Story" by Stephen Mark Rainey, "The Aklo" by Loren MacLeod (marred only by an overdone ending), "The Disciple" by David Barr Kirtley, "Fire Breathing" by Mehitobel Wilson and far and away the best story in the collection, David Annandale's "Final Draft."

[Louis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is billed as in the Lovecraft tradition. And it is not that there is some horrifying thing in the story. It is that there is a realization at the end that the horrifying thing has not ended, regardless of what happened in the plot. The stories are well written and draw you in the story so that not only do you realize what is continuing, you are filling out what is happening in your own imagination. Well done.

[Emmett Hoops · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this after having read the reviews here on Goodreads. I've been reading Lovecraftian horror for 40 years, have scores of Arkham House and Fedogan & Bremer titles, so I feel fairly well qualified when I say that this is a rather above-average collection of stories. If the first story doesn't grab you, maybe you should choose a different genre, because it is unforgettably creepy. And the last two will remain with you long after you put the book back on a shelf.
Highly recommended.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of stories that offer a new take on Lovecraft's nihilistic vision. The editors state that they were looking for stories that shared the Old Man's view of cosmic insignificance and for the most part their selections hit the mark. A couple of the stories are silly but some very very good. Highly recommended for the Lovecraft fan, even the purist.

[Matt Poland · Rating 4 out of 5]

An uncommonly good Cthulhu Mythos anthology. Of the ones I've read so far (about 2/3 of them), "The Aklo," "Salt Air," "Final Draft," and "Through the Cracks" were particularly good.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rather difficult to rate an anthology. There are some very good stories in here.