Crampton

by Thomas Ligotti, Brandon Trenz

SIGNED, NUMBERED, LIMITED EDITION HARDCOVER. In the overstuffed land of unproduced teleplays lies a gem that could have redefined horror in television—“Crampton,” written as an episode of The X-Files, by Brandon Trenz and the legendary Thomas Ligotti. When an FBI agent is assassinated by a man who turns out to be a mannequin, agents Mulder and Scully are led to Crampton—a small town concealing a roaring abyss of madness behind a tacky, curtained veneer. After The X-Files episode remained unproduced, Trenz and Ligotti expanded their script into a full-length screenplay. The film adaptation fleshes out the original teleplay, removing Mulder and Scully, introducing new characters, locations and featuring notably graphic violence and hard-hitting dialogue. What sets Crampton apart, however, is its philosophical depth. Unlike The X-Files, in which viewers could pin their fears on governmental or ETI conspiracies, Ligotti and Trenz offer no such refuge. In the world of Crampton, the conspiracy behind the scenes isn't orchestrated by human or even alien figures; it is inherent in the fabric of reality itself—absurd, enigmatic, and merciless.

170 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2024

About the author

Thomas Ligotti is a contemporary American horror author and reclusive literary cult figure. His writings, while unique in style, have been noted as major continuations of several literary genres—most prominently Lovecraftian horror—and have overall been described as works of "philosophical horror", often written as philosophical novels with a "darker" undertone which is similar to gothic fiction. The Washington Post called him "the best kept secret in contemporary horror fiction"; another critic declared "It's a skilled writer indeed who can suggest a horror so shocking that one is grateful it was kept offstage."

Reviews

[Raphaël Rousseau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good script by Thomas Ligotti. Mysteries upon mysteries. Very well written for a TV script. My God, such a dark imagination. Ligotti's art is timeless and eternal (I hope !) Enjoy the good reading.