Cameron's Closet

by Gary Brandner

Every child has an imaginary playmate.

Every child thinks something is lurking in the cloest.

But what lives in Cameron's closet is no playmate. And what comes out at night to work its rage cannot be imaginary. Because even Cameron knows you have to be real to kill.

Now Cameron must put an end to the long nightmare of horror and bloodshed. Now he must find the courage and the power to destroy this unholy monster of his own making.

Genres: Horror

314 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 12, 1986

About the author

Gary Phil Brandner (May 31, 1930 – September 22, 2013) was an American horror author best known for his werewolf themed trilogy of novels, The Howling. The first book in the series was loosely adapted as a motion picture in 1981. Brandner's second and third Howling novels, published in 1979 and 1985 respectively, have no connection to the film series, though he was involved in writing the screenplay for the second Howling film, Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf. The fourth film in the Howling series, Howling IV: The Original Nightmare, is actually the closest adaptation of Brandner's original novel, though this too varies to some degree.

Brandner's novel Walkers was adapted and filmed for television as From The Dead Of Night. He also wrote the screenplay for the 1988 horror film Cameron's Closet.

Born in the Midwest and much traveled during his formative years, Brandner published more than 30 novels, over 100 short stories, and also wrote a handful of screenplays. He attended college at the University of Washington where he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. After graduating in 1955, he worked as an amateur boxer, bartender, surveyor, loan company investigator, advertising copywriter, and technical writer before turning to fiction writing. Brandner lived with his wife, Martine Wood Brandner, and several cats in Reno, Nevada.

He died of esophageal cancer in 2013.

Reviews

[Char · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book with our horror group at Shelfari. I had high hopes for this one as it was written by the same author that wrote The Howling.

Cameron has some problems. His father died in a car accident, his brother died in a freak accident in Cameron's closet and now his mom is dating a real jerk. So starts Cameron's Closet.

I won't go into the plot too much as the book description already does that. I will say that I didn't find this book to be very scary, but I did like the main characters and thought they were well drawn, even if some of their actions were a bit ridiculous.

All in all, this book was ok. The writing was decent and there were very few errors. I just wish it had been a bit more believable and scary.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meat 'n' potatoes horror novel. Very well done, but a bit by-the-numbers. Feels padded, but the writing is strong enough that you don't mind. Much better than the movie, and surprisingly different, considering Gary Brandner also wrote the movie's screenplay. Didn't care much for the ending, but I'm not sure what the author could have done to improve it. On a side note, Brander does an excellent job with the character of eight-year-old Cameron, making him endearing and believable without being too cutesy about it. Also, with the exception of the movie BEFORE MIDNIGHT, this book contains the most realistic depicton of a bickering couple I've ever come across.

[Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Daaad! Tom Cruise won't come out of my closet!"

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best remembered for THE HOWLING (one of the most influential werewolf novels ever written), Gary Brandner was a criminally underrated author who wrote several excellent thrillers, one of which is CAMERON'S CLOSET. The story centers around a troubled boy named Cameron who is struggling to internalize various traumatic experiences. Cameron's also-troubled mother thinks Cameron's imaginary friend is just a coping mechanism, a pleasant figment of her son's imagination. But it soon turns out there's more to Cameron's "imaginary" friend than anyone might suspect, and figuring out the real relationship between Cameron and whatever lives in his closet soon becomes a mater of life and death. The intriguing plot is handled with great dexterity by the author, who makes every word count and keeps the story moving with several notable shocks and the absolutely engrossing mystery concerning Cameron and his "friend." Brander does a terrific job bringing all the characters to life, especially young Cameron himself. Cameron is a very likable and sympathetic young man who is lost in a sea of troubles not of his own choosing, and his internal struggle is the heart of the dramatic narrative. The police officer and child psychologist who come to Cameron's aid are also highly empathetic and their interactions are always entertaining as their relationship moves from the antagonistic to the romantic. The book is well-paced and the climax brings everything to a thrilling and satisfying conclusion. If you are a horror fan who isn't familiar with Mr. Brandner, I would offer up CAMERON'S CLOSET as a great novel to become acquainted with one of the genre's more underappreciated talents. It's lean, efficient, dramatic, and exciting. What more do we need?

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr Owen Lansing is doing parapsychological experiments with both his son, Timothy and Cameron. Cameron has an imaginary friend he calls Aramis. Things get complicated when father and brother die and the imaginary friends develops a life of its own. What is this phenomenon? Why is it deadly towards others? Can Sam Talliaferro, a police officer and Eden Hayle, a psychologist stop the series of murders in town? Fantastic blast from the past with the ultimate imaginary friend inside. Really enjoyed that fast paced horror tale with eerie moments just at the right places. Could be a fine movie too. Highly recommended!

[Kilgallen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a well produced audio book and my listening experience was quite good.

The story is very 1980's and not everything in it has aged well. Many stereotypes and character development that was rather cringy when reading 40 years on. If you can see past this, the story is actually quite good and is very invested in the parapsychology of the time. Fast pacing and decent character development paired with a story that was wrapped up neatly at the end. Not a challenging read ( apart from the cringe) but a fun and nostalgic horror romp.

[Wayne's · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid story

[J K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid pulp horror!

[Lou Canning · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read all Gary’s work. Didn’t realise I hadn’t reviewed it all. Every book brilliant.