A book that concerns a group of people who underwent a controlled experiment in prophetic dreaming. The experiment eventually went wrong and had to be called off due the ominous nature of what was beginning to take place on those involved. The story takes place eleven years later, when a dark force as a result from the dream experiment, is driving the participants insane and their sense of reality is affected to the point that the lines between dreams and reality become one and very blurred, in which events and people take on a nightmare scenario of a frightening otherworld of darkness and imprisonment in this dead existence, that also brings them together. Campbell explores the themes of reality and dreams very well, along with a dose of feminist issues to boot. Furthermore,the book explores the possibility that there could exist another world and dimension parallel to what we know and think of as reality. Campbell does not fully explore his characters in dept, just enough for the story to flow. His use of image is creepy and how reality is seriously mixed up, which gives a very claustrophobic feeling to proceedings and the antagonists wellbeing and life. Overall, a good read which should appeal to horror fans of H.P Lovecraft and other greats of horror in general.
One of Campbell's finest novels. The lines of dream and reality are patiently twisted into a savage nightmare, a world where the dreamer is imprisoned in their own hallucinations. It's up to the reader to figure out what is tactile. Not many other writers can get under my skin like Campbell, and here he did without overtly painting the grotesque page after page. Surely, the brass-knuckled approach is one he avoids, however, the bruises he leaves behind linger long after closing the book. While he fumbles with one climactic moment, he regains steam and paints a horrific vision of the eternal nightmare (the snake knowingly eating its own tail), closing one of the most important horror novels of the 80s.
What do You think about Incarnate (1984)?
Ramsey Campbell never disappoints. The novel is really good. I couldn't believe it, despite the length it was a page turner through and through.Very well round characters. The story unfolds quite slowly but never was it boring or dragged too long. The writing is superb and very 'Ramsey'. Just flows beautifully, with enough descriptions and psychological details to make it worth reading more and more.The basic idea is very original, never forced. It's a 4.5 for me, it could have been a big ol' 5 if it were not for the ending. That was the only disappointment in an otherwise amazing horror book.The climax that starts happening over the last 3 chapters just ended too quickly and abruptly. It needed more explanations and possibly a couple more chapters to reveal the whole horror of what really happened at the beginning and what maybe could await in the future.Recommended.
—Boris Cesnik
