Fear to the World: Eleven Voices in a Chorus of Horror (Starmont Studies in Literary Criticism #35)

Despite the ominous title, Kevin Proulx's FEAR TO THE WORLD is actually a surprisingly engaging collection of interviews with American and British writers specializing in genre fiction of the sci-fi and horror variety. Proulx manages to include both the famous, such as Clive Barker and Ramsey Campbell, and equally deserving, but often overlooked, authors such as Joe R. Lansdale, George R. R. Martin, F. Paul Wilson and Steve Rasnic Tem. Sporting eleven previously unpublished interviews in all, he completes the line-up with John Farris, Richard Christian Matheson, J. N. Williamson, T. M. Wright and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. The employment of a standard set of questions is not concealed by Proulx. Although this lends the dialogue a somewhat contrived cohesive structure, the depth and quality of many of the responses is sure to compel even those who would generally scorn genre fiction out of hand. After reading Tem discuss his writing in terms of the influences of Diane Arbus, Carl Dreyer, and his son's own death, one feels obligated to investigate the fiction. Proulx is very adept at getting his subjects to open up, and topics such as pornography and censorship, the niceties of writing for a living, and philosophical musings on the meaning of life and death are not uncommon. He even manages to get a few of these writers to reveal hopes, fears, dreams, and past pseudonyms. The content of FEAR TO THE WORLD possesses a genuine frankness and down-to-earth quality not often discerned in books of this type. There is also an undeniably thorough index and recommended reading list, but comprehensive bibliographies for each of the authors are conspicuous in their absence. Nonetheless, this is a superior product. The cover art is (literally) a scream. Even if one doesn't recognize the names of all of the authors featured, Proulx's interviews provide and entertaining and informative read.

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