The Hungry Moon

Fiction Without Frontiers

By: Ramsey Campbell

Narrated by: Dean Williamson

Length: 15 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

"In every respect, Campbell's best." (Kirkus Reviews)

Isolated on the moors of northern England, the town of Moonwell has remained faithful to their Druid traditions and kept their old rituals alive. Right-wing evangelist Godwin Mann isn’t about to let that continue, and his intolerant brand of fundamentalism has struck a chord with the residents.

But Mann goes too far when he descends into the pit where the ancient being who’s been worshipped by the Druids for centuries is said to dwell. What emerges is a demon in Mann’s shape, and only the town’s outcasts can see that something is horribly wrong. As the evil spreads, Moonwell becomes cut off from the rest of the world.

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Creeping, Deranged, Cosmic

If you're anything like me and are constantly looking for horror that comes from weirder directions than your standard ghosts, demons, witches and vampires, then look no further.

Campbell is incredibly good at making things alien and uncomfortable, and the madness of it all tends to creep in before you even realize it's too late. The horror here is vast and unknowably monstrous.

I also find myself wondering if this boom influenced Stephen King to write It some years down the road... I'll look into that.

Read this book.

Too many flaws to be worth another listen

Ramsey Campbell's writing is always very good or excellent, but the stories themselves range from excellent to almost forgettable. This is not his best novel. There are some excellent components of cosmic horror, some very creepy moments, and as always with Campbell, excellent descriptive passages; but I am so tired of novels that have religious fanaticism as a key storypoint. I have yet to read a single story or novel with this component that does not render these characters as two dimensional and very predictable. Unfortunately this is the case here. It is equally unfortunate that this aspect of the story is absolutely front and center and runs throughout the novel from beginning to end.

In addition, while the climactic part of the novel is suspenseful, the climax itself is somewhat unsatisfying, which has been the case in a number of Campbell's novels.

In my ranking system, when I give an audiobook three stars it means it is worth a listen but probably not worth a repeat listen. Aside from the problems I've noted above, the narration here is monotone. There's nothing drastically wrong with it, but neither does it bring anything to the experience. In audiobook narration, that is a significant flaw since the point isn't to mere pour through the novel, but to enjoy the performative aspect as well, which is adequate here and nothing more.

Feels unfinished and accents done badly

On a line-by-line basis, this is very well-written. The characters are nicely drawn. However, this Lovecraftian story suffers from the weaknesses of Lovecraft, which is a muddled ending. When the ending came, my reaction was: "...and then? So?" "Wait . . . was that the climax?" "Will there be a real climax coming after this false climax?" "YOU'RE KIDDING!"

Aside from the story, the (male) reader was superb with the British accents, and almost hilariously wrong with the (female) American character. I sometimes wondered "Is she actually from somewhere in Eastern Europe? Russia? Is this going to be a plot twist we discover later?"

At the end, I'm still going to listen to more by Mr. Campbell, and this reader. They put in the effort, and the result was professional. They can't all be homeruns.

3.5

Interesting story and topic. Author good at illustrating scenes and landscapes for your mind's eye. My main critique is that it's too long/bloated and could be well served with some trimming.

British horror at its best

I truly love a horror tale that is well spun & especially if it draws upon a folk horror element which Campbell nails perfectly. It is well written with a plot that is not difficult to follow & comprehend even for an American trying to figure out the slang used. It is a slow build that quickly builds into a roaring fire that will inflame your interest until you just can't bare to hit pause & find yourself searching for odd tasks to do so you have an excuse to keep listening (I listen to audible when I do yardwork/housework).
The narrator does an excellent job in bringing the book to life. I only wish that more British horror authors were available on the US audible like F.E. Cottam, Phil Rickman along with Campbell & other amazing British authors. Some of their work is, but not all of it which is extremely frustrating especially when search engines pull up their being available on audible but you click the link & it's only on UK audible. 😟

Fun small town horror story

This was a really good listening experience. This narrator is one of the best I've ever heard. He absolutely nails this type of story. The story itself is interesting, if a little slow paced. The characters feel realistic and fit well in the small town/village setting, but they tend to fall into the Stephen King style characterization from his 70s and 80s novels, as many horror novels from that period do. I know some people might find that to be a drawback, but I thought they were well drawn, and I cared about at least a couple of them. Another Kingism in this novel is the focus on small town dynamics and the degree to which the townies are the real monsters, not the creatures. Again, if that puts you off, then you should skip this one. As for me, my favorite King novel is Salem's Lot, so I really liked Campbell's take on the English version of that type of story.

Overall, I recommend this audiobook for anyone looking for an entertaining, not gory horror story from the 80s in the vein of the best early Stephen King stories.