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Scared Stiff: Tales of Sex and Death
Ramsey Campbell has won four World Fantasy Awards, ten British Fantasy Awards, and the Horror Writers' Association's Lifetime Achievement Award. Publishers Weekly calls Campbell "a horror writer's horror writer," adding, "His control of mood and atmosphere is unsurpassed." The Cleveland Plain Dealer says his horror fiction is "of consistently high quality," and The Washington Post praises Campbell for continuing "to break new ground, advancing the style and thematic content of horror fiction far beyond the works of his contemporaries."
The original publication of Scared Stiff almost created the sub-genre of erotic horror. Never had sex and death been so mesmerizingly entwined. Clive Barker, in his Introduction, says, "One of the delightfully unsettling things about these tales is the way Ramsey's brooding, utterly unique vision renders an act so familiar to us all so fretful, so strange, so chilling. Sex . . . is the perfect stuff for the horror writer, and there can be few artists working in the genre as capable of analyzing and dramatizing [this] as Campbell."
For this edition, Campbell has added three new stories which have never before appeared in book form.
The original publication of Scared Stiff almost created the sub-genre of erotic horror. Never had sex and death been so mesmerizingly entwined. Clive Barker, in his Introduction, says, "One of the delightfully unsettling things about these tales is the way Ramsey's brooding, utterly unique vision renders an act so familiar to us all so fretful, so strange, so chilling. Sex . . . is the perfect stuff for the horror writer, and there can be few artists working in the genre as capable of analyzing and dramatizing [this] as Campbell."
For this edition, Campbell has added three new stories which have never before appeared in book form.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1987
15 people are currently reading
532 people want to read
About the author
Ramsey Campbell
863 books1,601 followersRamsey Campbell is a British writer considered by a number of critics to be one of the great masters of horror fiction. T. E. D. Klein has written that "Campbell reigns supreme in the field today," while S. T. Joshi has said that "future generations will regard him as the leading horror writer of our generation, every bit the equal of Lovecraft or Blackwood."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 21, 2025
There is nothing titillating or exciting about the sex in these stories, and yet it charges the stories with a daring intensity that bleeds off the page. While classified as a collection of short stories the seven tales in this collection would, these days, be classified as novelettes, that indeterminate space between short story and novella, and they all feel well-crafted and very deliberately paced, exploiting the benefits of that story length. A lot of the stories have a dreamlike quality, and that is because Campbell excels at creating a scene or an atmosphere and then milking it with prose that is way more beautiful than it needs to be. If you put aside the horror and sex for a moment you will see that his prose is delicate and deliberate, with wonderfully immersive descriptions that are both vivid and unmooring. The pacing is a lot slower than you might expect for short stories, again, exploiting that novelette length, and I really appreciated it. Campbell takes his time building tension and character and depth, only to make you increasingly more and more uncomfortable as the story turns. The characters feel quite intentional, as well, even though sometimes all we get of them feels like a sketch, the rough edges not yet sanded away. Most of the horror in these stories is an internal horror, and the characters, many of whom are unlikeable, let us live in their twisted and broken minds. Regardless of the source of horror within the stories for the reader it is a psychological horror that worms into your psyche. It is worth noting the sex of it all, too. There is explicit sex in each of these stories, but it never feels lascivious or tawdry. While some of the scenes are almost clinical others are lust-filled, certainly, but they all contain a sense of menace that really shapes the tones of the stories. Most of these stories were written in the late-mid 70s, though some later in the 80s, and while they do feel of that time they also feel outside of it, and it is a short little collection that is certainly worth reading if you get the chance.
(Rounded up from 3.5)
(Rounded up from 3.5)
December 22, 2020
i’ve officially reached my 2020 reading goal of 101 books!
what a collection of stories! though i’m a big ramsey campbell fan, scared stiff (1987) blew away my expectations. my scream press hardcover edition comes with illustrations and a phenomenal introduction from clive barker, and those things are great, but even if this volume contained only campbell’s stories it would still earn all the stars.
i was a little skeptical of how campbell would approach sex-heavy horror because his style is usually quiet and not so, ahem, direct. i should’ve known better—this writer is a master of his craft, after all.
as clive barker says in his introduction, this isn’t erotica: these stories don’t titillate. campbell uses the act of sex to horrify and confuse and scar. harlequin romance this is not.
the only story which didn’t work for me was the opener, “dolls”, about a coven engaging in animalistic orgies. one of the earliest-written stories here, this one is just a little all over the place and isn’t too satisfying overall. certainly the work of a young author.
my favorite is “the other woman”, about a book jacket artist becoming obsessed (possessed?) with a woman he’s imagined and begins featuring in his artwork, in striking and horrifying poses. this might be my new favorite campbell story; hell, it might be one of my favorite horror stories, period!
the other four stories herein are solid winners, all garnering 5 stars from me—meaning this collection as a whole gets a perfect score. interested in reading ramsey campbell but unsure where to start? you could do worse than scared stiff!
what a collection of stories! though i’m a big ramsey campbell fan, scared stiff (1987) blew away my expectations. my scream press hardcover edition comes with illustrations and a phenomenal introduction from clive barker, and those things are great, but even if this volume contained only campbell’s stories it would still earn all the stars.
i was a little skeptical of how campbell would approach sex-heavy horror because his style is usually quiet and not so, ahem, direct. i should’ve known better—this writer is a master of his craft, after all.
as clive barker says in his introduction, this isn’t erotica: these stories don’t titillate. campbell uses the act of sex to horrify and confuse and scar. harlequin romance this is not.
the only story which didn’t work for me was the opener, “dolls”, about a coven engaging in animalistic orgies. one of the earliest-written stories here, this one is just a little all over the place and isn’t too satisfying overall. certainly the work of a young author.
my favorite is “the other woman”, about a book jacket artist becoming obsessed (possessed?) with a woman he’s imagined and begins featuring in his artwork, in striking and horrifying poses. this might be my new favorite campbell story; hell, it might be one of my favorite horror stories, period!
the other four stories herein are solid winners, all garnering 5 stars from me—meaning this collection as a whole gets a perfect score. interested in reading ramsey campbell but unsure where to start? you could do worse than scared stiff!
February 6, 2026
Absolute trash where every story is basically a woman being assaulted cool cool coo
Freakuary can only go up from here
Freakuary can only go up from here
Read
November 3, 2025lovedddd the other woman, lilith's, the limits of fantasy, & kill me hideously. the other stories are (mostly) fine but feel too similar to each other. Campbell is a superb writer of sexual paranoia & misogyny, completely inhabiting the mundane, awful headspace of his impotent protagonists. his technical skill in moving in and out of dream/reality states is also worth taking notes on ...
February 5, 2014
Sex and horror are two very intimate and individual things. Campbell has brought forth a number of stories in this anthology that manage to somehow both arouse and terrify. Looking back at it, even though I finished it just last night, I am having a hard time with where I sit with this book. It's not a matter if it was good or not, or if it succeeded in what it was supposed to do, for on both those things it succeeded extremely well.
'Scared Stiff' contains a wide enough variety of stories across both the erotic and horror genres that readers will be sure to find something at least that raises the hairs along the back of their necks. There are more than a few of the stories where I had to set the book down after finishing the tale and do something to clear my mind. Not to mention, some of the stories will be lingering with me for a long time, having touched on personal fears or kinks.
That said, there are other stories in this collection that don't seem to work as well. This could easily be a personal thing, due to the nature of the two genres that Campbell is writing in. Those that I didn't enjoy tended to feel out dated and the language out of place, yet they were still enjoyable all in all.
One of the surprises of this book was the last 'story' on the anthology, which is about Campbell's life and how this book came about. I learned a lot about the writer, and it was a treat to be given insight into what has been a complex and very intimate anthology.
If you are a reader of erotic or horror fiction, I strongly recommend you pick this up. More so if you are on the horror side of things. There is something about horror-erotica that pushes past a boundary into areas uncomfortable and terribly personal. Campbell has a unique and interesting style that captures a lot of detail using imagery and words that collect both the profane as well as conjuring images of sexuality. It was a real treat to read.
So, pick this anthology up. If you are curious about the erotica-horror genre, this is a really good example of what it should look like.
'Scared Stiff' contains a wide enough variety of stories across both the erotic and horror genres that readers will be sure to find something at least that raises the hairs along the back of their necks. There are more than a few of the stories where I had to set the book down after finishing the tale and do something to clear my mind. Not to mention, some of the stories will be lingering with me for a long time, having touched on personal fears or kinks.
That said, there are other stories in this collection that don't seem to work as well. This could easily be a personal thing, due to the nature of the two genres that Campbell is writing in. Those that I didn't enjoy tended to feel out dated and the language out of place, yet they were still enjoyable all in all.
One of the surprises of this book was the last 'story' on the anthology, which is about Campbell's life and how this book came about. I learned a lot about the writer, and it was a treat to be given insight into what has been a complex and very intimate anthology.
If you are a reader of erotic or horror fiction, I strongly recommend you pick this up. More so if you are on the horror side of things. There is something about horror-erotica that pushes past a boundary into areas uncomfortable and terribly personal. Campbell has a unique and interesting style that captures a lot of detail using imagery and words that collect both the profane as well as conjuring images of sexuality. It was a real treat to read.
So, pick this anthology up. If you are curious about the erotica-horror genre, this is a really good example of what it should look like.
March 17, 2011
Get freaked out and wake up your pants at the same time; or just freak out your pants.
May 17, 2013
If you bought this book expecting a lot of sexual action, then you'll be sorely disappointed. Eroticism is *not* hot sex. Try your local adult bookstore, instead. That said, *real* Ramsey Campbell and/or *real* fans of the horror genre will appreciate this collection. To be fair, the first three titles aren't all that. They are, in fact, rather dull. However, the shudders and shivers pick up in "The Seductress" and increase from there. Hot sex seekers should look elsewhere for their carnal fixation(s).
January 6, 2024
For a collection of erotic tales, this book is impossible to masturbate to.
October 9, 2022
Nope just nope. I won’t be taking the time to write a full review for this one but this just seemed like it was completely focused on the sex portion but not the death and horror at all. The only thing that was stiff were these plot lines.
November 26, 2017
A very disturbing collection of longer short stories you'll find in here! Elaborately written, interesting details, more mystery than horror. Not 100% my style but worth a look in any case!
May 7, 2020
Δεν κατάφερα ούτε μια ιστορία να ολοκληρώσω!, το έκανα αναγκαστικά με μια να δω μήπως, αλλά δεν....
December 8, 2024
One of Campbell's most radical collections (it must be remembered most of these were written pre-Barker) and also among his tightest (oof). 'Dolls', 'The Seductress' and particularly 'Loveman's Comeback' are the highlights for me here. The other stories all unsettle to some degree.
The last story 'Merry May" is clearly a riff on The Wicker Man, which would presumably have felt less overfamiliar in the 80s than now. Curiously it presages elements from later Wicker Man clones The Wicker Tree (a community whose men are infertile looking for renewal) and Midsommar (the goaded lamb is drugged to impregnate a young girl). The memorably nasty stinger ending (I assume I'm reading the implication correctly) goes beyond all realms of reasonable taste and is Laymon-esque. Not even Ari Aster went that far.
The last story 'Merry May" is clearly a riff on The Wicker Man, which would presumably have felt less overfamiliar in the 80s than now. Curiously it presages elements from later Wicker Man clones The Wicker Tree (a community whose men are infertile looking for renewal) and Midsommar (the goaded lamb is drugged to impregnate a young girl). The memorably nasty stinger ending (I assume I'm reading the implication correctly) goes beyond all realms of reasonable taste and is Laymon-esque. Not even Ari Aster went that far.
December 12, 2011
As with all collections of short stories, there are some stories that are better than others. Unfortunately, in the case with "Scared Stiff", the majority of the stories are kinda dull and uninspiring, which drags the book down as a whole. Sure, there are some moments in this collection that is worth reading, the stories "Dolls", "The Other Woman" and "Merry May" are all fine horror stories with an apparent sexual tone.
And Campbell sure knows his sexual stuff. He's good at writing the sex scenes in these stories, they feel natural and he doesn't shy away from writing about weird stuff, which is good. The case is though, that some of the stories aren't more than a couple of sexual passages. The horror part isn't there at all, and you sit through them kinda bored, waiting and hoping that the next story will be better.
This is the first book I've ever read by Campbell, and I'm sure he can do better than this, some of the stories in here proves that he can.
And Campbell sure knows his sexual stuff. He's good at writing the sex scenes in these stories, they feel natural and he doesn't shy away from writing about weird stuff, which is good. The case is though, that some of the stories aren't more than a couple of sexual passages. The horror part isn't there at all, and you sit through them kinda bored, waiting and hoping that the next story will be better.
This is the first book I've ever read by Campbell, and I'm sure he can do better than this, some of the stories in here proves that he can.
February 20, 2010
This book was absolutely terrible and I couldn't finish it. Ramsey Campbell's Scared Stiff is a compilation of short stories he wrote that combine elements of horror and sex.
The book is prefaced by an introduction by Clive Barker, which will give the impression that great reading is ahead. The writer's grammar style is archaic and doesn't flow, making it hard to follow.
The first story entitled "Dolls" is about a coven of witches that engage in ritualistic orgies, and are inadvertently involved in the church. It was boring and unoriginal. I didn't feel that beginning the book with a story rich in religious undertones was a great way to grab a common audience.
Best of luck to the person that decides to read this book.
The book is prefaced by an introduction by Clive Barker, which will give the impression that great reading is ahead. The writer's grammar style is archaic and doesn't flow, making it hard to follow.
The first story entitled "Dolls" is about a coven of witches that engage in ritualistic orgies, and are inadvertently involved in the church. It was boring and unoriginal. I didn't feel that beginning the book with a story rich in religious undertones was a great way to grab a common audience.
Best of luck to the person that decides to read this book.
August 22, 2013
Not the best book of his out there. Most of these stories have been published elsewhere and have been brought together here for the sexual / horror theme. The introduction by Clive Barker left much to be desired it simply did nothing for me at all. The only stories in the book which i thought were worthwhile were "Dolls" and "Merry May". The last story being especially twisted in its ending. The afterword by Ramsey Campbell gives you a look into why he wrote what he did and the influences and attitudes of the time which shaped his stories. For the time period when he wrote this stuff might of been pretty intense but in today's world of extreme stuff this material is quite tame.
March 19, 2015
Nonostante abbia letto diverse opere di Ramsey Campbell continuo ancora a non comprendere l'entusiasmo che ruota attorno a questo autore "horror" che di horror non ha proprio nulla. Molti lo osannano io invece lo trovo sopravvalutato e con una scrittura piatta e senza pathos. L'argomento "sesso" di questa antologia dovrebbe rendere i racconti più accattivanti invece sono noiosi, lenti e alcuni sono pure un poco insulsi. Insomma con me Campbell ha chiuso.
June 2, 2012
For a collection of erotic horror stories, these tales are surprisingly dull and non-erotic. These are not his best works and despite the catchy title, I would recommended the reader to go elsewhere for their dose of Campbell.
January 20, 2014
I read this book because one of my friends at work recommended it, stating that he thought it was like American Horror Story.
I can kind of see that, but mostly I felt the stories were practically the same, with just a little bit changed here or there. I think the first one, Dolls, was my favorite.
I can kind of see that, but mostly I felt the stories were practically the same, with just a little bit changed here or there. I think the first one, Dolls, was my favorite.
July 18, 2011
This book was terrible. The stories didn't flow, didn't make sense, weren't scary nor erotic. I read about 80% and couldn't take it anymore.
September 4, 2022
Hmm I usually don't like reading sex scenes. Most of time they feel well akward and they are not that well written. To be honest, there are exceptions.. This book was on my to be read (I bought the book almost ten years ago) and it was in a place where I never thought of reading (due to sex importance on the stories) BUT after this Septhology (September Anthology Month?) and with 160 pages I thought it was the time Or else I would never read it..
After reading I a am satisfied that I read.
So what are these stories about... first of all let me just say that each story is self contain, can't say if it connects to his longer novels BUT they are self suficient... Another thing I can safely say is that my edition has a introduction by Clive Barker and it contains a drawing for each story - which are not always to my taste but I enjoy the effort.
As I said, this is a mix of horror & sex... the first tale is about a coven of witches that engage in orgies and linked to church and carnal pleasures, the seductress is about a woman in a love situation that makes a guy commit suicide and his mother will go great lenghts to avenge his son and Merry May is another great story with a funny passage where the characters say "...where booksellers were sent to jail for sellling books like SCARED STIFF.."
There are some people who love Campbell, for those I would say - well it's short so read it. If you want to read horror and sex, read it. If you are going in because of HORROR- then no. The horror elements are a bit tune down here..
After reading I a am satisfied that I read.
So what are these stories about... first of all let me just say that each story is self contain, can't say if it connects to his longer novels BUT they are self suficient... Another thing I can safely say is that my edition has a introduction by Clive Barker and it contains a drawing for each story - which are not always to my taste but I enjoy the effort.
As I said, this is a mix of horror & sex... the first tale is about a coven of witches that engage in orgies and linked to church and carnal pleasures, the seductress is about a woman in a love situation that makes a guy commit suicide and his mother will go great lenghts to avenge his son and Merry May is another great story with a funny passage where the characters say "...where booksellers were sent to jail for sellling books like SCARED STIFF.."
There are some people who love Campbell, for those I would say - well it's short so read it. If you want to read horror and sex, read it. If you are going in because of HORROR- then no. The horror elements are a bit tune down here..
April 27, 2024
Campbell, Ramsey - Scared Stiff
Not as in fear firms your resolve, or when frightened, you are frozen in place!
Stiff, as in, did you know your codpiece swells to a jumbo when you are scared?
Seven tales of horror and carnality, and NOT soft focus, veiled, slow motion rompings.
Less romance, more rape. Little passion, accent on penetration. One might expect a mischievous wink with these - - no.
Campbell mixes cruelty, revenge, disappointment, resignation.
To my mind, the best stories bookend the collection.
“Dolls” occurs in the past, in a rural setting, where pagan circles gather.
“Merry Way” lures a disenfranchised, naïve city innocent to the pleasures of the Maypole.
My copy was illustrated throughout by J K Potter.
Text and art are something between erotica and porn.
Not as in fear firms your resolve, or when frightened, you are frozen in place!
Stiff, as in, did you know your codpiece swells to a jumbo when you are scared?
Seven tales of horror and carnality, and NOT soft focus, veiled, slow motion rompings.
Less romance, more rape. Little passion, accent on penetration. One might expect a mischievous wink with these - - no.
Campbell mixes cruelty, revenge, disappointment, resignation.
To my mind, the best stories bookend the collection.
“Dolls” occurs in the past, in a rural setting, where pagan circles gather.
“Merry Way” lures a disenfranchised, naïve city innocent to the pleasures of the Maypole.
My copy was illustrated throughout by J K Potter.
Text and art are something between erotica and porn.
May 22, 2020
This is by far the most bizarre book with short stories I've ever read. It's not bad but different. The writer has a peculiar imagination. I wonder if he's influenced by experiences people have when they're on an acid trip. A few typo's and the Dutch word for square is plein and not plien. This book is not for the faint hearted.
September 4, 2022
Not all of the stories in here have aged so well; Campbell himself admits that if he were writing some of the more problematic ones today, he'd take a different approach. Nonetheless, an interesting experiment in transgressive themes. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/201...
March 9, 2026
Unfortunately, despite being quite well-written overall, most of the stories in this anthology left me lukewarm at best. A lot of them felt like they were written mostly with shock value in mind (as the afterword sort of confirms), and while they may have worked on that front back when they were first published in the 1970s and 1980s, nowadays they just got a shrug out of me.
December 15, 2023
Some dark material but somehow, I just found most of these story's kind of slow. I do think fans of Cambell's work will enjoy this collection though, after a year of dragging myself through these and some others of his works I am just not a fan I guess.
August 7, 2020
All very samey stories wish I hadn't bothered.
May 8, 2021
The last Ramsey Campbell book I will ever read. Not my cup of coffee
May 22, 2023
So much sex (sort of speak), too little death..
DNF @ 42%
DNF @ 42%
May 20, 2025
I don’t really know what I just finished reading but I can say I enjoyed it quite a bit. I was left sufficiently uncomfortable LOL
May 21, 2014
Sex got in the way of dread & horror.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews