Fangoria: Masters of the Dark

by Tony Timpone

Contains over twenty-five interviews with and articles about Stephen King and Clive Barker, written between 1979 and the present.

Genres: Horror, Nonfiction

240 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1997

About the author

Anthony Timpone, former longtime editor of Fangoria magazine.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published in 1997 and culled from various interviews and articles about Stephen King and Clive Barker in Fangoria over the years, this “special collectors edition” is a bit of a mixed bag. I discovered Fango in the mid-80s and read it through to the late 90s and hugely enjoyed it, particularly the on-going focus on books and writing. While some of the pieces here in this are lifted straight from the magazine - and absolutely work the best - the rest are a kind of weird up-dated hybrid, where the start of the article is clearly (for example) in 1986 but it includes information from 1990. The disorientation throws the reader, especially since it’s never explained. King comes over well but Barker, read now (and I loved Clive Barker’s work during this period), appears more than a little pretentious. Worse, the articles by Skipp & Spector covering the Nightbreed shoot are written in such a way - in-jokey and with a failed attempt at gonzo journalism - that they’re virtually unreadable and with both King and Barker it’s a shame to see them speak of how excited they are about the movies of their work, only for the next interview to talk about how poorly they finished up. Worth a read, certainly, but very much of its time.

[Theresa F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never actually read any of Stephen King's fiction, and I know even less about Clive Barker's work. But I picked this book up to read because I tend to enjoy King's nonfiction. So I thought reading some candid interviews with the writer would be enjoyable as well.
It was fun hearing various, behind-the-scenes anecdotes about both creators' work. I've always enjoyed "making of" books and content. It was especially interesting hearing about the, at the time, positive outlook surrounding the in-production Stephen King film Maximum Overdrive, knowing with hindsight how poorly received the finished product was.
Overall, I found enough in this book to enjoy, despite my general unfamiliarity with the subjects.
Did I like it? More than I initially expected to.
Would I reread it? No.
Would I recommend it? Some people might find this book's content dated. I see it as a unique time capsule of a high point in both writer's careers.

[Simon Böhm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice little read for fans but nothing eye-opening. A perfect beach book.