Fear to the World

by Kevin E. Proulx

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 Sporting eleven previously unpublished interviews in all, he completes the line-up with John Farris, Richard Christian Matheson, J. N. Williamson, T. M. Wright and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro.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