After the end of the Second World War, in an effort to promote unity and forgiveness, the English town of Settlesham was twinned with Alphafen in Germany. Schoolboy Leo Parker began a pen-pal correspondence with Hanna Weber, and for decades the two have continued this long-distance relationship. Now an adult, he decides at last to visit Hannah in her hometown.

His stay in Alphafen seems enjoyable and enlightening. But as soon as he leaves the town, his life begins to unravel. An experience at the airport is disconcerting and troublesome, a family meal becomes grotesquely nightmarish, and when he attends a council meeting to report on his trip, the images appear to have taken on a life of their own. Is Leo losing his grip on reality or has his trip awakened some ancient Alpine legend from its slumber? Has he returned to England with more than just memories of his trip?

The Incubations is published by Flame Tree Press to mark the 60 years since Ramsey Campbell’s first book was released. Campbell is one of Britain’s finest exponents of the weird tale, and The Incubations is a fitting testament to the author’s career. The novel’s central character, Leo Parker, works for his parents’ driving instructor company, and there’s a refreshingly down-to-earth feel to this. Which makes it all the more frightening when the line between reality and nightmare becomes blurred. This element of Campbell’s writing style is so masterful that it feels almost a trademark part of him. The novel is laced with black humour – albeit much of it due to the characters’ linguistic confusion or through the author’s clever word-play – and there’s an overriding sense of impending threat that propels the story forward.

It would impossible to overstate Ramsey Campbell’s impact and influence on the horror scene – he’s won more awards than any other writer in the field – and The Incubations is a terrific novel, deeply unsettling and dazzlingly original. His early work displayed obvious influences from such writers as HP Lovecraft, MR James and Arthur Machen, but over his career he has carefully honed his own distinct style and created his unique mythos, allowing his own voice to be heard. And what a voice it is. I’ve been a fan of his work since I first came across The Doll Who Ate His Mother back when I was a teenager, and I looked forward to reading his latest short stories in the annual Best New Horror series edited by Stephen Jones. A quick scan of his bibliography will evidence titles that are classics of the genre. After 60 years at the top of his game, his latest novel shows no sign of him losing his touch. The Incubations is yet another fantastic entry into the annals of weird fiction. Highly recommended.