completely disappear. A demonic force abides
there, and shortly after the protagonists arrive it
manifests itself through the crew of a long-sunken
freighter, raising their uneasy spirits from the dead.
The novel is at its best when it is understated, but
the horrors eventually become less covert and con-
siderably less chilling as we learn their true nature
at first hand. Blood Crazy(1996) edged toward sci-
ence fiction and introduced a situation Clark
would use more than once in the future, the col-
lapse of civilization as the result of a new disease or
other transformation, with horrifying conse-
quences for the survivors. In this case the plague
drives all the adults in the world into a homicidal
rage against their children.
Darker(1996) is less ambitious and consider-
ably more effective, featuring an invisible and men-
acing supernatural evil opposed by a small band of
desperate heroes. King Blood (1997) is another
apocalyptic vision, this one following the destruc-
tion of civilization with the appearance of the enig-
matic “Gray Men,” who prey on the minority left
alive. Clark then turned to more traditional fare for
Vampyrrhic(1998), a sometimes quite effectively
creepy story about a band of vampires who lurk be-
neath a small British town, although the plot is very
slow to develop in the early chapters. His later se-
quel, Vampyrrhic Rites(2003), although basically a
restatement of the original story, is considerably
more effective in generating suspense.
Judas Tree (1999) is a much quieter horror
story and is Clark’s best novel. A young woman
pays a visit to her mother, who has taken up resi-
dence on a remote Greek island, and discovers
that the entire island is in a sense a single entity
and that it does not wish for her to leave—ever.
Darkness Demands(2001) is also quietly impres-
sive, another story of a slumbering evil wakening in
a rural setting, but the plot contains few surprises
and only occasional chills. Clark invoked still an-
other worldwide holocaust in The Stranger(2002),
this time in the form of a plague that causes in-
stantaneous mutations. The resulting melodrama is
fast paced and well written, but the logic of the sit-
uation is rather strained. Exorcising Angels(2003),
with Tim Lebbon, is a collection of more recent
short stories. Night of the Triffids(2001), sometimes
shelved with horror fiction, is actually a science
fiction novel, a sequel to The Day of the Triffids
(1951) by John Wyndham. Clark was quite popular
in England for several years before finding a pub-
lisher in the United States but has recently become
much better known in America.Clayton, Jo(1939–1998)
Jo Clayton began writing science fiction novels in
the late 1970s with the Diadem series, and they
have much of the atmosphere and many of the
devices of fantasy despite their outer space set-
ting. His first outright fantasy novel was Moon-
gather(1982), the first in the Duel of Sorcery
series. Serroi, a young woman cast out by her
family, becomes a trained warrior in service to the
emperor. By chance, she stumbles across a plot to
assassinate him and must betray her sworn word
and challenge an immortal wizard in order to save
his life. She falls under the wizard’s magical influ-
ence in Moonscatter(1983) and regains her free-
dom to act, saving the day, in Changer’s Moon
(1985). Although standard fantasy fare, the sto-
ries are rousingly told and feature an interesting,
admirable female protagonist. The Dancer duo is
related to the Duel of Sorcery. In Dancer’s Rise
(1993) an immortal creature manifests itself in
the human world, undertakes a dangerous jour-
ney, and confronts a man with the ability to con-
trol the minds of others. A new form of magic
transforms the world in Serpent Waltz(1994), and
Serroi, the heroine of the earlier series, is awak-
ened from a generations-long sleep to help save
the day.
A second and somewhat darker series began
with The Drinker of Souls(1986). Brann is a combi-
nation of vampire and disembodied spirit, but she
still values the code of honor she embraced while
alive and still feels intense loyalty to her people. In
the opening volume she helps undermine the rule
of a despotic tyrant. A sleeping god must be awak-
ened in Blue Magic(1988), and another seeks free-
dom from age-long imprisonment in A Gathering of
Stones(1989). Wild Magic(1991) and its sequel,
Wildfire(1992), are set in the same universe but
feature different characters. A poorly prepared sor-
ceress is catapulted into a prominent role in the
battle among various magical forces. This five bookClayton, Jo 59