The Summoning

E. E. Richardson

The Bodley Head

0370328876

Apr 2007

The occult forms an ever present source of inspiration and intrigue for horror writers and E. E. Richardson’s ‘The Summoning’ is no exception. Initially sceptical about his grandfather’s dabblings in the occult, Justin endeavours to expose the fear and irrationality he believes must belie the hyper-logical persona of his class-mate Daniel Eilerson through the summoning of a spirit.
The prank falls somewhat flat, however, when an apparition does indeed appear and begins maligning Justin, his sister and Daniel with an ever forceful vehemence. As in previous works, ‘The Devil’s Footsteps’ and ‘The Intruders’, Richardson’s prose is sparse, taut and highly charged. The book transcends much of the genre through its exposure of intergenerational familial dysfunction and the ramifications of a failure to reach resolution. Dark, brooding and boldly different…