Alan Campbell

1 universe Last reviewed 2026-08-30

Alan Campbell was born on July 7, 1971, in Falkirk, Scotland, and studied computer science at the University of Edinburgh. Before turning to fiction, he worked as a software engineer in the video game industry, contributing to titles including Body Harvest for the Nintendo 64, Formula One 2000, and multiple entries in the Grand Theft Auto series at companies such as DMA Design, Visual Sciences, and Rockstar North. After completing work on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, he left the games industry to pursue photography and writing full-time. His debut novel, Scar Night (2006), launched the dark fantasy Deepgate Codex trilogy, continued in Iron Angel (2008) and God of Clocks (2009), a series known for its vertiginous city suspended above an abyss and its blend of steampunk and gothic horror imagery. He also wrote the prequel novella Lye Street and subsequently the novels Sea of Ghosts (2011) and Art of Hunting (2013), set in a separate fantasy world. Campbell received an Inkpot Award in 2013 in recognition of his contributions to speculative fiction and fandom. His fiction is noted for its unusually visual, cinematic worldbuilding, a quality often attributed to his background in game design and photography.

Universe(s)

Books

• Scar Night (2006) · Deepgate Codex Core Canon
• Iron Angel (2008) · Deepgate Codex Core Canon
• God of Clocks (2009) · Deepgate Codex Core Canon

Aggregate across all universes

• Total Core Canon books across all universes: 3 books
• Award recognitions across all universes: 0 (None recorded)

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