Summer 2024 is shaping up to be one of the best times for horror movies this decade. Between huge successes in movies like long legs, Alien: Romulus and Maxine the revival of EC ComicsIt’s been a great few months for fans of the genre.
That said, horror fiction has had a great summer, too. Two of the biggest successes came from respected genre writers whose careers reached new heights. horror movie yes Paul TremblayThis is his first novel adapted from his first feature film. Stephen Graham Jones Swing as soon as you’re done indian lake A trilogy of novels, his most commercially successful works to date.
What these two novels have in common that transcends the period of their release is that they deal with similar themes and themes, but in completely different ways, complimenting each other in an almost magical way—a literary double bill. This article will contain mild spoilers for both books, but nothing has been discussed in other outlets.
horror moviePublished in June by William Morrow Publishing, it tells the story of a famously cursed 1990s movie set and how its protagonist, The Thin Kid, spent much of his life trapped in its shadow. under. Like all of Tremblay’s other works, it is very realistic, very focused on its subject, but many times ambiguous. If you like his work, you will also like this book. I only recently discovered Tremblay, but since then I have come to regard this book as one of his best. There’s a lot of real sadness here, and two particularly disturbing scenes that I’ll be thinking about for a long time to come. One of the characters waits alone in the dark for more than five minutes, and it’s told in a stomach-churning way. Like Tremblay’s other works, this book experiments with literary form. It has flashbacks, flashforwards, and most notably, the entire screenplay. I guess these parts of the script won’t be for everyone, but I found them to be a fascinating and awe-inspiring layer of the novel that fleshed out the Cursed movie being made and provided development for the characters.
Horror movies are ultimately about growing up in the shadow of youth. This is the story of how a man is haunted by what happened at the beginning of his life. Elements of the cursed film reflect this, becoming a legendary object in the novel, with rumors and drama far beyond anything the original cast and crew actually did or actually thought. In a sense, it is bathed in nostalgia, but it is also full of helplessness and sadness, imbuing the whole book with a deep sense of melancholy. But it’s not always dark and sad. This may be Tremblay’s funniest book, filled with heartfelt and sincere moments that tie the whole thing together. You can tell Tremblay brought in his own personal experiences dealing with Hollywood people, especially in one scene involving a rally con artist. While it may not appeal to horror fans who like gore and a higher body count, those craving a more intimate, literary style of horror will find themselves in for a definite treat.
i am a teen killerPublished in July, Simon & Schuster tells the story of Tolly Driver, a kid growing up in 1980s Texas who may or may not be Not a serial murderer. On paper, a book told from the perspective of a killer villain seems like a doomed mission, but Stephen Graham Jones is brilliant and solves it in one of the smartest ways I’ve ever seen solved this problem. if indian lake The trilogy is Jones’ subversion of the final girl trope, which is to play with killer villains who are equally sympathetic and intelligent. It has a rock-solid emotional center, great pacing and plot, and Jones’ signature literary style. If you’ve liked any of his previous work, especially indian lake Trilogy, you will love this book. The story takes place in the small town of La Mesa, Texas, and the setting feels very real and fulfilling. This is an interesting contrast horror movieit has a lot of settings so any individual needs less fleshing out and it helps teen killersettings stand out. The real highlight of this novel, however, is the incredible and multi-faceted protagonist Tory Driver.
At no point does Tory feel one-dimensional like Jason Voorhees or Freddy Krueger. He’s a well-realized character with believable and understandable emotions, and the entire book speaks to the universal feeling of teenage angst. Tory is a kid living in a dead-end town that he loves to hate, with a very close friend named Amber, and a group of people he knows but doesn’t know much about. I’m sure this will touch a real nerve with people and listen to their own experiences. Jones has even stated that this may be his most personal novel to date. The horror elements don’t feel unnecessary or tacked on. There’s a certain ambiguity to many of the scenes, but it never took me out of the novel, and it was never used as a means to please horror fans with no gore or some clean kills.
Both novels are ultimately about reflecting on the process of growing up, and how horribly messy it can be. They celebrate these stories with horror novels and there’s no shortage of love for the genre. They both have tons of kills and thrills, but also really move you. Oh my God, I actually cried at the end. I was a teenage killerand horror movie Leaves me speechless. Jones and Tremblay are both incredible talents and seem to be getting better and better. They are good complements and can be compared to each other. The success both achieved was well deserved. This is the best double bill you could ask for. It’s been a scary summer, and that’s no exception for fiction—so sit back, relax, and read some teen horror stories as summer comes to an end.
I was a teenage killer Author Stephen Graham Jones is out now from Simon & Schuster and horror movie Paul Tremblay’s book is now published by William Morrow Publishing.