By Brian Abbott
Contributing Writer
With the success of the recent feature film, “IT,” based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name, I thought I’d suggest a few similar frights to read for this Halloween season.
Of course, if you haven’t read “IT,” I recommend it. The 1986 novel follows the story of seven children who are terrorized by an entity that primarily appears as a clown and preys on phobias. It was previously adapted as a 1990 two-part miniseries, starring John Ritter, Harry Anderson, Olivia Hussey, Richard Thomas and Tim Curry as Pennywise. The recent adaptation with Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise only covers the section of the book featuring the characters as children. A sequel to finish the story has been announced.
The idea of a horror story spanning years or decades brings to mind a favorite of mine, “Ghost Story” by Peter Straub. Set in a fictional upstate New York town, “Ghost Story” unfolds the histories of five lifelong friends who share a secret that has come back to haunt them.
A 1981 film adaptation of this 1979 novel is notable for featuring the final performances of three Hollywood legends: Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
In Dan Simmons’ “Summer of Night,” five boys in 1960s Illinois discover an ancient evil has awakened in their school. The horror takes many forms including dead soldiers, giant worms, animated corpses, schoolyard bullies and of course the school’s principal. Much of the inspiration for the book’s setting and characters comes from Simmons’ own childhood. This novel is actually the first in a series and has been compared to Stephen King’s “IT.”
Then there’s the ever-evolving horror of a house with endlessly shifting hallways in Mark Z. Danielewski’s “House of Leaves.” Here a young family moves into a small house that is far bigger than it should be on the inside with gateways to dark corners. The novel incorporates several first-person narratives and contains an unusual layout and style that add to the disorienting mystery. “House of Leaves” is an unconventional horror story and an experience in storytelling.
Other notable horror sagas include: “The Witching Hour” by Anne Rice, “The Elementals” by Michael McDowell, “The Damnation Game” by Clive Barker, and for horror fans who aren’t squeamish, “The Girl Next Door” by Jack Ketchum.
