Anyone who knows me knows I’ve been eager to write a novelization since the start of my career. Thanks to the good people at Encyclopocalypse Publications, I finally got that chance. I’m happy to announce that my latest novel, Scared to Death, is out today!
Scared to Death is an adaptation of director William Malone’s 1980 creature feature. I’ve always been a fan of that movie (and the monster in it) so I jumped at the chance to bring its story to the page. Whether you’re familiar with the film or not, don’t worry. This might be an adaptation of someone else’s work, but it’s still my latest novel. If you’re interested in reading it because you like my stuff, you’ll dig this book. It’s very much in line with the rest of my work.
PREY FOR THE UNKNOWN
A series of gruesome murders has Los Angeles in a panic. The police believe they’re looking for a psychopath. The press screams that a satanic cult is on the loose. Only two people know the truth. Ted Lonergan, ex-cop-turned-novelist, fears the killer isn’t human. Geneticist Sherry Carpenter suspects her former employer is connected to the carnage. Together they’ll pursue a mysterious being through a city that’s scared to death. But will they be the hunters, or the hunted?
I love what Encyclopocalypse Publications is doing, commissioning authors to novelize genre films that never had the love. When I was approached to do this particular book, I couldn’t have been happier. First, because I’ve been a huge fan of director William Malone for years. And second, because I think the Syngenor is one of the greatest movie monsters of all time. To have the opportunity to get inside its massive head, to try and make sense of its seemingly contradictory actions throughout the film? It was a challenge I so eagerly accepted.
If you’ve seen Scared to Death then you know it’s pretty light on plot. It’s a simple monster movie, after all, and so the accent is on prolonged attack sequences. I had a lot of creative freedom when it came to reinterpreting the story for the page, and was honored when William Malone gave me his blessing to do so. Thankfully, he had peppered his script with enough odd and interesting flourishes that made expansion incredibly easy to do.
It’s also a period piece. Set in Los Angeles during the summer of 1980. I wrote this novel during the height of the pandemic and there was something comforting about being able to escape into a very different world. What does it say about our reality that I greatly enjoyed my time inside the head of a pissed off genetic organism?
Scared to Death: The Novelization comes in four flavors, ebook, trade paperback, hardcover and, my favorite, a mass market paperback for the most nostalgic among you! You’ll find the links below. No matter the edition you buy, the book also includes a behind-the-scenes photo gallery courtesy of William Malone.
It was a privilege to bring the Syngenor to the page. It’s the coolest Alien-inspired creature in a very long line of them. I hope you enjoy reading the book as much as I loved writing it.
Scared to Death Kindle
Scared to Death Trade Paperback
Scared to Death Mass Market Paperback
Scared to Death Hardcover