One of the breakout horror movies of the year so far has been The Black Phone, starring Mason Thames and Ethan Hawke. It centers on a teenager who a masked man kidnaps. In the killer's basement, he discovers a mysterious telephone that lets him communicate with his abductor's previous victims. It's based on a short story by writer Joe Hill, the son of Stephen King.
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Over the last two decades, Hill has established himself as a leading voice in horror and science fiction. His work tends to be cinematic (like father, like son), lending itself naturally to screen adaptations. In addition to The Black Phone, Hill's novels NOS4A2 and Horns have also been adapted, as have his graphic novel series Locke & Key and a few short stories. But these only scratch the surface. Hill's work includes many more tales that would work well on the silver screen.
'The Fireman'
2016's The Fireman is Hill's most recent novel, and at almost 800 pages, it's a real epic. An airborne fungus infects the population, causing their skin to harden until they spontaneously combust. A crew of heroes seeks to find a cure before civilization is reduced to ashes. Their leader is an enigmatic figure known only as the Fireman.
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The Fireman has a lot in common with Stephen King's similarly gargantuan novel The Stand, also about a group of survivors attempting to survive in a post-apocalyptic America that has been decimated by a plague. It's packed with action and well-crafted characters, and a surprisingly optimistic tone despite the grim subject matter.
'Heart-Shaped Box'
Heart-Shaped Box is the debut novel from Hill, released in 2007, and the winner of that year's Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel. It tells the story of aging rock star Jude, who collects creepy artifacts. After he buys a purportedly haunted suit, strange occurrences break loose around him. Soon, Jude and his girlfriend Georgia are fighting for their lives.
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On top of being a horror, Heart-Shaped Box is also a great rock & roll story, and music plays a big role in the narrative. The novel is even divided into four sections revolving around classic rock songs. Reading the book, you can almost hear the songs, so it would be awesome to watch a film adaptation where the music is literally incorporated into the action.
'Abraham's Boys'
This Dracula spinoff explores the relationship between vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing and his sons, Max and Rudolf. In particular, it looks at what it would be like to grow up with a famed monster slayer for a dad. But from there, the story takes even more interesting directions. The elderly Abraham becomes senile and confused. He mistakes a sick woman for a vampire and drags her into his basement with the intent to stake her.
Abraham's Boys is a simple but incredibly clever concept. A feature-length film could delve into the characters and their relationship dynamics - alongside some gnarly action sequences. But what makes the story stand out is the insightful way it engages with themes of memory and truth. It makes us wonder: how many "vampires" have Abraham been wrong about before?
'Rain'
Rain is a story included in Strange Weather, a 2017 collection of Hill's novellas. One day in Boulder, Colorado, sharp crystals fall from the sky, seemingly randomly. The crystals strike and kill almost everyone outdoors. One of the survivors is a woman named Honeysuckle, who had been in a garage at the time looking after her young neighbor. However, her girlfriend, Yolanda, doesn't survive.
Honeysuckle sets out to Denver on foot to tell Yolanda's parents that she has died. On the way, she finds herself entangled in a murder plot and a deeper conspiracy involving secret chemical research. It's like something out of Black Mirror, in the best way.
'Pop Art'
Pop Art revolves around two social outcast boys: one whose home life is in turmoil, and another who has loving parents, but who is made of inflatable plastic. Despite the bizarre premise, Pop Art isn't really a horror at all. Rather, it's a coming-of-age story about the boys and their friendship. It's surprisingly moving, and the characters are richly drawn.
Pop Art is among Hill's most acclaimed stories. Through the plastic character, he explores real human emotions, especially loneliness, connection and the challenges of adolescence. It has been adapted into a short film already, but a feature would really do it justice.
'You Are Released'
A commercial plane is flying an overseas trip. An interesting assortment of passengers is onboard, and the story delves into their backstories and unique struggles. Then there is a flash in the night sky: a nuclear war has begun. The passengers in the plane are safe for now, but the shock of what has occurred threatens to plunge the plane into chaos.
You Are Released is an entertaining story, held together by the great point-of-view scenes from each main character. Hill shows us their different responses to the nuclear detonations. He weaves in politics and religion, creating an incendiary mix of genre storytelling and social commentary.
'Faun'
A doorway opens to a wonderful fantasy world, all rolling hills, forests, and mythical creatures. For a fee, a guide leads a group of trophy hunters through the portal so that they can hunt monsters like the cyclops and faun. The story begins as a dark take on Narnia, then turns into a survival thriller as the hunters become the hunted.
Faun is emblematic of Hill's style: he takes a classic genre premise, then distorts it to explore a dark aspect of humanity. The result is a brutal, mature fantasy like Lev Grossman's Magicians series.
'Loaded'
Loaded is another novella from the Strange Weather collection. Mall security guard Randy goes on a killing spree, hides the evidence, and frames one of his victims. He claims to have killed the real shooter, and the police accept his version of events. Randy is praised as a hero who stopped further carnage. He soon becomes an icon, the quintessential 'good guy with a gun.'
The story takes twists and turns from there before culminating in a stellar ending. Loaded is particularly timely as it explores gun violence and how these issues are treated in politics and the media. It's both a tense thriller and a biting satire.
'Throttle'
Throttle, written with Stephen King, is the centerpiece of Hill's short story collection Full Throttle. It tells the story of a biker gang fresh off a meth deal gone wrong as they speed across the Nevada desert pursued by a mysterious truck driver. It's an action horror inspired by Richard Matheson's short story Duel, which Steven Spielberg adapted into a film in 1971.
With plenty of shootouts, car chases, and brutal crashes, Throttle is practically begging to be turned into a movie. A special effects team would have a field day recreating all the blood and gore the authors describe in vivid detail. It could make for a breakneck car thriller à laVanishing Point or Death Proof. It's worth reading, too, even if only to experience a project written by the father and son duo together.
Dark Carousel
Set in 1994, a group of teenagers visits a fair for a night of beers, fun, and romance. It's the end of summer, and they're soaking it in before they have to return to their ordinary lives. But things take a turn for the macabre after the kids ride on a carousel featuring mechanical horses and other imposing animals. After a fateful mistake, the animals come to life and threaten to kill the teenagers.
Dark Carousel is fairly generic horror fare, at least in its premise, but Hill elevates it with complex characters and skillful 90s nostalgia. A film version could recreate that era even more fully. With the right director, it could be like a horror version of Mid90s.
