The Summer I Died by Ryan C. Thomas
Okay, so this one is more a novella than a novel, but I would kill to see a movie out of this one. Coincidentally, one was announced two years ago by us and by the author, whom I was trading emails with at the time, but when I saw Bill Moseley (who was set to star) at Texas Frightmare weekend a year ago he said he didn’t know anything about it. Nevertheless, The Summer I Died is one of the most difficult books I’ve ever had to read, and it’s only 174 pages! It tells the story of two friends who stumble upon a maniac killing a woman in front of his house in the middle of the woods, only to be captured by him and locked in his basement. Where the book goes from there you can probably guess, but take my word for it that you’ve never read anything like this before. What makes the book so fascinating is that the whole thing could come across as torture porn, as it features some of the most graphic and detailed depictions of violence I have ever read, but it manages to subvert your expectations and have a heart amidst all the carnage. Please get this movie made!
What are some of your favorite horror novels (or novellas, or short stories) that you would like to see adapted into films? Let me know in the comments below or Tweet me!