Books
‘Friday the 13th Part III’ – Revisiting the 1982 Sequel and Its Two Novelizations
Most horror movies don’t even receive one novelization, yet Friday the 13th Part III somehow ended up with two. In fact, the second sequel in this beloved franchise was the first to be novelized; the original 1980 movie and its immediate follow-up were not adapted until ‘87 and ‘88, respectively. Meanwhile, Michael Avallone’s divisive take on Part III coincided with the movie’s original release. This adaptation of an early draft penned by Martin Kitrosser, Carol Watson & Petru Popescu features small but notable details that were changed for the final cut (e.g., Paul Kratka‘s character Rick was originally named Derek). On top of that is the book’s use of an alternate ending, which is now thought to be lost.
Higgins Haven had become Hades. A maniac’s playground and a charnel house, all in one hideous night. That lurid technique of the prolific Avallone — who is remembered for his purple prose — pads out as well as occasionally elevates the succinct story of Part III. Some readers may find this ornateness distracting or off-putting in the beginning, yet over time it’s appreciated when the screenplay’s more unassuming dialogue and routine beats pull you back down to Earth. His vivid and eager treatment of the oft uninteresting lives of even minor characters, such as bickering couple and ill-fated store owners Edna and Harold, is a significant part of Avallone’s appeal.
While continuity indeed exists in Friday the 13th, fans very well know it can be loose and susceptible to retconning. However, those first four movies house a better sense of story cohesion than subsequent entries. That uninterrupted flow of time after Jason Voorhees’ debut not only makes his inaugural body-count astonishing, it gives his targets more clemency. Everyone’s tendency to victim-blame is needless when remembering these three sequels occurred over the span of just a few days. Barely a week. The bloodbath from Part 2 was still under investigation by the inept local police when a new and unaware cast of young fodder showed up at Crystal Lake. Nineteen-year-old Christine “Chris” Higgins (played by Dana Kimmell) and her friends clearly missed the APB and news reports about a spree killer around these parts, but in their defense, the cops didn’t stop them as they drove into town.
Pictured: Chris (Dana Kimmell), Debbie (Tracie Savage), Andy (Jeffrey Rogers), Vera (Catherine Parks), Chuck (David Katims), and Chili (Rachel Howard) first meet Abel (David Wiley).
As darkly fun and strange as Avallone’s novelization is, it ultimately offers little ancillary insight into the characters. The mystery and espionage author knew how to draw a picture, but shading things in was more of Simon Hawke’s forte. The TimeWars author looked below the surface and dug up a better understanding of these characters in his own adaptation. Hawke expounded on Chris’ unresolved past trauma, Debbie’s (Tracie Savage) pregnancy, Shelly’s (Larry Zerner) insecurity, and Vera’s (Catherine Parks) frustration with men who can’t see past her looks. As far as Friday the 13th casts go, these characters are generally likable just as they are, but the second novelization builds on that and makes their lives — as short-lived as they turned out to be — worth knowing.
A hanging plot thread that fans continue to debate all these years later is Chris’ earliest encounter with Jason. What exactly happened in the time between Chris’ blackout and her waking up back at home remains unconfirmed (to both herself and the audience). That intentional ambiguity only leads to more confusion, especially when considering the movie’s coding of the attack and Chris’ psychological response. The nearly inaudible mention of possible “sexual mutilations” in regards to Jason’s first bloodshed could also be taken as evidence. While neither novelization fills in the blanks any more than the movie does, seeing as the ordeal is described by Chris herself instead of the authors, Hawke seems inclined to agree with those who believe Chris was raped. He wrote how the main character subconsciously resisted hypnotherapy because, as best friend Debbie commented, “some things […] were better off not knowing.”
It was in this third chapter that Jason began to evolve into a closer semblance of his most recognized form. That transformation from make-do villain for a fast-buck sequel to an absolute icon of popular horror was signaled with Jason’s procurement of his signature accessory. The final mask design was still unknown when Avallone wrote his novelization; the hockey mask was only chosen during filming. Meanwhile, Avallone referred to Shelly’s prop and later Jason’s trademark as simply “white” and “faceless.” There is no mention of hockey in the book.
Pictured: Chris (Dana Kimmell) is choked by Jason Voorhees (Richard Brooker).
Friday the 13th Part III‘s ending can be a tad confusing. After besting Jason in their barn battle, Chris retreated to a canoe like Alice did in the original movie. And in similar fashion, the latest final girl was rudely awakened by a nightmarish, zombie-like entity dragging her to the bottom of Crystal Lake. Needless to say, this is only a dream sequence doubling as a jumpscare — why Chris dreamt of Mrs. Voorhees in the first place raises questions — but unlike the first movie, Jason’s existence is confirmed. His body is shown in the barn as the badly traumatized Chris is escorted away in a police car.
The second novelization also goes with the surreal “lady in the lake” ending, which, as nonsensical as it may be, is something of a full-circle moment for the series. Particularly if Part III had been the finale. In the first novelization, however, Chris decapitated Jason in the barn with a sickle. Or so she thought. After her climactic showdown with the Crystal Lake Killer, Chris awoke to police officers and a doctor who all thought she was hysterical. They didn’t believe a thing she said about the murders. And when Chris tried to find proof in the barn, she ended up being the one to lose her head. This alternate conclusion, which slightly varies from what was stated in Peter M. Bracke’s Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th, is a touch too bleak (mind you, this was the same movie where Jason slaughtered a pregnant woman). So it’s understandable that the producers went in another direction.
These two literary companions each add to the movie, albeit in different ways. Avallone gives the story a surprising pulp quality, whereas Hawke is straightforward but also fleshes out the characters. Including Jason, who the author provides a brief, postmortem backstory (he is sure to directly point out the supernatural element). Admittedly, though, Hawke was more equipped to put Jason on paper without any unnecessary and inapt interpretation; Avallone catches readers off guard with out-of-character behavior like Jason laughing. Nevertheless, both books are enjoyable supplementary material for a somewhat routine but still rather entertaining sequel.
Pictured: The two Friday the 13th Part III novelizations.
Books
Urban Legends, Serial Killers, and Space Epics: 10 Horror Books We Can’t Wait to Read This June
We have entered summer reading season.
Schools are emptying, beaches are filling, and it’s a great time to pack a tote full of brand-new books and get some reading done in the shade. But even if the sun is bright, your fiction can still be dark, because June is absolutely packed with great new horror releases from rising stars and genre icons.
From a Psycho retelling to a dark twist on Peter Pan lore to a new book from a Pulitzer Prize winner, these are the horror titles we can’t wait to crack open this June.
The Children by Melissa Albert – June 2
A blend of dark fantasy, Gothic family saga, and horror novel that’s received rave reviews from Stephen King and more, The Children follows the adult children of a legendary fantasy author who died when a fire consumed their home. Now, living their own creative lives, Guinevere and Ennis must revisit the secrets from the night of the fire, the darkness surrounding Ennis’s new art installation, and the truth of their family legacy in both fact and fiction. It sounds like a wonderful twisted nest of secrets and magic, and I’m eager to dive in.
Marion by Leah Rowan – June 2
Just when you thought we’d run out of interesting ways to riff on Robert Bloch and Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, Leah Rowan comes along with Marion. As the title suggests, it’s the story of the Bates Motel’s most famous victim, but this time, she doesn’t die in the shower. She takes control of the knife and the narrative in this daring retelling of a proto-slasher classic. The story we know is just the beginning, and I can’t wait to find out the end.
Headlights by CJ Leede – June 9
Through her first two novels, Maeve Fly and American Rapture, CJ Leede emerged as one of the most exciting new horror voices of the 2020s, and she’s just getting warmed up. Leede’s third novel follows an FBI agent on the brink of retirement, running from his past and from the unsolved case that haunts him most, as he’s slowly pulled back into a gruesome serial killer narrative. Victims start turning up again, wearing someone else’s skin like a cape, with no memory of how they got that way, or how they got a lone strand of unidentified hair tied around their tongue. Both a riff on The Shining and a journey into the dark Colorado night, Headlights is one of the year’s most exciting horror lit events.
It Came From Neverland by Cynthia Pelayo – June 9
Cynthia Pelayo‘s novels have always felt like dark fairy tales, and with her latest, she’s taking things into the realm of one of the most famous children’s stories ever. It Came From Neverland follows a version of Wendy Darling who, while working as a schoolteacher and as an aid to rehabilitate World War I soldiers, finds old fears returning when a student goes missing. It seems that an entity Wendy knows only as “Peter Pan” is back on the prowl, and unlocking her memories might be the only way to stop it. That’s right, it’s a dark Peter Pan retelling as only Pelayo can do it, and you know you want a piece of that.
The Other by Annie Neugebauer – June 9
Annie Neugebauer’s The Extra ranks as one of the most clever and frightening horror novellas in recent memory, but that was only the beginning. This June, Neugebauer returns with the next book in what’s been dubbed “The Outsiders Sequence.” This time, Neugebauer’s strange world of doppelgangers and mimics turns to a couple on a hike who run into their exact duplicates, setting off a chain of events that will test their understanding of each other in terrifying ways. Neugebauer’s one of horror’s finest rising stars right now, so if you haven’t jumped on board The Outsiders Sequence yet, pick up The Extra and get ready for The Other.
Marla by Jonathan Janz – August 18 (Editor’s update: Release has now shifted from initial June 23 publication date)
Speaking of rising stars in the horror world, we’ve got Jonathan Janz, whose work has hit another level in recent years thanks to work like Children of the Dark and Veil. Now he’s back with Marla, the story of a local woman surrounded by urban legend, and her possible connection to a string of crimes in the community of King’s Branch. Is Marla a witch, a killer, a victim, a helpless child? We’ll have to read and find out in what feels like a perfect jumping-on point for new Janz readers.
The Sixth Nik by Daniel Kraus – June 23
Daniel Kraus has long been a favorite among genre readers, but thanks to his recent Pulitzer Prize win for his brilliant novel Angel Down, he’s more visible than ever, and all that visibility comes as he’s about to unleash a space epic with all the hallmarks of epic sci-fi and horror alike. The Sixth Nik promises everything from a sentient spaceship to a rogue planet full of plague to a nine-year-old “cultist” with an enhanced brain. This is Kraus playing in a brand-new sandbox, and genre readers everywhere won’t want to miss that.
Slasher Summer by E.L. Chen – June 23
E.L. Chen‘s latest novel is described as a love letter to ’80s slasher films, and anyone who’s taken a dive into the meta-horror of Scream or My Heart is a Chainsaw will want to sit up and take notice. The book follows a group of friends who grew up in a town famous as the location of a slasher movie, where they frequently played the characters during midnight shows. As adults, they return to their hometown, and to the location of the slasher movie, only to find that someone’s out to get them, someone wearing a very familiar mask. This sounds like a blast, and the latest in an ever-growing strand of slasher novels reinventing the genre on the page.
Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul Tremblay – June 30
Modern horror master Paul Tremblay‘s latest novel sounds like his most ambitious yet, and that’s really saying something. Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep follows Julia, a former pro gamer who gets an offer she can’t refuse: For a hefty payday, she must pilot a man named “Bernie” across the country for her mother’s tech company. The catch? Bernie’s in a vegetative state, and his mobility comes from the AI chip in his head. As Julia moves Bernie’s body, Bernie’s mind moves through an unfathomable nightmare world, but where are they heading, and what’s Bernie really meant to find? Every new Paul Tremblay book is an event, and this one feels particularly special.
Red X by David Demchuk – June 30
This one’s technically a reprint, but David Demchuk’s Red X is so revered among the horror community, and particularly other horror authors, that it feels worth highlighting, especially during Pride Month. Complex and metatextual, Red X is about a series of disappearances and a demonic entity plaguing the gay community of Toronto, but it’s also an autobiographical sketch of an author navigating death, survival, queer culture, horror as a means of expression, and more. In short, it’s an essential, and this new edition, complete with fresh writing by Gretchen Felker-Martin and Anthony Oliveira, is a must-have.
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