Chateau of Shadows #4 - The Haunting of Amelia Temple?
Would it surprise you to learn that I just this past month watched the Mike Flanagan adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House? I mean, that seems a little off-brand, right? I'm out here trying to craft the image of a horror aficionado, black-lacquered fingertips on the spurting pulse of weird fiction even as I add my own works to the corpus. Surely I was right there for one of the most mainstream horror series in recent memory, right?
So, here's the thing, and my explanation is honestly even more embarrassing. I had never read Hill House and didn't want to see any of the adaptations until I had. I just never got around to it until this October.
In my defense, you can only read something for the first time once. I'm trying to save some of the classics for my later years. It's just that now they're a lot less "later".
Imagine how I felt at minute one when I realized "adaptation" was being used very loosely here.
Don't get me wrong, I thought it was a good series. Up until the end, at least; I think the show lost its bite in the finale. Believe me, I get it. Once you get to know your characters, it becomes hard to hold back the happy ending, even if the story requires it. You weaken the story if you don't give it the tragedy it requires, though.
That scene where the house finally shows Nell the punchline, though. That was some good stuff.
It has me thinking about what would happen if The Amelia Temple Series was ever adapted. What would be changed, what compromises would have to be made to fit a film or television series or a collaborator's vision. That's the thing about everything except prose, isn't it? Film, television, theater, even comics, usually; it's all collaborative. Sure, I have an editor and a cover illustrator, but largely Amelia's adventures are a solo gig. I don't have to account for any inputs except for what I think the story demands.
I would like to see The Amelia Temple Series adapted, if only for commercial reasons. My withered '90s Gen X heart won't permit me to sell out, but it wouldn't mind the extra sales. It'd be neat to see Amelia through another artist's eyes. I'm prepared to accept a reasonable degree of change, but there's two things I would insist on. The cast wouldn't be white-washed, and Amelia would be played by a trans woman. I'd rather not get the payday than compromise there.
If I can recover a little bit of horror cred, we were right there for The Fall of the House of Usher. Now that one stuck the landing!
Upcoming Awards!
It's bookish awards season, and Beneath Strange Lights is eligible for the Indie Ink Awards 2023! You can nominate it for up to five different categories. Voting starts soon, so if you see a category where you think Beneath Strange Lights would fit, please don't hesitate.
Upcoming Work!
The Amelia Temple Series continues! I'm working with my awesome publisher, Blue Fortune Enterprises, to put Book Two out in March 2024. My amazing wife and cover artist, Frankie, has created an incredible cover illustration. I can't wait to share it with you!
Upcoming Events!
I'll be participating in the Billsburg Book Club along with fellow Blue Fortune authors E. Compton Lee and Narielle Living! Beginning November 1, Billsburg Brewery will be hosting a different local author on the first Wednesday of each month. I'm scheduled for May 1st, but don't hesitate to check out the other authors.
Available Now!
Beneath Strange Lights, Book One of The Amelia Temple Series, is available to order now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and wherever books are sold!
My short story "It's Really For The Best" is included in The Book of Queer Saints Volume II from Medusa Publishing Haus. This anthology is all killer, no filler. BoQS2 and a new edition of Volume I are both available now in print and ebook!