Just wanted to poke my head in and say thanks to everyone who's written about the Halloween Movie feature. Glad you're enjoying it, and I've enjoyed reading your picks, too. Anyway, the good news is that I'm thinking of making this an annual feature here at American Frankenstein. It's been a bucketful of fun.Also, thanks to those of you who've emailed about Dark Harvest in the last few days. Great to hear how many people have discovered the novel this October, and that you've enjoyed it. While I'm at it, I just spotted a great new review for Dark Harvest over at the blog of Rob H. Bedford (reviewer for SFFWorld and San Francisco Book Review). He says, in part:
"Small towns are often the settings for some of the best horror stories. Dark secrets add to the mix, and the sense of everybody knowing everybody, is the tip of the iceberg. In Norman Partridge's Dark Harvest, these elements set the tension for the annual Hallowe'en night event where the boys try to catch the October Boy. Penned up and unfed by their families in the days leading up to Hallowe'en, these boys are released into the town to chase and take down the October Boy. In a sense, this is reminiscent of the mythical Wild Hunt. The boy who takes down the Pumpkin-headed monstrosity gets to leave the dead end town and his family is showered with prizes...
"In the end, the imagery is powerful, the themes of youth awakening and small town dark secrets familiar, and the narrative pull thrillingly addictive. The fact that the town is never named and little background is given about the events leading up to those events that take place in the novel gives the novel a greater sense of mythic resonance. I think it's pretty fair to say that Norman Partridge has crafted one of those novels readers will return to in future Hallowe'en readings -- in other words an iconic novel."
Okay. That one's a keeper. And now that intermission is over, let's get back to the movies...
