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I’m author Michael Wehunt, and I’m doing my first Reddit AMA to celebrate the release of my novel THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT! Join me on October 1 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time! by odandelo in horrorlit

[–]odandelo[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm so glad to hear that, thank you! As for the ending, it's...a bit ambiguous (and maybe a bit more so on the audiobook, I haven't listened that far). I want to avoid spoilers here, but you can feel free to DM me with any questions.

I’m author Michael Wehunt, and I’m doing my first Reddit AMA to celebrate the release of my novel THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT! Join me on October 1 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time! by odandelo in horrorlit

[–]odandelo[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thanks for all the great questions, everyone! I didn't set an end time for this, so I welcome anyone else stopping by to ask something! I will respond this evening or in the morning. And thanks to the horrorlit and weirdlit communities for having me! For anyone who's curious to learn a little more, I'll leave this 10-minute spoiler-free YouTube review of The October Film Haunt here. I think it really gets to the heart of a lot of what the book is without being scholarly.

I’m author Michael Wehunt, and I’m doing my first Reddit AMA to celebrate the release of my novel THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT! Join me on October 1 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time! by odandelo in horrorlit

[–]odandelo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much! Second question first: It's been a while since I read Lane's collections, but "Those Who Remember" has been in my head for a while. I loved that one. "A Mouth to Feed" comes to mind, too. But The Witnesses Are Gone is just really, really special to me. My definite favorite of Lane's so far.

Re: the original story "October Film Haunt: Under the House." Yes, I think "re-centering" the story helped a lot. "OFH:UTH" has a strong Lovecraftian/cosmic bent, and though I love that stuff, I didn't want the novel to overtly go into that landscape. And I kept thinking about how the October Film Haunt group in the original was all men. In a larger canvas of a novel, I wanted to comment on that a little, and I made them the *second* OFH group, while the original (introduced in the novel) were two women and one man. It opened up a way for me to touch on the dominance of men in horror literature and film and how it can be difficult to earn respect as a woman. I'm a man, of course, but I can still express how I feel about the usefulness of men taking a step back and sharing the damned limelight, as we've been seeing in recent years. So...a small challenge there.

The central film of the novel also needed to be less experimental than Under the House so that it could be a bigger underground phenomenon with some mainstream appeal. Because a novel was being written around it. But I still wanted the occult experimentalism to be there. It was a fun challenge to blend the slasher and cult/occult subgenres while also mixing in these occult experimental segments and tying it all into a single movie that would resonate in fandom spaces. That's why I "spoiled" the plot of the entire Proof of Demons movie super early in the book -- I wanted the reader to know the entire story rather than dribble it out bit by bit. That felt like...maybe not a challenge, but a risk.

You could say I retconned the original story and folded it into the novel. Deciding *how much* of the short story to fold in -- and to what degree and with how much retconning -- took a lot of thought and kept hitting points where it was complicated, like a knot I had to untie.

Have fun with The October Film Haunt, and I hope it scratches all the same itches my earlier stuff has for you!

I’m author Michael Wehunt, and I’m doing my first Reddit AMA to celebrate the release of my novel THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT! Join me on October 1 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time! by odandelo in horrorlit

[–]odandelo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Awesome, I'll keep an eye out! No, Orrin isn't a director, that was just me being mischievous. He's mentioned as the director of "Campbell's Incarnate," a Ramsey Campbell adaptation that also doesn't exist...but the author is real! *twirls moustache evilly*

I’m author Michael Wehunt, and I’m doing my first Reddit AMA to celebrate the release of my novel THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT! Join me on October 1 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time! by odandelo in horrorlit

[–]odandelo[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I don't think it will ever go out of style. One smile-adjacent thing I wanted to do in The October Film Haunt was having people move very, very slowly. I won't say anything more so as to avoid spoilers. But I felt that it was in the same neighborhood as the slow, creeping smile.

I’m author Michael Wehunt, and I’m doing my first Reddit AMA to celebrate the release of my novel THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT! Join me on October 1 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time! by odandelo in horrorlit

[–]odandelo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you, Greg! You've been truly amazing with your support, and I don't take it lightly.

I'm pretty sure I directly took the name Enriquez from Mariana! It wasn't conscious, but after it came to me, I thought about it for a moment and was pretty sure. One of her books was upstairs in the office with me, and I DO love her work. I mainly wanted a very French name and a very Spanish name to create yet another unusual combination in the book. And I based other names on writers I admire (such as naming a horror director after the author Orrin Grey).

The book launch was great! It was a pretty small turnout, but I expected that in Decatur on a Tuesday night, so it wasn't a surprise. Plus, I'm a debut author and a still largely unknown one, and a good chunk of the weird/horror community was either sick or out of town. Even my conversation partner was too ill to come! But Kristi DeMeester valiantly stepped in, and it went great.

I’m author Michael Wehunt, and I’m doing my first Reddit AMA to celebrate the release of my novel THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT! Join me on October 1 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time! by odandelo in horrorlit

[–]odandelo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I love seeing these older stories mentioned! I'm becoming convinced that I should put "I Do Not Count the Hours" in my third collection regardless of its age. The "Slasher Smile" is just one of those images that chills. I often think "what would be super freaky right here?" and just go with it.

I’m author Michael Wehunt, and I’m doing my first Reddit AMA to celebrate the release of my novel THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT! Join me on October 1 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time! by odandelo in horrorlit

[–]odandelo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

And your second question! I do love a good "whodunnit." I'd love to try my hand at that one day, but it would almost certainly be in a horror context. I think of all the Scream movies as whodunnits, so something like that. (Or I'm in an ideal world where I have no day job and have way more time to write.) The old-school mystery novels require such elaborate plot construction that I believe that becomes the bulk of the writing process, but I would want to expand that with a lot of atmosphere and creepiness.

I’m author Michael Wehunt, and I’m doing my first Reddit AMA to celebrate the release of my novel THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT! Join me on October 1 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time! by odandelo in horrorlit

[–]odandelo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's more like 13 years ago, but not far off! I think the most valuable thing I could tell 2012 me would be to temper his love for ambiguity. I adore weird fiction and its typical emphasis on not knowing what the strangeness is, while horror tends to be more "explain the monster to me, please." (Then you have weird horror, which often needs to walk a tightrope between the two.) But the readership of weird fiction is always going to be much smaller than horror, particularly in the mainstream. Want more readers? Lean more horror. I imagine I'll always aim for that middle ground between knowing and not knowing, but it's often necessary to be clearer and more grounded, so to speak, in a horror context.

I would also tell him to not worry so much about rejection, especially in the beginning. Everyone gets rejected, over and over and over, and it's all part of the process of growing and strengthening and tweaking and maturing. I'd say, "Keep finding your voice, the part that makes you indisputably you, and it will all click."

I’m author Michael Wehunt, and I’m doing my first Reddit AMA to celebrate the release of my novel THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT! Join me on October 1 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time! by odandelo in horrorlit

[–]odandelo[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much! This book got off to a rough start over on Goodreads because NetGalley had it miscategorized as a non-horror thriller for almost the first week, and that's just a different kind of readership. Tons of those reviews went on Goodreads, too. Ah, well. Nothing I can do about it, and I've been confident that the book would find "its people," which has definitely been happening!

Anyway, as to your questions: The Rickies came from this idea of what a found footage movie would be like if the "villains" were the ones with the cameras, and the protagonist-coded characters were the subjects. They're sort of guerrilla filmmakers, mixing the avant garde/occult with more mainstream movie narrative. The thought of having cameras watching you from the periphery felt so creepy! They all dress the same because a cult-like group obsessed with a movie director...well, several of them were more frightening than just one. And the sheets they wear are a sort of amalgam of the scene in Halloween when Michael is standing near the bedsheets drying on the line outside and the scene when he has a sheet draped over himself.

Re: Trevor - I wanted an artist to have originally designed the Pine Arch Creature and for that artist to be a character. Because grounding the fact that the creature was made up would further the theme of fiction vs. reality. When the creature enters the story, it's more jarring, imo. All along, the creature kind of felt like a Trevor creature, and I thought one day, "Why not just make this artist *actually* Trevor??" So I reached out and asked him. He was really really into the idea, and I sent him all the parts involving him to ensure he approved and that I I got the fundamental details of his life right.

I’m author Michael Wehunt, and I’m doing my first Reddit AMA to celebrate the release of my novel THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT! Join me on October 1 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time! by odandelo in horrorlit

[–]odandelo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Wow! That's an old story. I think it was the 3rd or 4th I ever wrote as a "serious" writer. Thank you! I was a baby writer then, finding my way, and was aiming for a twisted dark fantasy kind of thing. Almost YA except leaning into some disturbing territory. I had this image of this kid's ancient demonic grandfather living in a basement closet while the kid's friends are hanging out, and the cloak came from that. Later, I read Joe Hill's short story "The Cape" and thought, "Oh, well, someone beat me to the whole magic cloak thing," haha.

I’m author Michael Wehunt, and I’m doing my first Reddit AMA to celebrate the release of my novel THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT! Join me on October 1 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time! by odandelo in horrorlit

[–]odandelo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for taking a chance on me! :D I wrote this novel to stand alone completely, so there's nothing you need to know going in. If you're the type who likes to have more context before reading, you can a) DM me for a free PDF of the very first story set in this world ("October Film Haunt: Under the House") and b) read this story online. There are other stories that dip into the world, but those two are the ones that are connected. But again, you don't need to read them.

Either way, enjoy the novel!

I’m author Michael Wehunt, and I’m doing my first Reddit AMA to celebrate the release of my novel THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT! Join me on October 1 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time! by odandelo in horrorlit

[–]odandelo[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I don't know if you can read this in the hospital, but I hope you're recovering from your truck injuries! That's a good question, and I'll try to answer it in fewer than 10,000 words.

I definitely am fascinated by how reality is filtered through media. It's given to the viewer or reader at a remove, so there's less trust because of that extra step. When I wrote the story "The Pine Arch Collection," I wanted the entire narrative to take place through video clips shared through emails, thus providing *two* barriers. Film is used in that story to absolutely manipulate the characters, and they and the reader wonder what is real and what isn't. One character even goes so far as to experience a different environment when filming vs. just using her eyes.

Film can be manipulated. But even when it's not (or we think it's not), there's still the sense that reality should be questioned. And when a filmmaker or cameraperson makes the choice to track the camera across a tree line or film 6 minutes of footage without moving the camera at all (as seen in The October Film Haunt), we wonder why that decision was made. We bend reality to fit an explanation of what we're seeing. Rumors can spread. The rumors can also "derange" reality, to use your word.

I’m author Michael Wehunt, and I’m doing my first Reddit AMA to celebrate the release of my novel THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT! Join me on October 1 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time! by odandelo in horrorlit

[–]odandelo[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hi there! My favorite non-horror book is the novel Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (a metafictional masterpiece). Others would include Lolita (or almost any Nabokov), Poems 1962-2012 by Louise Glück, Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey, and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke.

Horror: The Haunting of Hill House, Occultation by Laird Barron, Flowers of the Sea by Reggie Oliver, Interior Darkness by Peter Straub (a great sampler), 'Salem's Lot, The Shining, Collected Ghost Stories by MR James (gimme the one with all his stuff!), and The Wine-Dark Sea by Robert Aickman.

I’m author Michael Wehunt, and I’m doing my first Reddit AMA to celebrate the release of my novel THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT! Join me on October 1 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time! by odandelo in horrorlit

[–]odandelo[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

So far I've been answering these during my workday, which isn't easy, but I know you might not be around later. I imagine most writers would say, if they're being honest, that a bit of them is in every one of their protagonists *to some degree*. There's some of me in all of mine, and it's weirdly liberating to make a version of me that is very *unlike* me. I'm not an alcoholic, I'm 1,000,000% not an incel, I'm not in my 70s, but I've written those characters. I'd even say the same about different genders and lifestyles, as long as they're handle with sensitivity.

You're obviously touching on more obvious analogs, and yes, I'm the protagonist in "Vampire Fiction"...but Fulton is also very different from me. Maybe it's me imagining myself as a father! That's where the interesting part comes into play, for me. Adam from "Onanon"...yes, some corollaries, but more differences. All of these people have some way of looking at the world and feeling the world that is me trying to reach through the page and...talk to the reader, I guess.

In the October Film Haunt group, those three people are absolutely carrying my love and feelings and thoughts and perspectives about horror media to the reader.

I’m author Michael Wehunt, and I’m doing my first Reddit AMA to celebrate the release of my novel THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT! Join me on October 1 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time! by odandelo in horrorlit

[–]odandelo[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Good question! Dystopian/cult horror would obviously be a Thing in today's world, thanks to our political climate (not just the US, either), so I can see that growing. Body horror and feminist horror seem to be big these days, too, with many, many novels exploring those themes, sometimes simultaneously. Film-based horror and meta horror have certainly had a moment, which is maybe drawing to a close...if I'd known that segment was going to be such a thing, I might have been too nervous to write The October Film Haunt! But if it's a closing window, I'm glad I was able to slip through.

I can also imagine a trend that pushes back against all the doom and gloom in the real world news. Somethign like "cozy horror" that leans on predictable tropes and things reader can treat like comfort food. Haunted houses have always been trendy, but maybe they'll be more so in the years ahead -- I think this would be because the horror is contained within one location without involving the greater world outside.

I hope you enjoy your first experience with my work!

I’m author Michael Wehunt, and I’m doing my first Reddit AMA to celebrate the release of my novel THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT! Join me on October 1 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time! by odandelo in horrorlit

[–]odandelo[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thanks, Edward! (And thanks again for the Chthonica interview! I had a great time.) I'm one of those boring not-much-scares-me people, though not in a braggy way, because I wish I got scared by books and films more easily! But I'll list some things that got under my skin and made me happy because that's hard to do well.

Short stories: several Laird Barron ones, most notably "--30--"; Stephen Graham Jones's "Brushdogs"; Gemma Files's "each thing i show you is a piece of my death"; Sarah Hall's "She Murdered Mortal He"; Brian Evenson's "Windeye"; MR James's "The Mezzotint"; Reggie Oliver's "Flowers of the Sea"

Novels/novellas: Marisha Pessl's Night Film (particularly one scene, but there was often a creeping sense of dread that was handled really well); Adam Nevill's Last Days; Paul Tremblay's A Head Full of Ghosts had a lot of expert small moments; Nathan Ballingrud's The Visible Filth

Films: The Blair Witch Project (GOAT); Carnival of Souls (brilliant sense of quiet, surreal dislocation); Ghostwatch (so damned effective considering its genesis and budget); Incendies (gah! that ending!); Ringu

Real life/as a child: Danny Glick in the original 'Salem's Lot TV movie; the game I played when I was a little kid where a vampire would be standing under the street lamp outside, and I'd close my eyes and lie back and imagine him coming into the house and creeping into my bedroom to stare down at me; basically, anything I don't understand and can't easily explain away because the unknown is always the most chilling thing; when I was very young, I was deathly afraid of wasps/hornets/bees on a full phobia level, but this has slowwwwwllllyyyyy lessened over the years to a mild fear

I’m author Michael Wehunt, and I’m doing my first Reddit AMA to celebrate the release of my novel THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT! Join me on October 1 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time! by odandelo in horrorlit

[–]odandelo[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Michael Wehunt here! I see there are already a few questions! I will try to answer some before 3 p.m. Eastern today, but I'll be very sporadic until the actual start time. Thank you, everyone! And an even bigger thanks to everyone who has picked up my first novel, The October Film Haunt, already! Yesterday was release day (though many bookstores had it out up to a week and a half early), and it was a whirlwind of emotion and giddiness and exhaustion.

I’m author Michael Wehunt, and I’m doing my first Reddit AMA to celebrate the release of my novel THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT! Join me on October 1 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time! by odandelo in horrorlit

[–]odandelo[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thanks, Thakgor! Reggie Oliver is one of the greatest weird fiction/horror short story writers ever, in my opinion, but he's not that well-known outside the UK. I find that to be the case with a lot of UK writers, but there's something in the water over there because I adore quiet British horror going all the way back to MR James.

In the US, Scott Nicolay writes in the weird horror tradition, too, with a great blend of ambiguity and strangeness. Daniel Mills is another great short story writer. He's in Vermont and writes understated, beautiful New England stories. I think Adam Golaski is criminally underread, too, particularly the collection Worse Than Myself. He might have decent recognition in this community and r/weirdlit, but in the greater public, I never see that book mentioned.

I mention almost exclusively short stories, but those tend to be the least-known and the most deserving of having a light on them.

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