“With his debut novel, McAuley presents the story of an ageing actor trying to reclaim his legacy while his beloved character returns for bloody revenge.”
It’s been decades since Howard Browning portrayed the killer in the popular 80’s horror franchise, Night of the Reaper. Now he signs autographs at genre conventions, slipping away into obscurity.
When a reboot of the franchise is announced, Browning learns he’s being replaced by the current popular heartthrob, Trevor Mane, who has a dark past of his own. Determined to stay sober and rebuild his career, Trevor Mane takes on the role hoping to inject new life into the franchise.
But Browning can’t let go of the character he created. His legacy in shreds, he fights to reclaim his glory, while his sinister alter ego takes over. Obsessed and consumed, Browning’s rage turns violent. Is this method-acting induced madness, or has the Reaper returned for bloody revenge?
Why we’re excited about this book:
Brian McAuley’s work is primarily in the world of film and television. His writing credits include such films as Nanny Cam, Twisted Sister, Hush Little Baby, Seduced, and Dismissed, and has written episodes for television shows such as Here Come the Humans, Patient Seven, and Fuller House. With his debut novel, McAuley presents the story of an ageing actor trying to reclaim his legacy while his beloved character returns for bloody revenge. Jamie Flanagan (co-writer Netflix’s Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Bly Manor) calls Curse of the Reaper “A love letter to slashers, and a nod to our addictions. To drugs, to fame. To the memories of who we once were.” Gordon B. White (Rookfield, As Summer’s Mask Slips and Other Disruptions) says: “In Curse of the Reaper, Brian McAuley carves a grinning specter from our cultural addictions to fandom and nostalgia, gleefully ripping through the boundaries between method and madness, pure scares and pitch-perfect schlock. With vividly wounded characters and a true fan’s eye for the horror show, Curse of the Reaper is an unmissable glimpse behind the screen.”, and Philip Fracassi (Shiloh, A Child Alone With Strangers) says: “Curse of the Reaper is the best kind of horror—one that’s equal parts psychological nightmare and bone-crunching bloodshed. McAuley’s novel is a grim amalgam, retelling the inner-struggle of a modern day Jekyll and Hyde and blending it (on high!) with every great 80’s slasher movie ever made. Reaper tackles madness, addiction, the costs of stardom, and the innate servitude of every artist whose soul is chained to the growling, hungry beast within. A wonderful, terrifying, thrilling novel not to be missed.”
Unleashing from Talos 4 October 2022, Curse of the Reaper by Brian McAuley is available for pre-order now.
BOB PASTORELLA
