Stream to Scream: Relic and Come Closer by Sara Gran

 

One particular Calvin and Hobbes comic stands out in my mind when I think of the strip’s philosophical underpinnings. As young Calvin and his imaginary pet tiger Hobbes are wandering through the forest, Calvin asks his anthropomorphic tiger if he believes in the devil and Hobbes, an astute, unbiased observer, states, “I’m not sure man needs the help.” Despite many believing this much more nuanced take on the origins of human evil, many possession stories, where a devil literally makes someone do something, still exist, but recent ones have also become more nuanced than “demon enters someone then others try to force it out.” The 2020 movie Relic uses the supernatural as a metaphor for losing oneself as the body loses its battle with time. Come Closer by Sara Gran, on the other hand, gives a very intimate and harrowing portrayal of losing oneself to a demonic entity, a battle that has the line between human and demon constantly blurring.

Relic stars Emily Mortimer as Kay, a woman who realizes that her mother Edna is not the woman Kay knew. After hearing that her mother has vanished, Kay and her adult daughter travel to Edna’s cottage and discover clues to Edna’s deteriorating mental state. Those fears are not assuaged when Edna returns and exhibits some very odd behavior. Not to mention, there is some strange mold growing in the house and Kay is having some very unusual dreams. This all leads to a very surreal meditation on mortality as well as our own eventual decay. Relic has some frightening images, but what really makes this movie stick with you is how powerless Kay, or anyone, is to stop what’s happening.

That helplessness is also part of what makes Sara Gran’s Come Closer so terrifying. Told exclusively through protagonist Amanda’s experiences, the story begins with her experiencing lapses in memory and strange dreams, dreams of a red beach and a strange woman with sharp teeth. Soon, Amanda’s behavior becomes more erratic. Her husband soon becomes concerned, then begins to drift away, while Amanda tries everything from therapy to a self-help book on demonic possession that pretty much verifies that Amanda is indeed possessed. However, just as Edna is powerless to stop her decline, Amanda is constantly thwarted by the demon, usually by taking control of her body long enough to dissuade anyone from helping her. Both stories talk about a slow and horrifying loss of control, but Come Closer has the reader vicariously experience Amanda’s possession. Far from the spinning head and vomiting, Amanda’s demon is much more subtle and sinister, simply having Amanda commit petty crimes and seek out men for anonymous sex. What is the scariest about Amanda’s loss of control is that it becomes difficult to see just how much or how little the demon influences Amanda. Maybe Hobbs was onto something.

Have You Read This? Clown in a Cornfield by Adame Cesare

 

As a librarian, I am exposed to a lot of books. As a scary librarian, I am exposed to a lot of scary books, mainly, I’ll admit, because I choose to. But even a scary librarian cannot abide by just adult horror, and I thought it high time I broaden my horizons. That necessity to escape my typical reading choices, as well as the particular time of year, is why I’m looking at a young adult horror novel that should be scary for people of any age, Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare. And while the weather outside is turning colder, and the leaves crunching underfoot give way to frosted and frozen earth, this book is still a great read for any fan, young or old, who is a fan of the slasher genre.

The story takes place in the town of Kettle Springs, Missouri, which is all about traditional American values and Frendo, the mascot of the town and of the factory that used to be the town’s lifeblood. Quinn Maybrook and her father Glen move to scenic Kettle Springs with its miles of corn fields, a widening rift between the town’s teens and their parents, and a homicidal clown that wants to crash a teen party out in the cornfield. It was a fun party until Frendo came . . . and started killing. What begins as a teen party full of dancing and alcohol becomes a war between the younger and older generations of the town.

What initially drew me to this book was the plot, a throwback to the slasher movies of the ‘80s sprinkled with modern sensibilities. The kids that populate this world, however, aren’t as throwaway as many of the teens in those slasher flicks and that is to Cesare’s benefit. It would be very easy to merely narrate a slasher walking around and exterminating teens too stupid to know that being alone was a terrible idea. But Cesare doesn’t go for the simple homage; he creates an interesting story that’s full of teen angst but also gory fun. Those who might think that a young adult novel would mean it has less teeth than, say, a Stephen Graham Jones slasher, but Cesare doesn’t skimp on the brutality of the deaths. There are no convenient cutaways from the deaths to spare readers the gory details. Both teens and adults are dispatched in gruesome and creative ways. For my first foray into Young Adult fiction, I was glad to meet this killer clown, and I look forward to seeing where Frendo ends up next.

Graphic Content: Swine by Tyrone Finch and Alain Mauricet

 

If Joe Lansdale and Grady Hendrix has taught me anything about fiction, it’s that many out-there premises can work as a story as long as it pays attention to the fundamentals. By fundamentals, I mean plot and specifically character development. And even if those are lacking, within the horror genre, a reader can forgive a story if there are copious amounts of gore and/or surreal weirdness. Not to say that the graphic novel Swine by Tyrone Finch and Alain Mauricet is trying to heap buckets of blood into their work to disguise its shortcomings. Rather, the pair tell an insanely weird horror comedy tale that saws at the heartstrings.

Simply explaining this premise makes me feel like I’m a director explaining this to a room full of skeptical Hollywood execs. Ellis has just been released on parole for the murder of his wife, and Zoe, the victim’s sister, doesn’t feel justice has been served. In following Ellis, ready to get vengeance on behalf of her sister, she makes a crazy and horrifying discovery: her sister Becky was killed by pigs. Not just any pigs, these swine that Ellis is hunting are members of Legion, the demonic horde that Jesus had cast into pigs.Zoe joins Ellis on his quest and, along with a possessed talking pig that has broken away from Legion, they seek to slaughter the rest of Legion.

A tale like this could easily end up fodder for a Syfy Movie of the Week, but Finch’s story strikes the proper tone between comedy and horror. The pigs are set up as formidable, especially since each issue shows these immortal swine helping guide humanity into its most infamous disasters. Simon, the talking pig that serves as a divining rod for locating these pigs, offers comedy relief when needed and a dose of reality, as much as a talking pig can provide, when the situation is dramatic. Mauricet’s realistic comic illustrations are allowed to go wild as he depicts some pig animal hybrids that channel Wells’s The Island of Dr. Moreau. Writer Finch and artist Mauricet have pooled their efforts beautifully to create a bizarre tale that has horror, humor, and heart. You might laugh, you might gasp, but this story will definitely keep you interested.