Horror Favourites – Shaun Hutson

Legendary British horror author Shaun Hutson has been penning tales of terror since the 1980’s  with notable novels like Spawn and Slugs, which was turned into a cult film, shocking and scaring readers in equal measures. As his latest book Progeny comes out on paperback we managed to chat to the wonderful writer about his favorite horror films.

Prepare to embark on a journey through the depths of darkness and unearth the unspeakable horrors that lie within the pages of “Progeny” by renowned horror author Shaun Hutson. Caffeine Nights Publishing is proud to announce the paperback release of this bone-chilling novel, promising to captivate readers with its gripping narrative and haunting atmosphere.

In “Progeny,” readers are introduced to Jake Porter, a successful psychiatrist and writer plagued by haunting visions and nightmares. As Porter grapples with his past and the terrifying question of whether these visions are nightmares or memories, he enlists the help of his lover, Dani. Together, they embark on a quest for truth that takes them to a run-down seaside town and unravels a horrifying secret hidden for over forty years. But some truths are best left buried, as Porter soon discovers.

Shaun Hutson, acclaimed for his ability to delve into the darkest corners of the human psyche, weaves a tale that will leave readers breathless, gripping the edges of their seats until the shocking conclusion. “Progeny” is a visceral exploration of the darkness within us all, reminding us that some secrets are better left undisturbed.

A bestselling author known for his contributions to the horror genre , with a prolific career spanning over three decades, Hutson has crafted chilling tales that have thrilled readers worldwide. His unique ability to blend visceral horror with compelling storytelling has earned him a dedicated following of fans.

Below the brilliant Shaun Hutson gives us a detailed run down of his favorite horror film:

“Trying to get a horror writer to pick one single favourite horror movie from the thousands he’s seen, is like trying to get a starving man to pick just one item from a menu.

I carefully considered the many, many horror films I’ve seen and had, sort of narrowed down my choice to about five from which I intended to pick just one all-conquering feature. Should I pick ALIEN because it is still such a magnificent achievement and influenced me to write a book called THE SKULL back in the early eighties? Should I pick HALLOWEEN because I learned how to use “false shocks” and suspense from Carpenter’s masterpiece? Or maybe PSYCHO for so many reasons. THE EXORCIST because it was the first time I ever encountered the writing technique of characters internal dialogue being used the way William Peter Blatty did it in that superb novel. I could also have picked any number of Hammer films purely and simply for the way their Gothic feel and style influenced me in the early parts of my career. I was tempted to pick THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY because it was such a huge influence on my novel ASSASSIN. THE WILD BUNCH was a massive influence on my novel EXIT WOUNDS. The same is true of THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME which was the blueprint for my book BODY COUNT.

STRAW DOGS cast a long shadow over my book COMPULSION. Bizarrely enough, the John Wayne western THE SHOOTIST inspired my novel DEADHEAD and, coming right up to date, RACE WITH THE DEVIL was a massive influence on my novel CHASE.

In the end I chose a film that some of you might not even have heard of.

THE OMEGA MAN.

It was the second adaptation of Richard Matheson’s novel I AM LEGEND (the first having been THE LAST MAN ON EARTH with Vincent Price) and I remember it making an indelible mark on me when I first saw it. I wrote at least two books because of that film. DEATHDAY and then later, EREBUS. Both featured small communities ravaged by plague or disease or some kind of unseen evil and THE OMEGA MAN was a direct influence on me in that respect.

The film opens with Charlton Heston driving through a deserted city in America. However, the corpses of the recently dead are still there in the streets and stores and the atmosphere is overwhelming. The fact that Heston is completely alone was also something that made its mark on me. Many of my central characters are “loners”, whether they’re surrounded by people or not. I don’t see this as a problem if I’m honest. The term “loner” seems to conjure up ideas of serial killers or weirdos for many but I don’t hold with that.

Obviously, in the film, Heston is alone purely and simply because he’s the last man left alive on earth after a terrifying outbreak of germ warfare precipitated by a war between Russia and China. His problem is that he isn’t the only person still walking around. Hundreds of plague victims have joined together under the guidance of a psychopathic zealot called Mathias and they are determined to hunt down and kill Heston. During the night he is trapped in his apartment as they rage around before him. During the day, when they are forced to sleep in darkness, he hunts them and tries to wipe them out.

Those elements featured so strongly in my novels DEATHDAY and EREBUS that I often wonder if I was ripping THE OMEGA MAN off but I’m happy to say my work was homage rather than plagiarism. Honest.

There has been a third version of Matheson’s novel filmed of course. The dreadful I AM LEGEND with Will Smith. I cannot describe in words how much I dislike this film. You can feel Smith’s interfering hand in almost every scene and the ending is nauseatingly twee and so typical of Hollywood.

THE OMEGA MAN doesn’t suffer from the kind of strictures that so many films these day seem to.

Made in 1971, it was cynical, violent, unpredictable and not afraid to challenge its audience.

Heston meets some other living people, two grown-ups, Lisa and Dutch and a group of young kids and tries to help them by finding a serum and cure for the plague which they are all infected with to some degree. He finally creates that cure and uses it successfully on Richie, the brother of Lisa. However, the boy is idealistic and wants Heston to give the cure to the diseased creatures (collectively known as The Family). Needless to say, Heston will not do this and still wants to either wipe them out or simply flee the city with his newly found ‘friends.’

Before Heston can do this, Richie is killed by “The Family”, Lisa “turns” into a zombie and Heston himself is killed by a spear thrown by Mathias. It’s a wonderfully downbeat ending.

As well as the style of The Omega Man, there were other aspects that influenced my early writing. The cynicism I’ve already mentioned combined with the unavoidable and overwhelming feeling of doom are factors that have persisted through my novels right up to now.

I must admit that my writing has always been influenced by films rather than literature. I read a lot when I was younger but most of my formative years were spent in a cinema. One critic even said that my books were like padded out screenplays. He probably didn’t mean it as a compliment but I took it as one anyway!

Nothing would please me more than to see a big budget film adaptation (or several of them) of one of my novels. The two that have been filmed, SLUGS and, later on this year, CHASE, weren’t massive budgets. There would be a wonderful symmetry in the whole process and I’d love to see what film makers could do with a book of mine. Ah, well, we can all dream can’t we….?”

Experience the heart-pounding terror of “Progeny” in paperback, available from 13th July from major bookstores and online retailers. Visit Caffeine Nights Books’ website: https://caffeinenightsbooks.com for more information