Forgotten Firday Books- Horror Show by Greg Kihn

Greg Kihn is best know for his life as a rocker in the '80s, when he charted with the songs 'Jeopardy' and 'The Break Up Song'. In the 1990s he hit book shelves with three wonderful B film inspired novels. The first of which was 1996's Horror Show, my Friday Forgotten Book for this week.

Horror Show is the tale of Monster Magazine reporter Clint Stockbern who wrangles an interview with forgotten Hollywood director Landis Woodley. Woodley had directed a cult classic horror/zombie film in the late 50s called Cadaver and Stockbern wants to get the inside story of the making of and rumors of the use of real cadavers in the film. As I recall I simply spotted the psychotronic b-film cover of the book in the store and it called out to me. After reading the back copy I was sold. What I liked about the book was it's straight up sense of fun and creepy setting, an aging mansion, and it's look back at the golden age of indie horror flicks. There are more than a few elements of the story that point to cult film makers Ed Wood and William Castle. I did try to re-read it a couple of years ago and just couldn't get into it, but I am looking forward to giving it another read.

Horror Show tease:

Opening Line: The kid thought he heard something

p 138: A baseball-sized globule shot from the snake's mouth and whizzed by Devila's Head

I also have to mention here the two books that follow Horror Show, Big Rock Beat and The Mojo Hand. I still have my copy of Mojo Hand, which is set in the in the late 70s and deals with a plot to kills off the remaining Blues Masters. I enjoyed Mojo Hand, however I haven't felt the need to re-read it. Big Rock Beat, the second of the three books on the other hand, I no longer have a copy of. It's a mixed blessing, in that I gave my copy to a friend who hadn't been able to find a copy, but I of course don't have it to re-read. I think that of the three, Big Rock Beat, which follows the story of Landis Woodley and his stock company as they attempt to make and cash in on the 60s Rock and Roll movie craze. As far as I know these three out currently out of print, but Kihn's web site appears to have copies for sale. There was also a CD of music that Kihn recorded called Horror Show that was an instrumental soundtrack for the book.

thoughts, comments, spare change..

Next Week.... yeah like I was going to tell...but here's a hint, it's a movie tie in book... sort of.