The novel is hugely entertaining and compulsively readable, while achieving a great deal of moral depth and nuances in its characters and plot, as well as some fascinating world-building.
I was incredibly impressed with how great this novel is, both something that I would have enjoyed when younger and still easily enjoy now.
Michael Wehunt’s debut novel The October Film Haunt combines a lot of horror genres and tropes that I enjoy — the cursed object, demons, and slashers — and puts unique spins on them each in addition to the style of their combination.
Though in her seventies, Rose DuBois is still full of life, surrounded by her small group of friends in the Autumn Springs Retirement Home and connected with her daughter and grandson. However, as active and involved that she is within the community, she finds it hard to committing herself to any deeper or passion-filled relationship like so many of her fellow residents seem to pursue. She’s not looking for a new partner, but is content with the freedom of possibilities she can enjoy in late life while still appreciating the friendships she’s established, particularly with Beauregard Mason Miller (just plain Miller). When one of the residents appears to die from a fall and injury, no one at Autumn Springs is particularly surprised. And when her partner soon follows her in an apparent suicide, there is some heightened shock, but nothing that cannot be explained or understood. But then the deaths keep coming. Rose and Miller consider some of the true crime stories they enjoy to talk about and begin to suspect that something similar may be happening here: A killer seems to be loose in Autumn Springs. But who is it? Could it be the crazy conspiracy theorist down the hall, or could those three odd sisters that everyone whispers about being witches somehow be involved? A police detective slowly begins to pay closer attention, but the escalating fear and chaos within the walls of the retirement community may make it too late for Rose and her friends to enjoy the last moments of existence they have left. In The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre, Philip Fracassi takes the core of slasher tropes and transfers it from an isolated community of hormone-driven, substance-imbibin’ teens (like a camp) to an equally horny and drug-saturated group of septua- and octa-genarians. The formula fits perfectly while making the entire thing seem completely fresh and interesting.
Ultimately I’m hard pressed to write about the individual stories of the collection because they are all so good, but often in very varied ways, and the best thing that I can say is to simply go and discover them all.
Combining strong world building with thorough character development, a solid plot, and diverse themes, the story has that full course meal kind of feel.
