My book Followers is a horror novel, but it is also about the horror genre itself. I have loved horror most of my life and have constantly been asked, “WHY HORROR?… HOW CAN YOU LOVE HORROR?” (insert my eye roll in black eyeliner). That question grew legs for me and became, could you love the horror genre if horror was real in your life? I explore that in the pages of Followers.
To do that, I needed a horror lover. Enter Sidney (familiar namesake, anyone?)
Of course! She was my first final girl. My Sidney uses horror as therapy, as medication, as distraction from the pain and disappointments in her real life (as much as she uses the online followers she is collecting). But to go on her horror journey, real and in the genre, I wallowed in my own love of horror. From name dropping on characters like Sidney, Wes, Pamela, Tony, Seth, and more to attending a horror film festival, Followers is about loving the horror genre.
Allow me to provide some excerpts of the nods to horror within Followers.
She tabbed away from her browser and into her active document. The bloodbath in her movie began to overshadow the chocolate-flavored recreation she had posted all over social media. She skimmed the last paragraph in the document, running her finger through the air over the words and mouthing the sentences silently as she read.
Even considering new classics like Final Destination and Saw, to crown the best bathroom scene in horror, we have to circle back to the beginning. Psycho is where it started, where the slasher genre itself started, and where this article has to end as well, she typed.
@Romero4eva: #FinalDestination is based on a woman changing planes based on her mom’s intuition! #truestory #FDlivetweet #horrorisreal
“Holy shit,” she mumbled between popcorn bites. “Did you know Final Destination was actually loosely inspired by real events?”
“I had heard that,” Wes replied, typing. “But did you know it was originally supposed to be an X-Files episode?”
“No! How do I not know all this?”
“This is why we live tweet, Sidney.”
@ChuckysBabysitter: The Bus! Gets me every time! #finaldestination #FDlivetweet #finalgirlscreams
@HorrorL0ser: BOOM! #youcantcheatdeath #finaldestination #FDlivetweet
Allison: That scene is so infamous. I remember my jaw dropped when I saw it in the theater.
“When was the first time you saw this movie?” Adam said as they sat.
The thick seats folded down and creaked under their weight. Dim lights peeked out from the thick curtains lining the wall. The wide, gray screen loomed anticipant in front of them.
The actors ran madly up and down the aisles, shrieking as their steps ground popcorn into the flattened carpet. They paused to mock and interact with the patrons. Magenta swung her wide hips as her frizzy hair bounced on her shoulders, dragging her feather duster over any face within reach. Riffraff loomed in a corner, leaning out menacingly as new people entered the theater.
“Sleepover in junior high,” Sidney answered between bites of popcorn.
“Ha! What were your first impressions?”
“I was confused but very intrigued. You?”
“My mom showed it to me, of all people.” Adam smirked.
“How old were you?”
“Early high school, I guess.”
“That seems weird,” Sidney giggled.
“It was. But my mom was weird. The best kind of weird—a horror lover. I have some strange stories. I’m surprised you never live tweeted this one.”
“Everyone live tweets Rocky Horror.”
“Hey, man,” Adam said as they approached Wes. “Look, I didn’t attack Sidney last night.”
Wes spun towards him, arms still pinned around his chest.
“Is that an actual line from Scream?” Wes replied. “It sounds very Billy Loomis.”
As the familiar festive plot unfolded, she reminded herself to swipe over the trackpad and tweet. If she did not post, was she even really watching?
@FinalGirlScreams: #SilentNightDeadlyNight was ahead of its time with killer psychology. Even if it portrays #PTSD horribly. #12SlaysofChristmas #horror #finalgirlscreams
@L1v1ngDead1te: Wouldn’t be the holidays without #12SlaysofChristmas with @FinalGirlScreams!
@Romero4eva: @FinalGirlScreams I watch this one every year. For the antlers!
@ZombieonElmSt: @FinalGirlScreams great choice! Xmas classic #christmashorror #12SlaysofChristmas
The first taste is free… if you want more, you’ll have to read Followers for yourself. You can find it now on Amazon! See how many more horror nods you can find.
Fiery Pen 