Weekend Reading Assignment - January 2025

By: D.L. Winchester

I don’t remember how I stumbled across Mort Castle’s work. But however I did, he had rocketed up my list of favorite authors. In fact, my current “educational” read is On Writing Horror, a collection of essays on horror writing edited by Castle.

The Strangers focuses on a suburban man who has a deep, dark secret—he is waiting to kill almost everyone around him. He fantasizes about it, waiting for the moment when he and strangers like him will be able to carry out their violent dreams.

It is a fantastic read, and a great introduction to Castle’s work.

But what should you be looking for as a writer?

1. Twist the Knife Hard
Castle hints at the twist throughout the book, but nothing is for sure until the door opens at the end. The twist reminded me of Roald Dahl’s short stories (my favorite examples of hard, brilliant twists).

Be like Castle. Pull your reader in, and twist the knife hard.

2. Put Horror in the Ordinary
One of the most appealing things about The Strangers is how ordinary the main character is. Aside from his desire to kill, there isn’t a lot to separate him from the average man on the street. That’s part of what heightens the horror of the story—you start to wonder if there are strangers in the world around you who you haven’t noticed.

3. Use Kids to Great Effect
The main character is a psychopath faking his emotions. So the emotional side of the story is told mostly through his wife and kids. While the wife’s emotions are on point and brilliant in their own right, the story of the children is what ties it all together and takes it from a good horror read to an excellent one. 

Grab your copy today.