Then: Jorie Stroud was the star of the October Film Haunt, a trio of enthusiasts camping out at filming locations of their favorite horror films. Through their popular blog, they shared their love of horror. But after a night at the set of Proof of Demons—one of the most notorious cult horror films ever made, directed by the mysterious Hélène Enriquez—Jorie’s world unraveled.
Now: Jorie is far from the public life. She stays in Vermont to push it all away … the viral truth-stretching blog entry, the hysteria, the internet backlash, and the death of a young woman. Soon, a videotape arrives. Jories begins to fear someone is filming her. And the “Rickies”—Enriquez fans willing to do anything for the reclusive director—cross the line with Jorie, each way more shocking than before.
It seems Hélène Enriquez is making a new kind of sequel … and Jorie is her final girl.
Why we’re excited about this book:
A debut horror novel from Michael Wehunt … need we say more? Wehunt is the author of the acclaimed short-story collections Greener Pastures and The Inconsolables, the novella Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Bad Can Ever Happen Here, and his short fiction has been featured in such publications and anthologies as The Dark, The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror 2016, Nightscript Volume 1, Shadows and Tall Trees 7, and Aickman’s Heirs to name a few. Wehunt’s novel of cult horror films, enigmatic directors, and obsessive fans is one of the most anticipated books of the year, just in time for the creepy season. Brian Evenson (Good Night, Sleep Tight) says: “What Stephen Graham Jones’s Indian Lake trilogy does with slasher films, Wehunt’s The October Film Haunt does with the found footage and occult genres. A smart, genre-savvy book that gets very, very weird. An excellent and uncompromising debut.”, and Josh Malerman (Incidents Around the House) says: “The October Film Haunt is the written equivalent to the feeling you get when you’ve entered a space you hadn’t realized was occult, alarmingly occult, truly occult. The book feels like an ambush; as real as any fear you’ve surprisingly endured. It’s like Wehunt has a bridle on the narrative, his capacity is something to be celebrated; the chapters unfold like a series of perfectly mystic riddles. This is an extraordinary book, carried by an unsettling baritone hum, not dissimilar to the whir of a VCR that should never have been plugged in to begin with.”
Releasing from St. Martin’s Press 30 September 2025, The October Film Haunt by Michael Wehunt is available for pre-order now.
BOB PASTORELLA