Pre-order AMERICAN EXORCIST: Critical Essays on William Peter Blatty
This fansite exists because of William Peter Blatty’s classic horror novel The Exorcist. The book would not only become a number one best seller, but also be regarded as one of the greatest horror texts ever written. The novel subsequently spawned the film – still regarded as the highest grossing horror film of all time by the Guiness Book of World Records – and the film found fans around the world – many of whom you’ll find here at The Exorcist Fansite.
Australian editor Benjamin Szumskyj has gathered a team of enthusiastic Blatty fans to write essays about his work, all of which have been neatly compiled into one fantastic book. Titled AMERICAN EXORCIST: Critical Essays on William Peter Blatty, the book will become available later in 2008 and is available on pre-sale right now.
In it, you’ll find essays from CaptainHowdy.com regulars Ryan Streatand Michael Garrett as well as Benjamin Szumskyj himself. You may recall the origins of the book taking place on the Discussion Forums.
“From a literary point of view, Blatty is one of America’s finest authors.” Benjamin explained.
“We are living in a time where there are phenomenal amount of horror novelists, yet very few can match the classics of the genre.”
“Even if Blatty didn’t write anything after the exorcist, it would still stand as an absolute classic work of horror. It’s absolutely timeless.”
View Benjamin Szumskyj’s blog.
The essays found in the book are listed below:
“So Much Mystery . . .”: The Fiction of William Peter Blatty by Scott D. Briggs
Lebanon, the Fightin’ Irish, and Billy Shakespeare: The Comic Novels of William Peter Blatty by John Goodrich
Fear of the Assimilation of the Foreign Other in The Exorcist by Philip L. Simpson
A Devil for the Day: William Peter Blatty, Ira Levin, and the Revision of the Satanic by John Langan
The Horror of The Exorcist: Its Presentation and Confrontation by J. W. Ocker
Some Thoughts on The Ninth Configuration by Henrik Sandbeck Harksen
Twinkle, Twinkle, “Killer” Kane and The Ninth Configuration: A Comparison by Ryan Streat
“Foot, You Are Wise!”: The Apologetic Structure of The Ninth Configuration by Geoffrey Reiter
The Exorcist and Legion: Religious Horrors by Tim Kroenert
The Devilish God: William Peter Blatty’s Legion and the Problem of Evil by James Doig
Demons Five, Exorcists Nothing: A Fable: The Theo-Illogical, Semi-Autobiographical Epic Film That Never Was by Michael Garrett
It Ain’t Over Till the Fat Lady Sings: William Peter Blatty’s Elsewhere and the Haunted House Formula by Davide Mana
The Exegesis of William Peter Blatty: Catholicism, Exorcism & Pazuzu by Benjamin Szumskyj
I hope some CaptainHowdy.com regulars are considering pre-ordering this book.
Of course!
And couldn’t Benjamin Szumskyj talk Blatty into extending The Exorcist novel? Blatty has said in the commentary that it was supposed to have 500 pages.
I am so happy that this is going ahead! Exciting times, indeed!
“Look, Ma, we’re on Amazon.com!” -Mike G
Congrats, my fellow essayists!
MG