The Subtle Terrors of "The Remaking"

I was really impressed by Clay McLeod Chapman's novel Ghost Eaters, which I reviewed recently on this blog. I dove right into his earlier work, The Remaking, and it's pretty fantastic as well. The Remaking tells the story of Ella Louise Ford, and her daughter Jessica, who are burned as witches in a small Virginia town in the early 20th century. In the 1970s, a low-budget horror movie based on their story is filmed at the actual location where they were put to death. Strange things happen, and Amber Pendleton, the young actress playing the daughter, has a horrifying experience that scars her for years afterward. The film becomes a cult classic, and the terrifying events that occurred during its production only add to its legend.

Years later, in the 1990s, a hotshot young director wants to remake the film in the modern era, and he tries to convince Amber to play the mother this time around. Amber reluctantly agrees, as she's been haunted by her earlier experience. She hasn't been able to maintain an acting career, due to her struggles with alcohol and drug addiction. Amber makes money by appearing at horror conventions and signing photos for fans of the original movie. But what Amber and the rest of the cast and crew don't know is that the spirits of Ella Louise and Jessica aren't done with their ghostly vengeance, and their need to put their spirits at rest once and for all.

The Remaking is a very meta-infused novel, and if you're a horror fan, you'll enjoy all the self-referential nods to classic horror film franchises, and the knowing references to the tropes of the genre. It's a well-developed tale of how stories can gain a life of their own across the generations, and that things beyond our understanding really do exist. McLeod Chapman's insightful portrayal of Amber, and her haunted existence, is central to the success of the novel. There are some truly terrifying sequences that will make your hair stand on end. Many of the most frightening moments in the novel are of the subtle variety, but that doesn't make them any less horrifying.

If you're a fan of the works of Stephen King and Peter Straub, and a true horror film aficionado, who enjoys meta-inspired works like The Blair Witch Project and Scream, than you'll find a lot to enjoy while reading The Remaking. McLeod Chapman is an innately talented author who knows how to tell an unsettling, eerie and atmospheric tale of terror. Along with Ghost Eaters, the other novel of Chapman's that I've recently read and reviewed, I highly recommend The Remaking to dedicated readers of expertly written tales of the supernatural. The Remaking is currently available in paperback. And please remember: "these woods whisper."