Books and films whose stories lean heavily into the meta-fiction aspects of their genre are often an enjoyable experience for fans. Josh Winning's novel Burn The Negative leans knowingly into the tropes of the slasher films of the 1980s and 90s, while also offering a chilling tale of terror that will keep you turning the pages. Burn The Negative is the story of journalist Laura Warren, who arrives in Los Angeles to cover a streaming remake of the 90s horror film The Guesthouse, a supposedly "cursed," movie, which claimed the lives of eight members of its cast and crew. What no one knows is that, as a child actor, Laura starred in the movie. She's changed her identity to distance herself from the film's deadly history, and her own childhood trauma.
As Laura starts interviewing the cast and crew of the remake, people are suddenly being killed in ways that mirror the grisly on-screen deaths in the original film. Is Laura a murderer? Is the "Needle Man," the killer who was featured in The Guesthouse, an actual supernatural being who's returned to haunt Laura, and commit a new series of killings? This clever setup allows Winning, a film journalist turned novelist (and avowed horror film fan) to simultaneously use his knowledge of film production, and his love of the slasher genre, to offer up a frightening story that recalls classic flicks like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream. He also provides a knowing commentary on the Hollywood machine, and how the system often churns up the psyche of child actors who appear in successful films.
The Guesthouse, the "cursed" film within the novel, mirrors our real‐world obsession with horror franchises, remakes, legacy sequels, and the fan culture that keeps them alive. The narrative arc of Burn The Negative subtly illustrates how the horror genre recycles its history into present day projects, while still telling a chilling story that will entertain fans of the genre. Winning intersperses script pages, social-media posts, and production notes throughout the book, which gives the reader a multi‐layered experience, and offers up a deep dive into the book's world. The characters, including the troubled Laura, a psychic named Beverly who seems to know more than she's telling, and of course the terrifying Needle Man, are all well-drawn by Winnick, and they really come alive on the page.
The novel's ambitious conclusion dives into the genre's conventions while also subverting them. It features a confrontation that fuses Laura’s past trauma with supernatural forces, which allows her to understand the difference between on-screen illusion and real-life horror. Laura is forced to reckon with an external threat (the “Needle Man”) while dealing with the monsters from her own past and the experiences that shaped her childhood. Burn the Negative is a rich, multi-layered horror tale that proudly wears its love of the genre on its sleeve. The novel reflects on horror-film culture and examines the cost of childhood celebrity, while also telling a kick-ass horror story.
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