CC ADAMS THE HORROR OF HIS LIFE

London native C. C. Adams is the author behind urban horror novella But Worse Will Come. His short horror fiction appears in publications such as Turn To Ash, Weirdbook Magazine and The Black Room Manuscripts.
 
A member of the Horror Writers Association, he still lives in the capital. This is where he lifts weights, cooks - and looks for the perfect quote to set off the next dark delicacy. Visit him at www.ccadams.com
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009243996916
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MrAdamsWrites
 
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/C-C-Adams/e/B00J438GCI
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/C-C-Adams/e/B00J438GCI
 
THE FIRST HORROR BOOK I REMEMBER READING 

Ah, man, now I’m stumped already? First horror book? Probably something like Damien: Omen II. And the reason why I remember that one was because it had the raven on the front, along with the tagline, ‘The first time was only a warning.’ I mean, all three of those books were in the house: The Omen, Damien – Omen II, and The Final Conflict. Each of them had the 666 inside the letter ‘O’. But for me at that young age, maybe about 9 or 10? The name of the book, as well as the 666 was lost on me. But a bird on the front? Yeah, I’d have a look at that.


THE FIRST HORROR FILM I REMEMBER WATCHING 

Pretty easy – that was Them! Black and white film. I remember seeing this massive ant come over the top of a sand dune or some such and thinking, “Man!” That was such a way-out thing. I must’ve been about, what, 5 or 6 years old at the time? Back when TV sets were green screens and curved like a goldfish bowl.
 
Notable mention has also got to go to Night Of The Demon. We had an old school projector in the house with two films: one of them being Night Of The Demon (and the other I now know is The Hideous Sun Demon). I always remember the scene on the railway near the end, where the piece of parchment gets caught and our man is picked up and clawed by a 50-ft demon. See, some time later, this was one of the reasons that The Exorcist was such a revelation – no pun intended. The idea that a demon could ‘fit' inside a human.

THE GREATEST HORROR BOOK OF ALL TIME 

Hmmmm. There’ll be an honourable mention or two here. Nods to Stephen King’s "Pet Semetary” which is my favourite King book to date. Also to Brian Keene for “The Rising”, which – as I've told Brian himself - is my favourite zombie story of all time: book, TV or film. Yes, including the likes of Resident Evil, Night Of The Living Dead , and The Walking Dead. Seriously: read it for yourself – it’s that good. The Exorcist: which I've only read in the last few years, despite having watched the film back when I was about 7. Joe Donelly’s “Incubus” – which is a masterclass in pace and restraint in the narrative. Gave me the creeps reading that shit in the daytime. Aidan Chambers’ “Book Of Ghosts & Hauntings" that I got when I was 11. Arguably my gateway drug to some serious horror. Anyone remember Aidan Chambers?
 
But the most likely contender? Right now, it's “Thor", written by Wayne Smith. A werewolf novel, but told from the perspective of the family dog – and that alone makes for a fresh narrative. For those who know the horror film 'Bad Moon', this is the book the film is based on. And I've had this book on heavy rotation for so damned long, I've now got it on Kindle to ensure I don't wear out the print copy from over-reading. Go figure.

THE GREATEST HORROR FILM OF ALL TIME 

Easy – John Carpenter's "The Thing." I must've seen this back when I was about 10 years old, after my brother had talked it up to me. The poster had thrown me and I couldn’t figure out what the Thing was and I asked him if it was an animal or a vegetable (like the Krynoid in that Dr. Who story The Seeds Of Doom). He tells me, “it's whatever it wants to be.” Which leaves me thinking, “man, what kind of foolish answer is that?"
 
Then I finally see the film – and it's the best damned film I've ever seen, earning a 9/10. There's no film I'd give 10/10 to, because I don't believe any film is that good. My close friends know if I give a film more than 5/10, it’s got to be some kind of good – at least for me. But The Thing is top notch. The direction is spot on. Unlike so many horror films I’d seen back then, this one was set out in a wilderness: Antarctica. It was an all-male cast. A black character survived to the end – years before the likes of Get Out. The monster didn't have a specific appearance, even though it had a specific type of appearance. There’s no blatant tension music, unlike countless other horror films when the monster is on screen. I know the film’s had a reputation as truly terrifying, but here’s the irony. As much as I no longer watch horror films as they genuinely scare me, The Thing hasn't scared me once.
 
Some years back, there was a fan essay doing the rounds: 'All About The Thing’ by Robert Meakin. The T's and C's for the essay are, and I quote:
 
This eBook may be copied and distributed as long as certain rules are observed:
• It is copied in entirety. Nothing may be added or removed.
• Robert Meakin is identified as the author.
• It is distributed for free.
 
 
The reason why I quote this is for those who’d want a copy. FYI, there's a copy for download on my site here: https://www.ccadams.com/single-post/2018/10/06/The-Thing---A-Personal-History
 
As a fan of the film, I’ve seen it countless times. I’ll continue to. Last year, I finally got to see it on the big screen as well. But the film is more than just the sum of its parts. Beyond the special effects, there’s the photography, acting and a genuine sense of threat. Part of what makes the The Thing work and the monster so terrifying and dangerous is its ability to hide. With the benefit of the fan essay, I’m still finding stuff in the film that I’ve missed on previous viewings. Including whether Macready and Childs are both human by the end of the film.

THE GREATEST WRITER OF ALL TIME

No hard and fast answer for that one. I can cite those who’ve written some of my favourite works though. Michael Crichton, for Jurassic Park, Timeline and Disclosure, to name a few. Jo Nesbø for his Harry Hole novels – The Snowman, Cockroaches: those are just a couple of my favourites. Again, Joe Donnelly for Incubus, Brian Keene for The Rising, Wayne Smith for Thor. Lincoln Preston for The Relic. All about Zilashkee’s child, known as ‘Mbwun’, and “she says, ‘you take devil in box.’” There’s a number of works with a unique style and flavour: it’s just a case of what I’m fiending for at that time.

THE BEST BOOK COVER OF ALL TIME

Again, there’s a whole bunch of contenders here. I don’t necessarily judge a book by its cover, but it’s definitely a factor that sways me to buy. “Mad Dog” by J R Park was one of those: blood splatter in a suggestion of the head of a snarling lycanthrope. My copy of Lincoln Preston with a flash of fanged jaws and the tagline, ‘Natural selection is about to begin.’ Kelley Armstrong’s “Bitten”: a blonde silhouetted by a full moon. Joe Donelly’s “Incubus”: a photo negative of a woman with the tagline, “What kind of baby steals a mother?” Lots of good out there.

THE BEST FILM POSTER OF ALL TIME

Hmmmm. The one for John Carpenter’s "The Thing" - the one with the Norris-head on the front; ‘Look closely at your neighbour. Trust no-one.’ I like that.
 
Countless films have come out over the years and I’m racking my brain for a good example or two because I’ve never really given it thought. The poster for the original Fright Night film is cool. No: short of rummaging through all my DVDs and VHS tapes, I can’t really think of any other candidates.

THE BEST BOOK / FILM I HAVE WRITTEN

To date, I’d go with the novella 'But Worse Will Come’. One, because it's something that I can read as a reader, despite the fact that I wrote it. Two, because it was the original draft was knocked out in a speedy 3 weeks – something I'm still proud of. Three, because it scared me to the point where I slept with the light on; and still do.
 
Plus, it’s the third story in an arc: starting with Sanity Slips Through Your Fingers (in the DeadSteam anthology) and following through the original short story Sunset Is Just The Beginning (a free read on my site). So this was the first time I really got stuck into expanding a story beyond just one tale, as it were. And I was telling this to Paul Feeney at this year’s Edge-Lit: I just love the idea of how you'd give the goods to your reader. All those plotlines and arcs that thread through various works. All those little hints and Easter eggs – the kind of things that wow your audience and keep them engaged.


THE WORST BOOK / FILM I HAVE WRITTEN

Tiki-themed tale called Something In The Wood. And, to be fair, I can look back on it now and think it started out pretty well. But the editor that rejected it for that anthology deemed there was too much innuendo and not enough substance. And you know what? They were right. Man, that thing is embarrassing to look at, let alone the fact that I actually submitted it. But that was way back when, so thankfully my craft has evolved since.


THE MOST UNDERRATED FILM OF ALL TIME

Daredevil: the one with Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock. Not the Director’s Cut, which, to my mind, was ridiculous, but the Theatrical Cut. And here’s an irony: despite me being a lifelong Spider-Man fan, my favourite comic-book film of all time is probably this one. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched it. The overall narrative, the action, the performances, the photography. Oh, man.
 
I remember when the trailer dropped for this one: I was amped. Couldn’t wait. Came out in UK cinemas on Feb 14th, 2003, if memory serves. The website for the film had all the cool interactive content, like using your hyper-hearing to tell who was lying or not, stuff like that. (Do films still have that; those sites around release time? The last one I remember was for The Thing prequel – drilling the block of ice, etc.)
 
The film itself had story, grit, and one of my favourite fight scenes anywhere: the one in the bar. "What do you want?" "Justice.” So Daredevil turfs the billy-club in Quesada’s mouth, and everyone reaches for their guns. But Daredevil’s not fazed. He starts kicking beer bottles at the fluorescent tubes, putting out the lights in the bar. Too cool.
 
Even small scenes like Wilson Fisk walking with his entourage. Such a nod to the source material – again, bear in mind, I'm a Spidey fan, rather than a Daredevil fan:
 
"I want you to create a paper trail. One that can be traced to Natchios.”
"Sir?"
“The press want a Kingpin. So I’ll give them a Kingpin. Get me Bullseye." – I just love how Michael Clarke Duncan delivers that line. It's beautiful. The voice, the walk, the suit, the cane, the cigar. It’s all on point.

THE MOST UNDERRATED BOOK OF ALL TIME

Not sure I could pick just one: there are so many works out there by so many authors. There’ve been some works which I feel are underrated because they cry out for adaptations to big screen or small screen, but aren’t there yet. J R Park’s "Mad Dog” is one. Erik Hofstatter’s "Rare Breeds" is another - it's got a macabre sensibility and it’s unflinchingly nasty. Mark Morris’ short story “Full Up" is another one.

THE MOST UNDERRATED AUTHOR OF ALL TIME

Good question. I really can't say. Partly because I’m pickier than most when it comes to books, film, or whatever. And partly because I think, as writers, we can all be some kind of underrated anyway. Even for writers with the biggest marquee value, the average person on the street might know their work, but I don’t think they'd recognise the author behind it.


THE BOOK / FILM THAT SCARED ME THE MOST

Definitely the remake of “The Fly." See, I can always watch the film up to a point: around where Brundle calls Ronnie back to see him, and he’s walking with canes, his skin is worse, his ear falls off, he vomits on his food. Now the narrative that brings him to the point (and beyond) is solid – it’s a tragic accident that alcohol and jealousy cloud his judgement. So he teleports. But he doesn’t realise that a fly slips into the pod with him.
 
So to start with, he feels better for it – until he gets a rude awakening, and then replays the fateful teleportation. Even with the arm-wrestling scene, I could just about stomach the film.
 
But I had the misfortune to walk in on my brother and his then-girlfriend watching the film in the dark. And it’s the part where Ronnie has torn off Brundle's jaw and the rest of his decaying skin sloughs off. When I saw the eyes slop out of Brundle’s head, I nearly passed out from fear. And if I didn’t run from the room, I would have.

THE BOOK / FILM I AM WORKING ON NEXT

Currently with edits for a new novella or two. After that, it’s on to the new novel. I don't even have the ending for it yet – just the elevator pitch. I’m looking forward to outlining this one though: it'll be supernatural in nature, but a departure from my previous work. Plus, it’ll deal with a theme I know very little about, so it’ll be cool to do some legwork and research. See how I can weave it all together.

But Worse Will Come by CC Adams

Theodore Papakostas lives a normal life. Holds down a day job. Struggles with his weight. With women, he’s more ‘miss’ than ‘hit.’ He’s humble – a far cry from the bullying behaviour of his childhood. Days long forgotten.

Almost.

Something has caught wind of him. Something that warned Theo long ago that if their paths crossed again, Theo would not survive. And Theo’s world is turned into a waking nightmare: a struggle to stay ahead of the terror. Because all those years ago, sunset was just the beginning …but worse will come.

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