Five Adam Cesare Books To Try After Clown In A Cornfield

One of the great things about an established author having a breakout success is getting to immediately dive into their back catalog to find out what other goodies they have in store for you. With Adam Ceasre’s new YA novel Clown In A Cornfield proving a smash hit with readers everywhere, including Gingernuts own YA horror expert Tony Jones, and following our interview with the author, here are five recommendations of where to go next for more Cesare goodness.
 
●      Tribesman
 
If you’re looking for more of a video nasty/grindhouse vibe, and you have a strong stomach, we can’t recommend Tribesmen enough; a genuinely smart, gory thrillride that manages to both be exploitation horror and comment on that genre. Breakneck pacing, bloody setpieces, and utterly thrilling.
 
●      Video Night
 
For more of a sci-fi tinged horror (with a distinct 80’s/Stranger Things vibe, though worth noting this was published before that show had popularised the approach) there’s also some genuinely sweet/awkward coming of age drama cooking alongside the gleeful escalating horror. Cesare blends the elements seamlessly, crafting an assured and compelling read.
 
●      The Summer Job
 
Taking in more of a cult/folk horror vibe, this one feels like another genre classic, albeit with Cesare’s masterful grasp of character and pace. Clare is an inspired, well-rounded Final Girl, and Cesare really shows off his mastery of tension in this novel, with events ratcheting up to screaming pitch before the inevitable explosion in the final act.
 
●      Zero Lives Remaining
 
Set in a haunted video arcade, there’s more nods to 80’s cinematic horror here, but yet again Cesare brings his talent for character, populating a pulp narrative with people that have a level of realisation and interiority the source material often sorely lacked. And in doing so, he elevates both the narrative and the horror in what is still, at its core, an absolutely glorious B-Movie Pulp Horror tale of the very highest order.
 
●      The First One You Expect
 
Rounding out our list of five, this novella takes in zero-budget horror filmmaking, conventions, a plausibly flawed narrator, and a series of perfectly executed twists on some well loved tropes. As with all these recommendations, the story highlights Cesare’s love of genre, and showcases his talent for gentle interrogation and subversion.
 
We hope you enjoy exploring more of Cesare’s work - and if you have any favourites we didn’t mention, please sound off in the comments, we’d love to hear from you.
 
KP
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