Taken from "Monster Memories: Scary Monsters 2004 Yearbook", page 106

Review by Dr. Johnny Scareshock

 

HALLOWEEN IV: THE SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION by Nicholas Grabowsky is published by Diverse Media Books and the man in the mask is back.  Michael Myers, the creature that cut his way through Halloween movie after movie has returned once again.  This time it's not a movie!

HALLOWEEN IV is a book written by veteran horror writer Nicholas Grabowsky and was a long time in coming.  The book is based on the screenplay by Alan McElroy and deals with the fourth movie in the Halloween franchise.  Originally released in 1988, the book is making a special reappearance on bookstore shelves in a limited edition package.

I missed this book when it was originally published in 1988.  Had I caught it back then, I would have enjoyed the HALLOWEEN movies much more.  As it is, I have a lot of catching up to do as I watch the movies again beginning with the fourth one.

Nicholas Grabowsky has taken the time to add another dimension to the character of Michael Myers and the poor victims of Haddonfield.  Nicholas didn't just rewrite the screenplay into printable text.  He took the time to develop the characters more and make us, the readers, want to learn more about them.  When Michael kills his victims the reader feels a real sense of loss because of the time taken to make them real.  The characters in the book are not just two-dimensional images on a screen with the word "VICTIM" seemingly written in big white letters on their backs.

Is this scary or what?  "As he pulled out of the driveway, he thought he saw something in the rearview mirror.  He turned, seeing only darkness.

"But as he traveled down the street, the black figure remained within the shadows of the back seat.

"Motionless.

"Waiting."

In the movies it seemed like Michael and Dr. Loomis were the only characters worth watching.  Dr. Loomis, almost like a repentant Dr. Frankenstein, trying to understand this strange creation, this freak of nature.  Now he seems all the more real as Nicholas develops the Caruthers family, especially the children Jamie and Rachel, into real human beings, the kind you might find living next door.

HALLOWEEN IV: THE SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION is special.  Collectors of Halloween memorabilia may consider themselves lucky if they have the original printing of this book.  However, the special edition is special.  Nicholas added chapters and took the time to develop the characters.  There was no pressure to get the book on the shelves by a specific date.  And now it's all falling into place.

Nicholas Grabowsky is a well-established author of horror and fantasy fiction.  In 2003, he hit it big with the novel THE EVERBORN, an aliens-among-us epic.  Some of his past works are PRAY SERPENT'S PREY, SWEET DREAMS LADY MOON, and THE RAG MAN.

Watch the Halloween movies if you need a quick thrill and want to see a body count.  But if you really want to enjoy the movies and want to learn and EXPERIENCE more, read the book!  For my money, Nicholas hit this one on the mark!

More about the book on the Halloween IV promo page!