Curse of the Reaper, by Brian McAuley

Now this is more like it.

Meta-Horror stories are highly popular right now. Final Girls are as trendy and overdone as vampires, serial killers, zombies, and clowns.

I recently had two novels on reserve at the library. Both deal with movie making and slasher tropes. One, Always the First To Die, by R.J. Jacobs, is readable, but predictable. It felt to me more like a tourist visiting the genre than a book by a genuine fan.

The other is Curse of the Reaper, by Brian McAuley. This book is the real deal. A cracking novel from a guy who knows the genre inside and out. One who understands the history of the field. Who knows what makes the films tick. And who has intimate knowledge of what it means to be a fan.

Curse of the Reaper is about the ageing star of a long-running slasher franchise. Think Robert Englund. There are numerous similarities to the Elm Street series, as well as other slasher mainstays. Well past his prime, Howard Browning has a love-hate relationship with the Reaper. His method acting may have brought him a little too close to the character.

A remake is announced, but Howard is not to be its star. A former sitcom teen with a history of drugs and bad behavior is to play the Reaper. Browning is both relieved and infuriated about it.

Curse of the Reaper is a razor-sharp look at the appeal of a Freddy, a Jason, a Michael. How these creations become part of our collective consciousness. There are acute observations about obsession, addiction and recovery, and the sometimes blurry lines between fantasy and reality. If that's not enough, this novel is a wicked satire of the Hollywood meatgrinder movie machine.

On top of all that, Curse of the Reaper is a fun book that is at once an homage and a ripping good slasher yarn in its own right. Brian McAuley is the real thing, and this debut novel is one of the best of the year.

Written by Mark Sieber