Session 9: The Official Novelization

by Christian Francis

GENRE: PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR

On October 1^st, 2024, horror enthusiasts and fans of cult cinema are in for a treat as the chilling depths of the Danvers State Hospital are explored like never before in Session 9 The Official Novelization, based on the classic 2001 motion picture by acclaimed director Brad Anderson.

Released 23 years after the film first haunted audiences, this new novel by horror and dark fantasy author Christian Francis arrives just in time for the spooky season, promising to deliver a wealth of fresh nightmares to a new generation. Francis, known for his gripping novelizations of Wishmaster, Titan Find/Creature and Vamp, delves deeper into the eerie madness that made Session 9 such a horror gem.

Set against the backdrop of the real-life abandoned mental institution, the Danvers State Hospital, the film’s atmospheric dread is reimagined on the page in Francis’ adept hands. This novel expands on the film’s screenplay, offering fans new insights into the characters’ psyches and unveiling more twisted, dark secrets from within the sinister asylum.

The Devil and The Deep

by Christian Francis

GENRE: HORROR

Many years have passed since a harrowing exorcism in the coastal town of Port Gaynor. Yet still, the shadows of evil linger, ready to shatter that now peaceful haven. As the town’s serenity unravels, the boundary between sanity and madness blurs, unleashing a blood-curdling prophecy, and residents soon find themselves ensnared in a sinister saga of demons, cults, and ancient deities.

Christian Francis masterfully guides you through a maelstrom of terror, where each page promises a heart-pounding, eerie, and wildly unpredictable adventure.

☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5

Epic and imaginative in scope, 'The Devil and the Deep' transports us across vastly different spaces and landscapes. Riveting backstories and perspectives bring us up close and into the minds of the characters, conveying acutely each new development in the fascinating relationships that emerge.

Laura Hubner

Amazon

☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5

And absolute roller coaster ghost train (but with demons) ride of sheer fun and thrills and surprises throughout. I wish every horror book was this good.

Paul Chambers

Goodreads

A new and terrifying YA horror

The Dead Woods

by Christian Francis

GENRE: YA HORROR

The woods were dead, and had been for as long as the townsfolk could remember. Sitting on the edge of the town, it was an expanse of sinister and leafless rot. Those unlucky enough to find themselves alone and scared in those woods may have seen the thick yellowing mist that came first. They may have seen the shadows that appeared to watch them as they tried to escape. They then may have seen the faces of those long since past, approaching them with a hungry grin. But that would probably be the last thing they would ever see.

Few escaped seeing the truth in the evil that lay in wait in the dead woods, and those that were lucky enough, were never the same again.

☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5

"QUITE POSSIBLY THE BEST YA BOOK I HAVE EVER READ, NO... IT DEFINITELY IS!
This book was so beautifully crafted, and visually descriptive that I felt as if I was IN Cromwell Woods myself. I'm a horror fan, but Christian has a way of crafting a story like no other author I have come across, and in my opinion, his storytelling abilities rival that of Stephen King."

David W Adams

Author of The Dark Corner Literary Universe

Anti Rule: Navigating The Lies About Fiction Writing

by Christian Francis

GENRE: NON-FICTION

In this bold and controversial new book, author and literary rebel Christian Francis sets out to tear down the walls of conventional wisdom and guide new authors to their true potential.

Whether you are a new writer just starting out, or a more established author looking to break free of the constraints of traditional publishing, “Anti Rule” is an essential read. With its challenging arguments, insightful analysis, and practical advice for crafting truly original work, this powerful book is sure to inspire and motivate anyone who has ever felt frustrated or disillusioned by the conventions of the writing world. So if you’re ready to challenge the myths and lies of the publishing industry and embrace your true potential as a writer, then this is the book for you…

☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5

"The Bruce Lee of indie authors!"

William Brinkman

THE ANIMUS CHRONICLES BOOK 1

Everyday Monsters

by Christian Francis

GENRE: DARK FANTASY

A fantastically original horror that is ‘sure to delight readers who like their horror dripping with blood, guts, and vengeance’ (Katelynwrites) and is ‘replete with breathtaking settings, brutal detail, imaginative shapeshifting, and incredible storytelling’. (LH review) and ‘huge amounts of fun to read.’ (Paul Kane – bestselling and award-winning author ofBefore, Arcana and Monsters).

This is the tale of an undead man, dragged through a prophecy as the world around him falls. What seems like a quick and easy messenger job, quickly descends into a race to change the very fabric of existence. In a world that makes increasingly little sense, he must try to stay alive to bring a new balance to existence.

☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5

"The best horror fiction I’ve read in a very long time… Everyday Monsters is replete with breathtaking settings, brutal detail, imaginative shapeshifting, and incredible storytelling. The monsters are lovingly described – check out the level of detail on the Moogle's skin tags and digestive habits or the severed reanimating head. The fusion throughout of comedy and horror is truly inspired. I love that while the settings are a feast of all possible worlds Francis has administrators and wardens and other everyday characters, settings and preoccupations at the heart of it all, putting a unique perspective on our everyday complicity and the life choices we all must make."

Amazon review

THE ANIMUS CHRONICLES BOOK 2

Incubus: The Descent

by Christian Francis

GENRE: DARK FANTASY

A novel that is ‘both a powerful series addition and a readily accessible stand-alone read that draws readers into a king’s mission and spins it into a story of rebirth, atonement, and redemption‘ (Midwest Book Review).

Throughout history, there have always been those who task themselves with a mission to vanquish evil. None more so than those who would be seen as monsters themselves. Monsters who accept that the only way to conquer the darkness is to descend to the place where it was born, and meet it head-on.

☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5

"Incubus: The Descent is even more of a page-turner – and one that is mind-blowingly different from the first. The humour is pared right back compared to the first novel but breaks out sporadically with a sudden rupture that made me laugh until my ribs ached. A quicksilver antidote to the gruesome horror. The opening chapter culminates in a blood bath containing a graphic brutality of Biblical proportions that is scary as hell. The novel then cuts with a cinematic grace between wonderlands of historical fantasy, fairy tale, monsters and mythology, a crusading count, a castle and caverns of witches, and a touching and taboo-breaking werewolf. Overlaying all of this is a modern-day world of the jaded Hollywood actress Rebecca – full of vibrant theatres, masks, bustling cafes, beautiful friendships, and as we gradually find out something far more sinister besides this controlling everything. The various story strands spawn outwards and return in the most unexpected and masterful ways bringing to life some of the tenderest and most savage relationships that run very deep – as in only the best horror writing. I seriously couldn’t put the book down."

Amazon review

The Sacrifice of Anton Stacey

by Christian Francis

GENRE: HORROR

As the snow beats down on a small Appalachian town of Folksville, the Stacey Brothers meet to bury their father. Their bittersweet reunion soon turns into terror as, under the cover of darkness, something unnatural starts to make its way throughout the town. Something that spreads a rot so monstrous, that nothing can survive.

"Francis beautifully and terrifyingly pulls back the curtain upon the very idea of family, particularly the relationship between fathers and sons, and examines the power and pain of those connections. The story grows and develops in ways that will surprise the reader, yet are wholly in keeping with the characters and the complexities of the relationships they inhabit. Plato’s question, “...shall they in all their actions be true to the name?” simmers under every line in this story.."

Joe Haward

Horror DNA

Other books by Christian Francis