Michael Wehunt has emerged as a distinctive voice in contemporary horror, known for short fiction that has appeared in some of the genre’s most respected anthologies. His debut collection, Greener Pastures, earned wide acclaim – becoming a finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award, shortlisted for the Crawford Award, and winning Spain’s Premio Amaltea following its translation and publication there.
On 30 September, Wehunt releases his debut novel, The October Film Haunt — a chilling, disorienting dive into obsession, cursed media, and the dangerous overlap between fandom and folklore. The story follows Jorie Stroud, whose youthful fixation on a cult horror film resurfaces after she receives a mysterious videotape. What begins as curiosity soon entangles her in a world of obsession, dangerous devotion, and something that defies comprehension.
Wehunt draws on haunted-film and slasher traditions, evoking the emotional unease typical of J-horror and creepypasta. But rather than pastiche, the novel centres on how stories shape identity and community. At times, it reads like a study of horror fandom itself – its devotion, creativity, and capacity to distort. The book blends supernatural suspense with a keen interest in the way myths, once unleashed, grow beyond anyone’s control.
In anticipation of the book’s release, CinemaChord’s Howard Gorman sat down with Wehunt to trace the story’s evolution — from its origins as a short story to a fully realised novel. Their conversation explores the filmic DNA of the book’s narrative, the eerie imprint of internet folklore, and its central theme of digital myth-making — how, in a post-truth world of competing narratives, urban legends can spread, mutate, fester, and spill beyond our screens with terrifying, far-reaching consequences.
Fans of Marisha Pessl’s Night Film, the Scream franchise, Hereditary, The Blair Witch Project, old-school Stephen King novels with multiple POV characters and complex emotional arcs, The Ring, Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves, and creepypasta & Reddit culture are in for a real treat when The October Film Haunt publishes through St. Martin’s Press on September 30, 2025. The book is available to order HERE.
The interview is also available on The CinemaChords Podcast.
