Michael Wehunt has become a distinctive voice in contemporary horror, with short fiction featured in some of the genre’s most respected anthologies. His debut collection, Greener Pastures, earned wide acclaim—finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award, shortlisted for the Crawford Award, and winner of Spain’s Premio Amaltea.
On 30 September, he publishes his first novel, The October Film Haunt, a chilling 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 when she receives a mysterious videotape. What begins as curiosity soon entangles her in a world of obsession, dangerous fandom, and something far more uncanny.
In this episode, CinemaChords’ Howard Gorman talks with Michael Wehunt about the journey from adapting his short story to crafting a full-length novel. They discuss the haunted-film and slasher traditions that shaped the narrative, the influence of J-horror and creepypasta, and the novel’s exploration of digital myth-making. Wehunt examines how, in a world of competing narratives, urban legends can spread, mutate, and have terrifying consequences.
If you love horror, obsessed fans, and stories that blur the line between reality and myth, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
Release Date of Novel: 30 September 2025
Order your copy here
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