Grady Hendrix's novel, My Best Friend's Exorcism, is one of the more exciting and original horror novels in recent memory. The novel is set in high school in the 1980's, and its focus is on the friendship between two girls, one of whom comes under a mysterious possession. Having already reviewed the book, I asked Mr. Hendrix if he would be interested in answering seven questions I have for him. He graciously took the time out of his busy schedule to do so. I sent the questions to him first via email, and he sent me the answers. I am grateful to Mr. Hendrix for being a part of this, and I hope that you all read My Best Friend's Exorcism! Happy Halloween!!!
1. Why did you decide to set this novel in the 1980's?
If I was going to write about possession but not do it from a strictly Christian point of view, I needed to decide on something that people had faith in that wasn't necessarily God, and I realized that the thing I believed in with that level of commitment were my friends. And the time that friendships are the most intense is in high school. I can't convincingly write about modern day high school without doing a ton of research, but I know my high school experience pretty well and I was in tenth grade back in 1988, so the fact this book is set in the Eighties has more to do with laziness than anything else.
2. What's the story behind the dynamic cover art on the paperback? It's really good.
That's Doogie Horner's work. He's the art director for Quirk Books and he's a twisted genius. He wanted the paperback to have a different cover than the hardback, but we didn't have enough time to do it. But he insisted and found Hugh Fleming, an Australian artist who's done a ton of Star Wars work, and they got this done in short order. It's really amazing.
3. The friendship between Abby and Gretchen is both moving and believable. How did you pull this off?
This book was totally pulled from my life. Everything that happened in it happened to me, give or take a demon from hell or two, and I was lucky to have a lot of real friendships to draw on. Bad Mama Jama existed!
4. Given the influence of William Peter Blatty's "The Exorcist", do you think it's difficult to write unique and original stories on the subject of exorcism these days?
Most stories about exorcism wind up being about some old dudes yelling at a girl tied to a bed, unfortunately, and that's pretty played out and gross. But I think you can still write a good exorcism or possession story, especially now, as long as long as you really think about what you're doing.
5. In addition to being scary, this book is also very funny. I think of Abby showing Gretchen her Dad's porn, or the eccentric performances of the Lemon Brothers. How did you balance out those two elements?
I don't think what I write is funny, actually. I just try to make it realistic. Of course, if you're applying the reality principle to horror it does get goofy in places and can be really funny, until it kills you.
6. Why do you think people are still drawn to stories of demonic possession?
Possession is a great metaphor for the way people change, whether it's through aging, or having different experiences, or through drugs, or mental illness. Having someone suddenly change is hugely traumatic for the people around them, so possession works as a way to process that through fiction.
7. William Peter Blatty believed that demonic possession was a real phenomenon. Do you?
Do I think that there are nonhuman entities who control a person's actions? No. Do I think that demonic possession is a useful metaphor for some people to process things in their lives? Of course.
Grady Hendrix's website:
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