Book cover of The Book of Beasts

Book description

Nigel Kneale is perhaps best known for his pioneering work in television fantasy, notably the creation of Quatermass, and his landmark adaptation of George Orwell's 1984 for the BBC. This book is the first in-depth study of another, arguably lesser known but equally as important, Kneale creation: the 1976 Folk…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Book of Beasts as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

While there is a great biography of writer Nigel Kneale (Andy Murray’s Into The Unknown: The Fantastic Life of Nigel Kneale), I chose Andrew Screen’s comprehensive The Book of Beasts to represent Kneale’s essential contributions to hauntology and folk horror.

Beasts was a folk horror anthology television series broadcast in 1976, and Screen’s book covers all six episodes from idea to finished product in the most minute detail. I certainly enjoyed the production minutia, but what I feel puts this book in rarefied air is Screen’s unprecedented access to Kneale’s archives, uncovering unseen drafts of scripts as well as…

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December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

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