Fangoria #260 has a very interesting article about an up and coming writer, Joe Hill. His first novel, Heart-Shaped Box will be available February 13, 2007. It is a haunting tale about an oddities collector named “Judas Coyne”. He acquires a dead man’s suit off the internet which arrives in a black, heart-shaped, box. But he may have gotten more than he bargained for, as the suit comes with the malevolent spirt of the deceased!
This debut novel follows a long and hard road to success that was met with several detours and dead-ends. His collection of short stories, 20th Century Ghosts, was met with great critical praise and won several awards. Yet he initially had trouble selling the book.
Perhaps the publishers would have been more receptive to Mr. Hill had he used his full name, “Joseph Hillstrom King”. Yes, Joe Hill is the son of legendary horror writer “Stephen King”.
Kudos to Joe Hill for having the integrity to make it on his own, and not selling out to nepotism. He has proven himself to be a man of his own, and his ability to achieve literary success without the help of his father demonstrates that he is proficient in his craft. I have high hopes that Heart-Shaped Box will be the start of a long, prolific career for this young author.
