…Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz as you’ve never seen them before, and in a way that will ruin and char all your childhood memories.
As I’ve reported here at Horror Society, Bedlam Stories is an upcoming scifi-horror flick from Pearry Teo. These days, however, it is hitting bookshelves and Kindles everywhere as a narrative story…at least in October that is. The novel is written by Teo and Christine Converse, and I read the whole thing in just over four days. I’ll be honest, it’s a complex story and written with beautifully chilling details. What is my honest opinion on Bedlam Stories? Read on to find out!
“Hoping to draw public attention to abuses within women’s mental institutions, journalist Nellie Bly fakes insanity in order to be committed to Bedlam Asylum. Her expose takes an unusual turn when Nellie meets a quiet teenager named Dorothy who insists that a magical land called Oz is not just a figment of her imagination. At first Nellie dismisses Dorothy’s claims, until she actually sees Oz for herself after going through a series of experiments.
Digging deeper into the asylum’s hidden secrets, Nellie learns about a failed test subject called Project:Alice that ended with disastrous consequences. By recreating these experiments on Dorothy and Nellie, the doctors at Bedlam have inadvertently released demonic creatures into Oz – refugees from a place called Wonderland. Now Nellie must uncover the truth behind Project:Alice before Bedlam’s dark past repeats itself and the demons from Wonderland gain entry into our world.”
Bedlam Stories contains every possible element you’d look for in a good horror book. Literally from the first page I was drawn into the world where Oz and Wonderland are more than imaginary lands, and Alice is far from the little blonde headed girl that everyone watched as a child. Oftentimes, a book will start off at a high point and gradually lose some steam until it builds back up to the climax. Not Bedlam Stories; you’ll be hooked for the entire read, flipping through pages wanting to know more. Who is the little girl ghost? Why are patients being abused? What’s wrong with Nellie? Why is Nurse Ball so standoffish?
It’s genius to use two iconic children’s characters such as Alice and Dorothy and show them in a completely different light. This makes sense, from a business standpoint, because people who may not be horror fans may be likely to pick up the book just to see what the Hell is going on. Even more-so, fans of “based on true events” tales will really get a kick out of Nellie Bly. Character driven is the best way I can describe it. Sure, there are some pretty terrifying and spine-chilling things going on in Bedlam Asylum, but the story is driven mostly through the characters. A ghost story, a scifi-horror story, a mystery – it all can’t flourish without interesting and likable characters to push the story forward.
As I mentioned earlier, the story behind Bedlam Stories is very complex. The mystery taking place in the book will take on a whole new meaning with every page, and readers are going to be kept on the edge of their seats (chairs?) trying to figure out what’s going to happen next? The suspense is palpable in this book without cinematic qualities such as blaring music and false jump scares. From the first page, you will understand that you are in for a very wild ride. Lots of fire, lots of blood, lots of grotesque imagery, lots of medical experimentation, and even lots of nudity.
Putting out the Bedlam Stories book before the movie is a smart move. Teo and Converse will be able to pave the way for fans of the book to shell out more money to see the movie. I believe the book is going to be a massive success, and if the film is produced half as good, it’s going to become a phenomenon.
Bedlam Stories is the best ghost story since Carpenter’s The Ward, and is scary enough to give even the darkest Silent Hill fans nightmares for years to come.
Beautiful imagery and blood curdling madness collide in a book that will change the way you saw your favorite childhood films.
Terror, tension, and triumph await readers in Bedlam Stories.
One of the finest page turners I’ve ever read, guaranteed to keep you guessing and jumping until the very last page.
