2. Haunted - Chuck Palahniuk
Chuck Palahniuk has made a name for himself in the literary world for his incendiary and provocative novels. Touching on very taboo and controversial subjects, the acclaimed author of Fight Club turned his hand towards horror in 2005, but in traditional Palahnuik fashion, did so in his own twisted way. Largely a satire of reality television and the way modern living has changed our perception of what is significant in our lives, the book follows 17 authors of varying success who partake in a mysterious writer's retreat, and once there are informed that they have three months each in which to write their magnum opus before they are permitted to return to their normal lives. Contrary to the book's title, it is the participants themselves that haunt each other whilst in the house, with each writer's perception of fame and relevancy getting the better of them and leading to horrific events. The framework of the book, in which each chapter is followed by a short story written by each character, could lead to anthology style television series, but one with an overarching narrative and returning characters for viewers to follow on a weekly basis. The book's most controversial passage,Guts is a horrifyingly graphic account of sexual experimentation gone wrong, which reportedly caused some readers to faint, may prove to be a little too risqué for most networks.
Is It Happening? Like many of Palahniuk's works, rights for Haunted have been sold to developmental companies, with hopes to turn these properties into film and television adaptations. Unfortunately, not since the 2008 film Choke has the adaptation come to fruition, so fans of Haunted may be holding their breath for some time, especially given its content.