BOOK NEWS FOR JUNE 30: JUSTIN CRONIN

‘Passage’ author Justin Cronin is the hottest thing in fang fiction

Source: kansascity.com


Justin Cronin is having a moment.

His new vampire thriller, “The Passage,” published earlier this month, is a best-seller. The unfinished manuscript sold in a bidding war to Fox 2000 for $1.75 million. And Stephen King called during Cronin’s interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America” to tell him that he’s a fan.

The story takes place not far into the future, where a U.S. government experiment goes wrong, causing the end of civilization as we know it. The test subjects escape and are now vampires on a killing spree. The one person who may be able to save the world is a young girl named Amy, who has mysterious powers.

Cronin talked about vampires, his inspiration for “The Passage” and readers’ reaction to his book in a recent interview.

Q. Why vampires?

A. Vampires were really sort of the vehicle for what I wanted to do, but I always liked vampire stories. I grew up on a steady diet of vampires. There’s a sense that vampires are the monsters of the moment. There’s a lot of vampire novels, television shows, movies, but the truth is they’ve never gone away, and every generation reinvents the vampire narrative to suit its anxieties and tastes.

Any details about the book becoming a movie?

The film was purchased by Fox 2000 for Ridley Scott’s production company. The screenwriter is John Logan, who wrote “Gladiator.” That’s kind of a powerful team that they’ve assembled. I just can’t wait to see what they come up with.

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