Halloween is coming early! Lately, it feels like everything is being remade for television, from Lethal Weapon to the Divergent movies (apparently). So, when we heard that Fox was remaking The Exorcist as a miniseries, we were a bit dubious. Seriously? You’re remaking what is thought to be the greatest horror film of all time, based on one of the scariest novels of all time, which was inspired by a real-life case of demonic possession in 1949? You’ve got to be kidding.
Wait, was that Geena Davis? And Cameron from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off? And spooky child exorcisms in orangey-lit settings? And weird birds crashing into windows?? And the old-school theme music from the original movie?!
We’re definitely going to give this reinterpretation of William Peter Blatty’s original novel a chance, not just because we’re thirsty for some Halloween feelings, but because it actually looks pretty darn creepy. In honor of the new show, here’s a quick list of demonic possession-themed reads:
The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren, Gerald Brittle (Graymalkin Media, 2013)
Bone up on your demon-hunting history with this biography of Ed and Lorraine Warren, the real-life demonologist couple featured in films like The Conjuring and A Haunting in Connecticut, both of which were based on their case files. No disrespect to the dudes in Ghost Adventures, but this demon-hunting power couple are the real deal.
Outcast Volume 1: A Darkness Surrounds Him, Robert Kirkman and Paul Azaceta (Image Comics, 2015)
We’ve featured this book before, but it’s super appropriate here. This graphic novel series is genuinely unsettling, and tells the story of Kyle, a young man who is an accidental exorcist, drawing demons into the ones he loves. It’s already been made into a pretty solid television series, but the graphic novels are insane for both their stories and the arresting artwork.
An Exorcist’s Field Guide: To Blessings, Consecrations, and the Banishment of Malevolent Entities, Pastor Swope (CreateSpace, 2009)
Finally, our last recommendation for this exorcism book list is a quick how-to guide to rid yourself (or your friends) of evil spirits! It may seem a little out there, but this is the same principle that keeps people from buying a house built on a Native American Burial Ground, even if they don’t believe in ghosts. Hopefully, you don’t find yourself in a position where you need to use this helpful field guide, but you can never be too careful, right?
Main image courtesy Fox
