Publisher's Synopsis
Horror Guide to Florida is a map to geographical locations, real and fictional, utilized in horror tales and films set in the Sunshine State. And just for good measure, they've included some true stories and events that should be horror stories, or lest the inspiration for future ones. Florida scares many people for many different reasons, be it the alligators and giant snakes in the Everglades, sharks with a taste for tourists, hurricanes with a taste for trailer parks, or giant mice wearing pants. But where else, outside your nightmares, can you find giant prehistoric penguins, exploding clergymen, mutant vampire were-turkeys, and the Bermuda Triangle all in the same geographic area? Come with the brothers Goudsward and explore the mysterious, the macabre, and the downright bizarre world hidden in the shadows of Florida.
"Tourists think of Florida as beaches, sun and fun. Few know that blood, guts and monsters prospered during the Grindhouse days of Florida film making. Horror Guide to Florida vividly captures the history of these films and credits a lot of my crazy friends that gave birth to independent film making. After making over a dozen films in Florida since the late 1950's, I thought I knew film history. After reading Dave and Scott's book, I feel like a novice. I highly recommend Horror Guide to Florida." -- William Grefe, Writer/Director/Producer "A Florida gardener, his finger pricked by an aggressive hedge, once told me, "Down here, dammit, everything bites!" Here's proof that he was right. He might also have added, everything spooks...and lingers." -- Jack Ketchum, author of The Girl Next Door and Off Season "This book is mandatory reading for Florida horror aficionados; just as Somtow's non-fiction books about Lovecraft make the Master's stories doubly enjoyable, this fascinating geographical compendium makes Florida horror fiction even more compelling and entertaining. An absolute must-read for horror junkies!" -- Edward Lee, author of Header, City Infernal, and Thee Bighead. "They call it the Sunshine State, but the Goudswards know the truth. They've learned where the dark corners, deep swamps, and shadowed groves are. They've learned where monstrous things have crawled out of black waters to feed on human flesh, where toxic waste has bred ravenous, killer fish, where the dead walk through mangrove-covered islands. They've watched the movies, read the books, done the research, taken notes, and they've written it all down. God help us, they wrote it all down!" -- Pete Rawlik, author of Reanimators, The Weird Company, and Reanimatrix. "I lived in Florida for a few years and know too well its unique brand of creepy. And Scott and Dave do their usual great job of cataloging it all. From the fictional to the mythical to the actual, they've gone deep to show that this state known for giving heat rash can also give you goosebumps." -- J.W. Ocker, author of the 2015 Edgar Award-winning Poe-Land.
