A Hint of Hitchcock: Stories Inspired by the Master of Suspense

One name springs to mind when we think of classic suspense films; Alfred Hitchcock. His silhouette is instantly recognisable as no one else has quite the same pouty lips and round, chubby face. The way he posed for photographs and his penchant for making cameo appearances in his films bear witness to his larger-than-life personality, but it was his ability to tell a spellbinding tale coupled with his technical brilliance that earned him the epithet of "Master of Suspense". His groundbreaking use of camera movement and the way he framed shots to maximise anxiety and fear place films like "Vertigo" among the very finest examples of creative achievement ever produced within the seventh art. In "Rear Window" he builds edge-of-your-seat tension by placing us in James Stewart's wheelchair and making us watch events unroll through his eyes, and the use of cutting-edge special effects in "The Birds" is almost impressive as the fact that more than three thousand were trained for the film. What else do these three films mentioned have in common, along with "Psycho" and "Rebecca" and so many others? That's right...they were based on novels or short stories; the written word. In "A Hint of Hitchcock" we turn our attention back from the screen to the page, and bring you, the avid suspense reader, modern tales that chill and surprise, all inspired by the work of the master of suspense.

Better Not Look Down - Josh Pachter

Golden Curls - Rebecca A. Demarest

More Than Suspicion - Joseph S. Walker

Paranoia - Paulene Turner

The Suitcase - Jason Fischer

Rebecca Redux - Elizabeth Elwood

Highwayman's Hitch - Cameron Trost

Relish - David Carroll

Karma is a Thief in the Night - Roger Johns

Scallion's Head - H.K. Stubbs

Closed Circuit - Mark Blackham

Vault - Andy Rausch