How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive: A Novel BY Craig DiLouie

In Craig DiLouie's darkly humorous horror novel, "Horror Isn't Horror Unless It's Real," Max Maurey, a renowned 80s slasher film director, finds himself disillusioned with Hollywood's demand for mindless gore over true horror artistry. Despite his fame, Max struggles to finance his creative visions, stifled by his profit-focused producer.

Enter Sally Priest, an aspiring actress with dreams of becoming the iconic Final Girl. Determined to impress Max and land a significant role, Sally crosses paths with him at a wrap party. Their encounter sets off a chain of events when Max stumbles upon an occult camera with a sinister history—it has captured real horrors beyond imagination.

Driven by the allure of creating the ultimate terrifying film, Max disregards the camera's ominous warnings and sets out to harness its power. However, as production progresses, eerie occurrences and supernatural manifestations plague the set, hinting at the camera's malevolent influence.

Caught in Max's obsessive quest to realize his macabre vision, Sally finds herself thrust into the role of the Final Girl not just on screen but in reality, battling forces unleashed by the cursed camera. As Max's fixation with capturing true horror intensifies, Sally must confront both the literal and figurative monsters haunting their production.

DiLouie masterfully blends horror with satire, exploring themes of artistic integrity, obsession, and the blurred lines between fiction and reality. With its witty narrative and chilling premise, "Horror Isn't Horror Unless It's Real" promises a thrilling ride into the dark heart of filmmaking and the supernatural, where the price of creating true terror may be higher than anyone bargained for.