He played the Screwdriver Zombie in George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, composed the marvelous music for Creepshow and Day of the Dead, directed Tales from the Darkside: The Movie as well as eight episodes of the TV series (including an episode written by Stephen King), helmed 2009's Book of Blood film based on Clive Barker's short stories, and directed the 2000 Dune miniseries before going on to executive produce the latest two films based on Frank Herbert's seminal sci-fi book series. Suffice it to say that John Harrison has had an impressive and eclectic career in the realms of film and television, collaborating with legendary creators while adding his own unique vision to horror and sci-fi projects that have thrilled, chilled, and inspired viewers for decades.
Harrison's prolific creative spark is as active as ever in the 2020s. In addition to staying busy behind the camera as a director on shows such as Creepshow, Harrison is also conjuring new cinematic stories on the keyboard as an author. His latest novel, Residue: Paramentals Rising, takes readers back into the world of his 2015 Netflix miniseries Residue, this time following twenty-three-year-old Miki Preston as she searches for her missing sister in the deadly Quarantine Zone of a devastated city.
With Residue: Paramentals Rising now available as a hardcover, paperback, and eBook from WordFire Press, Daily Dead had the great pleasure of catching up with John Harrison in a new Q&A feature to discuss continuing the story of Residue in his new book (which he had begun before working on the miniseries), creating an intriguing cast of characters from all walks of life for readers to follow, and diving into the interior worlds of his characters by exploring elements of psychological horror as well as the exterior threats that they face. Harrison also reflected on his incredible career, including fond memories of working with George A. Romero, collaborating with Clive Barker, and continuing to help usher new adaptations of Frank Herbert's books to the screen!
You can read our full Q&A with John Harrison below, and to learn more about Residue: Paramentals Rising and other projects that Harrison is working on, be sure to visit:
Thank you for taking the time to answer questions for us, John, and congratulations on your new novel, Residue: Paramentals Rising, which follows the events of your 2015 Netflix miniseries Residue. When did you initially decide to continue the story of Residue with a book, and did you already know where the story was heading from your time working on the miniseries?
John Harrison: In fact, the saga of Residue began with the novel. I had written a good portion of it when I pitched the concept to the producers at Matador Pictures in London for whom I’d written and directed an adaptation of Clive Barker’s Books of Blood. They asked me if I could develop an “origin” or “backstory” for the narrative of my novel, which we could possibly adapt as a web-series. After various incarnations, we settled on the three-episode miniseries that ended up on Netflix and which also had a brief theatrical run as a full-length movie in the UK. It’s the story of Miki Preston’s sister, Jennifer, who goes missing after pursuing the conspiracy that may (or may not) have led to the Paramental plague haunting the city. My novel continues the story of Miki arriving in the city to search for Jennifer, and the dangers she faces throughout.
Following twenty-three-year-old Miki Preston on a quest to find her missing sister in a ravaged place known as the Quarantine Zone, Residue: Paramentals Rising brings together an eclectic set of characters on Miki’s deadly journey. How important was it for you to create relatable and engaging characters from all walks of life for readers to follow in this story?
John Harrison: I needed a broad cast of characters in order to build out the world of Residue in all its complexity, and explore the full horror of what had happened to the city. There is the mystery that Miki is pursuing about her sister, but there is also the Paramental plague and what caused it. There is also the mystery of who caused the catastrophic explosion that resulted in the Quarantine. And there is the conspiracy of secret/rogue government agencies that are covering up forgotten psychological experiments that may have been responsible. And finally, there is the Quarantine Zone itself and the dangers lurking there. Each of these “worlds” needed characters who could make the story real. That meant people from “all walks of life,” each with his or her own anxieties, fears, and motivations. It was great fun inventing them, and then trying to envision how they would ultimately intersect.
What was it like for you to revisit the world of Residue years after bringing it to life on screen? Did you find it creatively freeing to further flesh out this world on the page?
John Harrison: As I mentioned before, the novel is not so much revisiting the world of Residue as continuing the work I had already started before I took a detour into creating the Netflix miniseries. However, it was really helpful to fully flesh out the backstory of Jennifer Preston’s disappearance, so that when I went back to carry on with the novel, I now had a complete narrative of what had led up to everything I was creating in the novel. And, yes, it was freeing to delve deeper into the interior worlds of these characters, which is something one can do more of in a novel.
Approximately how long did it take you to write Residue: Paramentals Rising, and do you have a writing routine in your day-to-day schedule?
John Harrison: It took me the better part of a year to finish Paramentals Rising once I returned to it. I had several other projects that had to be juggled at the same time, including my novel, Passing Through Veils, for which I already had a commitment from WordFire Press and had to finish.
As to my writing habits, I’m usually at my desk in the morning soon after I get up, which is early. Some like to write in the quiet and desolation of late night, but I find mornings are the best time for me creatively. Since I’m on the East Coast of the US, the “business” of the day, mostly from LA, doesn’t get started until later because of the time change. So I have some quiet time before the shit hits the fan. Also, whatever has been percolating in the evenings and when I’m sleeping seems to have more clarity early. I spend most of the morning, three to four hours, working away, and then I stop. In the afternoons I’ll come back to it and do some editing, revising, or just leave it alone until the next day.
Do you have any favorite books, short stories, or films that influenced or inspired you while writing Residue: Paramentals Rising?
John Harrison: I read a great deal, so I’m not sure I can point to any particular books that directly inspired Residue. My tastes are pretty eclectic, and I never seek out authors or stories that may be similar to whatever I’m working on. However, I did re-read Steve King’s The Shining and his Mr. Mercedes trilogy while I was working on Residue. Believe it or not, some of the most influential books on me while I was writing it were ones seemingly unrelated to its genre or style. John Le Carré comes to mind. (If you read Residue, you’ll see the influence.) I also re-read a wonderfully complex and violent novel by Trevanian called Shibumi. One of my all-time favs. Things seep into one’s imagination from all directions.
If given the opportunity, would you like to make a miniseries or movie based on Residue: Paramentals Rising?
John Harrison: Are you kidding me? Tell me when and where I can get started.
What has it been like to work with the team at WordFire Press to help bring Residue: Paramentals Rising to life?
John Harrison: I can’t say enough about Kevin Anderson and his team at WordFire. Incredibly supportive and very smart. I’ve known Kevin since I wrote and directed the Dune miniseries some years ago. He is a gifted writer, of course, so our conversations, and his editing, are always productive. And the attention his team, especially Marie Whittaker, extends to authors makes the whole publishing experience really great.
Ultimately, what do you hope readers take away from Residue: Paramentals Rising?
John Harrison: I am a fan of psychological horror. So I wanted the world of Residue to explore both the individual and the collective experience of the upheaval that occurs during that story. I think the character of Ominosity puts it best in her blog: “There are monsters among us. There have always been monsters among us. But the most dangerous monster of all may be the one inside of us.”
Do you have any plans to write a sequel to Residue: Paramentals Rising?
John Harrison: Yes, I’ve always envisioned the Residue world as a trilogy. Stay tuned.
You’ve written many screenplays and teleplays throughout your career, including episodes of Tales from the Darkside, Tales from the Crypt, and Creepshow, as well as being a co-writer on one of my favorite animated films, Dinosaur. How does writing for the screen compare to writing a novel, and do you have a personal favorite form of storytelling?
John Harrison: Writing for the screen is an entirely different process, of course. Simply put, one has to write visually and palpably for the screen, whereas in a novel or short story one is free to explore the inner worlds of characters more deeply. In writing for the screen, I have to think more imagermatically than narratively. Pictures must drive the story. In a novel, I can explore the mind more dramatically.
But I’m a storyteller, so I’m happy to work in whatever medium allows me to best explore the particular narrative I’m developing. I’m just lucky I’ve been able to make films, write novels and short stories, and compose music. They are all storytelling opportunities to me.
In addition to directing eight episodes of Tales from the Darkside (including “Sorry, Right Number,” written by Stephen King), you also directed Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, one of my favorite anthology films. Looking back, what do you remember the most fondly about directing that film?
John Harrison: Tales from The Darkside was my first feature-length film, and I loved every minute of the experience. I worked with George Romero on Creepshow and written and directed multiple episodes of the Darkside TV series before we did the Paramount film, so I was accustomed to, and really enjoyed, the anthology format. It gave me freedom to explore different styles in one film. And because I had great support from my producer, Richard Rubinstein, and an incredible crew, particularly my cinematographer, Rob Draper, and my editor, Harry Miller, (both longtime collaborators on so many of my projects), that movie turned out great. And it’s still popular some 35 years later. Yikes! Oh, and did I mention the unbelievable cast we assembled? A dream come true.
It recently would have been the birthday of the late, great George A. Romero, whom you worked with many times throughout your career, including appearing in Dawn of the Dead and Knightriders and composing the wonderful music for Day of the Dead and the first Creepshow Do you have any favorite memories from working with George?
John Harrison: Besides being a dear friend until he died, George was my creative mentor. It’s hard to delineate all the ways in which he influenced me. But I can say the opportunities he gave me to be by his side every day while making Creepshow and Day of the Dead, or while composing the music for those films, for all the hours we spent developing new ideas or just sitting around bullshitting about movies while finishing bottles of Scotch and laughing our asses off, have left indelible marks on my creative soul.
You directed and co-wrote Book of Blood, based on Clive Barker’s influential Books of Blood short stories. What was it like to adapt the written works from one of the most imaginative and boldly creative masters of horror?
John Harrison: I had worked with Clive once before when I adapted the first two of his Abarat novels for Disney. Unfortunately we could never get those off the ground, but the collaborative experience was terrific. He had actually told the story first through his paintings, which are extraordinary. I had those to guide me. So I was flattered and honored that he allowed me to adapt the “framing” stories of his BoB series for my film. Like any adaptation, certain adjustments have to be made, but again, it was a great collaboration, and because his writing is so visceral, it was a joy for me to find ways to translate it into film. We had a wonderful production in the UK. I just wish our timing had been better with the release. It didn’t get the exposure it deserved.
From directing and writing the 2000 Dune miniseries and writing the 2003 Children of Dune miniseries to executive producing the two recent Dune movies and co-executive producing the Dune: Prophecy TV series, you’ve played a major role in adapting Frank Herbert’s seminal sci-fi novels over the years. What do you love the most about adapting Herbert’s books for the screen, and why do you think his stories have resonated with generations of readers and viewers?
John Harrison: The genius of Herbert’s books, besides the obvious world-building which is utterly unique, is the way he comprehends human nature. I think that’s its timeless quality which, like all great stories, resonates with continuing generations. And though the world of Dune is approximately ten thousand years in our future, it resembles today. When I pitched my version to the producers, I didn’t call it science fiction. To me, it was Shakespearean in structure and universal in its themes. It was not about hardware, or space opera, it was about the human condition, and a galaxy of competing ethnicities, religions, business rivalries, and political ideologies. Sound familiar? I’m glad the international success of our miniseries allowed folks twenty-some years later to believe Herbert’s epic could be adapted successfully for the big screen. Luckily, it landed in the lap of Denis Villeneuve.
What advice would you give to writers who are just getting started?
John Harrison: Read! As Steve King says, “you can’t be a good writer unless you’re a good reader.” Furthermore, read everything. Don’t stick to one genre or style. You don’t have to know or remember the elements that will influence you later on. Just soak them up like a sponge and marvel at what they do to you later.
With Residue: Paramentals Rising now available from WordFire Press, do you have any other projects coming up that you can tease?
John Harrison: I’ve finished a new novel, another suspense/horror thriller, which my agent is currently out with. And I’ve just finished a TV pilot for producer Dean Devlin and his Electric Entertainment. Kind of a high-tech mystery series based on a movie I wrote and directed for him a few years ago. And I have a new podcast I’m developing, John Harrison’s Sinister Stories, an anthology of creepy short stories, told through first-person narration, with music and sound effects. Hopefully available later this year. Very excited about this one.
More on all these to come.
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Residue: Paramentals Rising: "Available from Wordfire Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others
https://wordfirepress.com/products/residue-paramentals-rising
“There are monsters among us. There have always been monsters among us.” — The Ominosity
A dark psychic stain left on a devastated city.
A dark stain on the souls of the survivors.
A dark stain that will only be satisfied by violence and blood.
RESIDUE
A disgruntled bus driver turns his vehicle into a weapon of mass murder in the crowded rush hour streets.
An impatient customer turns a convenience store into a bloodbath.
RESIDUE
In the aftermath of a catastrophic New Year’s Eve explosion in the heart of the city, Miki Preston embarks upon a treacherous odyssey into the devastated area known as the Quarantine Zone in search of her famous photojournalist sister, Jennifer, who has mysteriously disappeared.
With only the help of a disgraced former homicide detective, a cagey teenage street dodger, and a set of provocative photographs her sister left behind, Miki will come face to face with the manifestations of malevolent psychic energy called Paramentals—and the sinister conspiracy that created them.
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR JOHN HARRISON’S RESIDUE: PARAMENTALS RISING
“Harrison's fiction lingers long after you turn the final page. He's a born storyteller.” – CLIVE BARKER, New York Times Best Selling Author
“RESIDUE is an eerie supernatural suspense tale with real psychological terror. Razor-sharp writing filled with details that will stay with you long after you finish reading.” – KEVIN J. ANDERSON, New York Times bestselling author of the Dan Shamble, Sisterhood, The Dune Prophecy
“John Harrison’s RESIDUE leaves an indelible mark on the mind of the reader. Dark, disturbing and compelling. Highly recommended, but not for the faint of heart.” – JONATHAN MABERRY, NY Times bestselling author of V-WARS and GLIMPSE
John Harrison Bio
Writer, director, composer, John Harrison, began his career collaborating with famed horror director, George Romero. He has since written and directed multiple TV episodes for a variety of networks as well as world premiere TV movies and miniseries, including the two Emmy-winning miniseries adaptations of Frank Herbert’s Dune and Children of Dune, which he wrote, directed and co-produced. He is an Executive Producer of the current big screen adaptation of Dune for Legendary Pictures. His first feature length film, Tales From The Darkside: The Movie for Paramount Pictures won Harrison the Grand Prix du Festival at Avoriaz, France. He co-wrote the Disney animated feature, Dinosaur, and wrote and directed the theatrical adaptation of Clive Barker’s Book of Blood. He is currently developing the TV series, Blank Slate for producer Dean Devlin and Electric Entertainment. His psychological thriller, Passing Through Veils, was published by WordFire Press, August 2023. His latest novel, Residue: Paramentals Rising, will be published by WordFire Press, February 2025."
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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