Interview: Paul Terry on fiction collection Kolchak: The Night Stalker HAUNTED & HUNTED
After writing so many resource books, the author shares what inspired him to write his first fiction collection.
“I love when the horror genre balances a great mystery with a threat to the protagonist that feels impossible to overcome.”
Article Summary
Exclusive interview with author Paul Terry about his short story collection Kolchak: The Night Stalker—Haunted & Hunted, celebrating the classic monster investigator TV show
The author’s history writing official behind-the-scenes books on The X-Files and the MCU—and how it impacts his relationship with Kolchak
What pulled him from writing non-fiction into making up new stories for the Kolchak series
A composer, songwriter, producer, and bestselling author, Paul Terry has written or co-written (with Tara Bennett) a number of official books on film and TV, including the award-winning The X-Files: The Official Archives and the bestselling The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, plus several more. He also has scripted comic strip stories for LEGO Adventures and Wallace and Gromit Comic.
Terry’s latest book is the original fiction anthology Kolchak: The Night Stalker—Haunted & Hunted. A short story collection, the book features five brand-new Carl Kolchak tales “full of dogged reporting and inescapable terror...”
In our exclusive interview with Terry, the author shares what pulled him into making up new stories about Kolchak, some favorite references or inspirations for Kolchak, and what angles from the original TV show he wanted to bring into his stories.
About Kolchak: The Night Stalker
The classic 1970s TV show Kolchak: The Night Stalker starred Darren McGavin as journalist Carl Kolchak, investigating weird events involving monsters and other unnatural creatures. The series followed two blockbuster TV movies, 1972’s The Night Stalker and 1973’s The Night Strangler. Even though the Kolchak show was only on for one season, it left such an impression that it has never been forgotten. Named by X-Files creator Chris Carter as a huge influence in that show, Kolchak has since also been revisited a number of times through fiction and comic books.
About the book
Kolchak: The Night Stalker—HAUNTED & HUNTED
by Paul Terry
(Moonstone Books)
From the bestselling author of The X-Files: The Official Archives comes five brand new Carl Kolchak tales full of dogged reporting and inescapable terror...
Find Kolchak: The Night Stalker—HAUNTED & HUNTED online from Moonstone Books
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Paul Terry talks about writing the stories in the fiction anthology Kolchak: The Night Stalker Haunted & Hunted
Q: For Kolchak: The Night Stalker—Haunted & Hunted, what got you into writing Kolchak stories? Was it your idea to write new stories or did someone else (or something else) pull you into it?
Over the past several years, while doing a lot of licensed film and television books for properties like The X-Files and Marvel Studios, I’ve been hard at work developing my own fiction.
As a lifelong fan of Darren McGavin’s Kolchak movies and TV show, one day an idea struck of a new Kolchak story set in Paris, France. I wrote it and pitched it to Moonstone Books in 2023. The publisher liked it and asked if I had any other ideas.
What began as a single-story pitch expanded to be this collection of five original short stories under the banner of Haunted & Hunted. That phrase is the connective theme of all the tales. And this book is exciting for me as a decades-long writer because it marks my prose fiction debut.
Q: What can Kolchak fans expect from Kolchak: The Night Stalker—Haunted & Hunted in particular?
I first saw re-runs of Kolchak: The Night Stalker in the early 1990s, so fans can be assured it’s a fellow fan that has come up with this book. As a fan, I wanted to strike a balance between the familiar voice of Carl Kolchak, and other familiar ingredients—like the voice and behavior of his boss, Antonio Vincenzo, and other supporting players, references and Easter Eggs to past adventures—with brand new, surprising elements.
But then I wanted to put Carl Kolchak in situations that felt unfamiliar, startling, and inescapable. I love when the horror genre balances a great mystery with a threat to the protagonist that feels impossible to overcome. My goal was to have fans be frightened by the environments and paranormal forces at play.
Q: There is the classic Kolchak TV show, but also lots of stories and comics over the years. What are some of your favorite references or inspirations for Kolchak?
In the 1990s, Jeff Rice (creator of Kolchak and author of the original novel), in collaboration with writer/editor and all-round Kolchak expert Mark Dawidziak, decided that—for new printed Kolchak tales—after the final episode of the TV show, Carl Kolchak and the INS team moved from Chicago to Los Angeles. They now all work at the tabloid called the Hollywood Dispatch. This became canon.
As I live in Los Angeles, I was hugely inspired to come up with new stories that Kolchak could conceivably get caught up in, with Hollywood being his base of operations. It’s why Haunted & Hunted includes stories set on Catalina Island (a short ferry ride from Long Beach in Southern California); Lake Tahoe (a very popular holiday destination north-east of San Francisco); and Fresno Airport (about a four-hour drive from LA).
Then there’s further afield encounters in Utah’s Uintah Basin and Kolchak’s winter assignment in Paris, France.
Q: Does Kolchak: Haunted & Hunted bring anything new to the Kolchak series, or were you more interested in reinforcing what was already there? What ideas or angles especially interested you?
My favorite Kolchak TV episodes are the ones that feel really kinetic. Like there is a clock ticking, and Kolchak is desperately trying to solve the mystery before it gets out of control and the body count gets insane. I definitely wanted to reinforce that component.
I also love when it feels like Kolchak has no way out—that, whatever he does, he cannot truly understand or put a stop to the phenomena. That makes the story compelling.
Kolchak is a really good reporter. I wanted to maintain how smart and observant he is.
He’s also extremely witty. Which helps create these moments of levity within the tension and the fear.
Because, above all this, I think the best Kolchak stories are the frightening ones. When Kolchak is scared, we are scared.
As a lifelong fan of the horror genre, I wanted to make sure that these five new short stories focused on skin-crawling terror. And, crucially, new kinds of terror that Kolchak has not encountered before. It was important to me to get Kolchak out of the city.
There are episodes of the TV show where he’s not investigating horror in an urban environment, and I wanted to push that notion further. Because when the main character of any story feels like they can’t lean back on tried-and-tested skills, they are automatically at a disadvantage. I wanted to make these situations and “cases” really hard for Kolchak to solve and survive.
Crafting new, unaccustomed threats was another priority. He’s tangled with a lot of riffs on classic monsters or well-known folklore. I wanted him to face unusual evils and develop new mythology. That creative process is extremely rewarding.
Because you do historical research with the goal of twisting the facts and bending reality until you have these antagonists that hopefully feel equal parts fresh and daunting, but also have a tinge of “is the history or legend behind this actually real?”
Q: Looking at your list, while your Kolchak stuff is fiction, it looks like a lot of your writing also includes nonfiction about other (similar) shows and movies. What determines what you’re going to write about something each time? What are the factors that bring you into one of those worlds to write about them?
I love writing in-world licensed books, because you get to study the vocal patterns and personalities of characters like Mulder and Scully from The X-Files. That’s my favorite show of all time, so getting to craft those The X-Files: The Official Archives books continues to be a dream come true.
It’s creatively both a huge challenge and incredibly satisfying when you figure out how to write in the voices of characters that already exist in hundreds of hours of a TV show, but also in the minds and hearts of fans.
With my frequent collaborator Tara Bennett, we’ve also written in-world books on Fringe and The Blacklist. All of that prepared me for studying and writing in Darren McGavin’s Kolchak voice.
Beyond that style of writing, I love doing “documentary style” books that pull fans into a super-detailed account that reveals the making of a film, TV show, or the legacy of a studio. Whether it’s something like The Story of Marvel Studios—which Tara and I spent four years making in close collaboration with the studio—or The Official Making of Big Trouble in Little China, it is endlessly fascinating interviewing cast and crew about their personal memories. Surprising stories and details always come up during those conversations, and weaving numerous voices into a cohesive reading experience is a very gratifying process.
Q: What are the best ways for readers to connect with you and keep up with your author news?
My main website is PaulTerryProjects.com and there’s a lot of information there about all of my book and music projects. I also have a bi-monthly free email newsletter folks can sign up for here: SkyBabyRecords. It’s primarily about my work as a music composer via my indie label SkyBabyRecords. I’ve released my own albums and soundtracks for 25 years. But it also includes updates about my book projects.
And Kolchak: The Night Stalker—Haunted & Hunted is out now, available exclusively via Moonstone Books.
More details about the book
Kolchak: The Night Stalker—HAUNTED & HUNTED
by Paul Terry
Moonstone Books
From the bestselling author of The X-Files: The Official Archives comes five brand new Carl Kolchak tales full of dogged reporting and inescapable terror...
“Guess Who?”—What would you do if you were stuck inside a haunted airport, with your dyspeptic boss, during a blackout? Kolchak uncovers a cold case where aviation history, a terrifying game, and a vengeful ghost collide with baggage-claim delays, publishing deadlines, and Fettuccine Alfredo.
“Abduction Island”—Catalina is a beautiful island off the coast of California, home to hillside vistas, scuba-loving holidaymakers, and bizarre UFO sightings. What was supposed to be an upbeat travel assignment rapidly descends into madness, where Kolchak discovers there really is no such thing as a free lunch.
“Lake of the Damned”—A smashed-up cassette tape found on a Lake Tahoe beach pulls Kolchak into a story where the fate of a missing young reporter is on the line. What are the authorities ignoring? And how does local chatter about a lake monster fit into this murky, extremely fishy tale?
“Kindness Can Kill You”—When driving alone, on an all-day-long road trip, it's not just planning your rest stops that requires careful consideration. Seeing a hitchhiker provokes feelings of concern but also caution. In the middle of nowhere, at the dead of night, one decision by Kolchak leads to the breakdown from hell...
“Promises, Promises”—During an unexpected winter assignment in Paris, France, a jet-lagged Kolchak comes face to face with an impossible crime scene. Did a gigantic stone gargoyle from Notre Dame Cathedral come to life and commit murder outside his hotel? Is it a fiendish hoax, or something more diabolical?
Kolchak: The Night Stalker—Haunted & Hunted is available from Moonstone Books.
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Related links online
Kolchak: The Night Stalker’s “Horror in the Heights” Misdirects in Many Dimensions (Reactor)
Book Review: KOLCHAK: HAUNTED & HUNTED (Assignment X)
The X-Files Before The X-Files: Remembering the Best of Kolchak: The Night Stalker (Yahoo)
Darren McGavin: ‘Kolchak’ to ‘A Christmas Story,’ 10 of His Most Famous Roles (Woman’s World)
Kolchak: The Night Stalker – pulpy midnight-movie tales that almost make journalism seem cool (The Guardian)
How Kolchak: The Night-Stalker Inspired Shows Like X-Files and Supernatural (Collider)
Vampire noir came into its own 50 years ago with The Night Stalker (CrimeReads)
30 Years Ago, a Sci-Fi Classic With Weird Origins Changed TV Forever (Inverse)
Ten Things You Might Not Know About … Kolchak: The Night Stalker! (Horror News Network)
The Night Stalker Was a Vampire Horror About the Power of Stating the Obvious (Gizmodo)
’70s TV Horror/Mystery ‘Kolchak: The Night Stalker’ Keeps Crawling from Its Grave (PopMatters)
Classic TV Horror Doesn’t Get Better Than Darren McGavin’s Kolchak: The Night Stalker (Comic Book Resources)
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