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In
her introduction to Dark Shadows: Dreams of the Dark,
Lara Parker writes, "Dark Shadows was always destined
to become a series of novels, if only to release those mesmerizing
stories which so enraptured audiences into the imagination of
the reader. For as lavish as the settings, as clever as the props,
as lovely as the costumes all were, the power of the written word
on the reader's dreamscape offers an even more exhilarating experience."
It's
true, the world of Dark Shadows, created by Dan Curtis,
has inspired millions of words -- both fiction and non-fiction
-- to be committed to paper over the decades. Lara herself has
penned some of the best (see below) and I've even contributed
my share.
As
Lara wrote in that intro, the novels based on DS allow
readers to play out, and embellish, adventures at Collinwood.
And the non-fiction volumes provide a glimpse behind-the-scenes
of one of the most popular TV shows off all time.
Paperback
Library
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Starting
in 1966, Paperback Library published a successful series
of Gothic-themed novels based on Dark Shadows. The
32 novels (plus the novelization of the film House of
Dark Shadows) were written by Canadian author Dan Ross,
using the pen name Marilyn Ross.
Three other volumes were published by Paperback Library
as well: a photo album featuring images of Jonathan Frid,
a Barnabas joke book, and a collection of supernatural short
stories with no real relation to the show.
Click here to read more
about the Paperback Library series--including summaries
of the stories told in each novel.
NEW!
Click
here to read a new Dark Shadows Online Exclusive feature
including an interview with Dan Ross plus a novella based
on his unpublished outline that finally answers the question,
"Who is Victoria Winters?" in the Paperback Library
Parallel Time.
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Ace
Books
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Dark
Shadows Cookbook
1970
One
of the most difficult DS books to locate today,
the cookbook includes more than 150 recipes with tie-ins
to DS characters.
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Visit the rest of
Dark Shadows Online |
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House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows
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About This Site
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Tor Books
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COMING SOON!
Dark Shadows: The Salem Branch
By Lara Parker
First Printing: Due Summer 2006
Lara's long-awaited sequel to Angelique's Descent (see below) is finally in "post production" and is scheduled to his bookshops in mid-2006.
I discussed the new novel with Lara in November 05 (click here to scroll down and read "Five Fun Facts" from that mini-interview.) In the book, Barnabas has finally been cured of his vampire affliction and is preparing to marry his "savior," the virtuous Julia Hoffman. Of course their happiness is threatened when a beautiful hippie shows up at Collinwood, and looks eerily like Angelique. Her daughter, who falls in love with young David Collins, has vivid visions of life during the Salem witch trials. To protect his family, Barnabas must travel back in time and battle evil forces that have cursed the Collines for centuries. Sounds pretty cool! :)
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HarperCollins
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Dark
Shadows: Angelique's Descent
By Lara
Parker
First Printing: December 1998
The
actress who portrayed Angelique displays a surprising depth
of talent as a writer, crafting a sensual, supernatural
background for her character. The novel tells of Angelique's
enchanted childhood and later includes the events depicted
on the TV series during the 1795 story line. Barnabas and
Angelique meet a couple of times as children, adding a dimension
of star-crossed fate to their story. And even if you're
a "Barnabas and Josette" fan, you may just find
yourself rooting for Angelique to win the heart of the Collins
heir.
Utilizing
information presented on the show, and adding well-researched
details, Parker presents a story that, like the best Dark
Shadows episodes, will transport you to another, mystical
world. Unfortunately, the book is currently out of print,
but copies are often available on eBay. If you love Angelique
and/or Lara Parker, this one can't be missed.
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Dark
Shadows: Dreams of the Dark
By Stephen
Mark Rainey and Elizabeth Massie
First printing: October 1999
This
novel focuses on the adventures of Victoria Winters at Collinwood,
but it couldn't be much more different from the 1966-72
Paperback Library series. For one thing, Victoria is deflowered
by a vampire outdoors on the grounds of the great estate
(and it isn't even the romantic hero, Barnabas!). Also,
unlike the Paperback Library books, there are fun little
inside jokes (actor's names show up as minor characters)
and rich details (the Collins art collection includes a
landscape by Victorian artist Charles Delaware Tate).
In
order to appeal to fans of either the original show or the
1991 revival, the timeframe for the story told here is left
vague, and the Collinwood estate that's described could
easily either be the one feature on the ABC series or the
NBC revival.
Lara
Parker provided an interesting, insightful introduction,
from her unique perspective as an important part of the
Dark Shadows franchise -- both as an actor and
as an author.
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Pomegranate
Press
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My
Scrapbook Memories of Dark Shadows
By Kathryn
Leigh Scott
Shifting
from actress to author and publisher, Kathryn founded Pomegranate
Press to release this first DS tome. With exclusive
photos by her former husband Ben Martin, the book chronicles
Kathryn's experiences on the set of the TV show and the
film House of Dark Shadows.
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The
Dark Shadows Companion
Edited
by Kathryn Leigh Scott
Packed
with photos and a comprehensive history of Dark Shadows,
this early volume remains one of the best. Jonathan Frid
wrote the foreword, and the book includes a very concise
episode guide as well as a "where are they now"
section about the cast.
An
audio version of the Companion was also released,
with narration by Jonathan Frid, Lara Parker, Roger Davis,
and Kathryn Leigh Scott.
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The
Dark Shadows Program Guide
Compiled
by Ann Wilson
Plot
synopsis and trivia about every episode of DS.
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Shadows
on the Wall
By Art
Wallace
This
is a replica of the 96-page "bible" Wallace wrote
to guide the other writers of Dark Shadows, before
the show first aired. It's interesting to read some story
ideas that were later modified or scrapped altogether. (Shadows
on the Wall was the originally proposed title of the
show.)
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Dark
Shadows Resurrected
by Jim
Pierson
In
a format similar to that of The Dark Shadows Companion,
the 1991 revival series is chronicled. There's a history
of the show, an episode guide, and lots of great photos.
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Dark
Shadows: The Comic Strip Book
Talented
and prolific comic book artist Kenneth Bruce Bald drew the
Dark Shadows newspaper strip from 1970 to '71,
and all of the daily and Sunday strips are collected here.
The stories are entertaining, but presented in this fashion,
there's a bit of repetition; panels from Friday and Monday
at times overlap to remind readers what happened the previous
week, for example.
Also
of interest, Bald provides some of the reference photos
he had taken of himself and his wife in various poses which
he reproduced in the strip.
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The
Dark Shadows Music Book
Composed
by Robert Cobert
This
one contains the piano and guitar sheet music for 18 selections
from the DS soundtrack. There's also a discography
and a photo gallery.
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The
Dark Shadows Collectibles Book
By Craig
Hamrick
I
wrote The Dark Shadows Collectors' Guide in 1991,
and several years later, this revised and illustrated version
of the text was published by Pomegranate Press. Images of
nearly every DS collectible ever released are included,
and there are some unusual promotional stills of Jonathan
Frid, in costume as Barnabas, shopping for toys, perfume
and other trinkets.
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The
Dark Shadows Movie Book
by Kathryn
Leigh Scott and Jim Pierson
Featuring
a foreword by Kate Jackson and a chapter by Nancy Barrett,
this volume also includes the original scripts of both House
of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows
as well as a collection of rare photos.
(Trivia
Note: I helped Nancy write her chapter. She had
a hard time thinking of herself as a writer, so I interviewed
her about her experiences on the movie set, then sent a
transcript of our Q&A to Kathryn, who edited it into
a first-person chapter, which Nancy and I put a finishing
polish on.)
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The
Dark Shadows Almanac
Facts,
figures, photos -- plus chapters by cast members we don't
often hear from, like Donna Wandrey -- make this a DS
fan's dream. The "Millennium Edition" is a little
fuller, but they're both great.
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Dark
Shadows Memories
by Kathryn
Leigh Scott
Weighing
in at 320 pages, this is the thickest Pomegranate Press
volume so far -- and it's chock full of photos (more than
300). It contains a portion of the text originally featured
in My Scrapbook Memories of Dark Shadows (now out
of print), supplemented with such features as a rare interview
with David Henesy (David Collins) and an introduction by
Alexandra Moltke Isles.
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iUniverse
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On Stage and in Shadows: A Career Memoir
By Marie Wallace
Just in time for the 2005 DS Festival, Marie published this witty, informative, fun-to-read autobiography.
If you only know Marie from her Dark Shadows work, you'll be pleasantly surprised to learn about her impressive stage career.
She appeared in such Broadway hits as the original productions of Gypsy and Sweet Charity -- plus a star-studded revival of the catty classic The Women. Her costars have included TV and stage legends like Ruth Buzzi, Larry Hagman, Bert Lahr, Kim Hunter, Myrna Loy and literally dozens of others.
Those fans who have been fortunate enough to get to know Marie a bit at DS Festivals know how warm, genuine and charming she is -- and that personality spills across the pages of On Stage and In Shadows. Reading it is like spending a pleasant afternoon with Marie, discussing her life and career. |
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Big
Lou: the Life and Career of Actor Louis Edmonds
By Craig Hamrick, special memorial edition published in
2003
I
approached Louis Edmonds in 1994, with the idea of writing
a brief fanzine article about his career. He became one
of my closest friends, and that article grew into this intimate
look at his life and study of his prolific TV, movie, and
stage career. He was a TV pioneer costarring with Charlton
Heston, Julie Harris, Glenda Farell and many others; and
his critically acclaimed stage work spanned five decades.
For more information about the book and about his career,
click here.
This
book is currently available on Barnes & Noble.com
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Barnabas
& Company: the Cast of the TV Classic Dark Shadows
By Craig
Hamrick, published in 2003
While
conducting research for Big Lou, I unearthed tons
of information about his DS costars -- biographical
and career-related facts. So just after I published the
2003 version of the book, I released this one. Barnabas
& Co. includes a brief history of Dark Shadows,
bios of each major member of the cast, and tons of trivia
about the plays, movies, and TV shows the DS cast
members (including day players) acted in.
This
book is currently available on Amazon.com.
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The
Power of Halloween
By Diana
Millay, published in October 2003
Though
this book isn't about Dark Shadows, it was written
by Diana Millay (Laura Collins), and she has read text from
it at several DS Festivals. Diana recounts stories
passed down through her family, which has included witches
and other magic-makers -- and she provides an interesting
history of Halloween. There are even recipes and tips about
how to have a great Halloween celebration.
Diana's
first book, a cookbook titled I'd Rather Eat Than Act,
is currently being revised and will be republished by iUniverse
this summer.
Trivia
Note: The cover image has a DS connection.
It's a close-up photograph of a fire raging in Louis Edmonds'
fireplace, which I shot at the Rookery in the mid-1990s.
Louis even built the fire.
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I'd
Rather Eat Than Act
By Diana
Millay, published in August 2004
The
new paperback edition of Diana's
cookbook, featuring anecdotes about her career and rare
photos -- plus great recipes, including some provided
by costars such as Louis Edmonds, Jonathan Frid, Joan Bennett
(all Dark Shadows), Fred MacMurray (My Three Sons),
Joan Fontaine, Walter Slezak, and many others.
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Other
Dark Shadows-Related Books
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The
Bennett Playbill
By Joan
Bennett, with Lois Kibbe, published by Holt, Reinhart and
Winston, 1970
Before
playing Collinwood matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard,
Joan Bennett was a bona fide Movie Star. She starred in
classics like Little Women (with Katharine Hepburn),
Father of the Bride (with Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth
Taylor), and Woman in the Window (with Edward G.
Robinson). And she was involved in one of the biggest scandals
in the history of Hollywood, when her husband shot her agent,
who was possibly her lover -- but no steamy details about
that are included. Compared to today's sexy, dramatic, tell-all
show biz autobiographies, this volume is pretty tame. Miss
Bennett was a lady, and she told her life story with classy
discretion. The book drags when Joan's distant ancestors
are discussed, but there are enough facts about her career
(including her DS stint), make this an interesting
read. Long out of print, it can sometimes be found on eBay.
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In
and Out of the Shadows
By David
Selby, published by Locust Grove Press
A
great collection of photos and behind-the-scenes recollections
from throughout David's career -- from DS to Falcon
Crest and beyond. David has had one of the most active
careers of the DS cast members, including extensive
work on stage plus movies with leading ladies from Barbra
Streisand to Sharon Stone.
Locust
Grove Press is a publishing company formed by David and
his wife, Chip -- and they have published other books by
David, including two volumes of poetry. For more information,
visit www.davidselby.com.
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DSO EXCLUSIVE: Lara Parker shares FIVE FUN FACTS about DS: The Salem Branch:
1. The book will be trade paperback size: 9x6 inches -- larger than Angelique's Descent.
2. A large part of the story centers on a romance between teenage David Collins and a troubled young woman who is the reincarnation of a witch who was persecuted at the Salem trials.
3. Other characters from the TV series who will be in the novel include Roger, Quentin, and of course Barnabas.
4. The Salem portion of the book is based on a small part of the DS "mythology" -- one episode in which a witch named Miranda (played by Lara) placed a curse on those who judged her, including a Collins family member.
In November, Lara said, "When they were doing the Judah Zachery storyline, Judah's head was sitting around.... They decided to go back in time to show how he was beheaded, and we got to see a character named Miranda. In the book, she lives in Salem and she really is a witch. They're all hanging these innocents, and here is a real witch among them. She is a witch, but she's not evil. She can fly. It was a lot of fun to write."
5. Another character, in the 1970s portion of the book, is a beautiful young hippie woman who has set up a camp near Collinwood, much to Roger Collins' dismay. That hippie character is based on Lara's off-stage life during the run of Dark Shadows. During the summers, she lived in a camp in upstate New York, along with a group of nature-loving people.
"I used to show up after doing the show, with all my makeup still on...that wild Angelique makeup and the golden ringlets in my hair..." she said with a laugh. "They thought I was something from another planet. Nobody wore any makeup at that period of time. And there at the camp, nobody wore any clothes much of the time either. I was the one who was actually working and able to pay for things. So I would show up with the food and my false eyelashes."
For a synopsis of the book, visit Lara Parker Online: www.laraparker.com. |
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The
contents of this Web site are copyrighted by Craig Hamrick © 2006
Dark Shadows is copyrighted by Dan Curtis Productions. All Rights Reserved.
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