‘You don’t know what death is…’
I’ve always found the idea of novelizations of existing films to be a fascinating cottage industry. You don’t see them anymore, but in the ’70s and ’80s, they were all the rage. For fans, the humble novelization allows them to experience a movie they love in a different way with the promise of some fresh lore to go with it (the Gremlins novelization is a great example of this).
The novelization of Halloween II was written by Dennis Etchison under the pseudonym Jack Martin and was released to tie in with the film in 1981. While it largely stays close to the source material, Etchison does change some details, most notably the opening, and he also provides us with an inner monologue for beloved characters Dr. Loomis and Laurie Strode. The boneheaded reveal that Strode is actually Michael’s sister works better in the form of the written word (although it’s still a mistake) and Etchison accurately captures the cadence and speech style of the major characters, particularly the unhinged obsession of Loomis. While the nods to the idea that The Shape is representative of some kind of ancient evil are effective, this is something that should have been better developed rather than just hinted at. Indeed, the later films would lean into this premise with limited success.
I imagine it goes without saying that the novelization of Halloween II is only for the most die-hard of die-hard Halloween heads but if you do love the franchise, Etchison’s novel is a fun way to re-experience one of the more beloved sequels in the whole series (although John Carpenter himself has never found a kind word to say about it).
Happy Halloween!