GRAHAM writes…

I've just reread Dark Matter and again was deeply impressed by how you create such an atmosphere of unease and dread in your story.
I view it as at the pinnacle of contemporary ghost stories and as good as any of the classic ghost/horror stories from my youth and the myriad
Pan & Puffin anthologies I read as a teenager and beyond. I even stopped reading it late at night and double checked the shutters in the bedroom before going to sleep and I'd already read the book.

Your writing has a wonderful filmic quality to it and as I was reading the story I was also seeing each scene as it unfolded even when I didn't
want to 'see' what was unfolding. Brilliant writing.

That said I am curious why Dark Matter has not become a film or mini series given how good it is. It is a masterpiece up there with the best of
M.R. James, Susan Hill and all the other great ghost and horror authors.

Would you like to see Dark Matter adapted for the screen?
Are there any plans to do so?
Have there been previous attempts to adapt it for the screen?

Or do you prefer to leave Dark Matter to the reader's imagination?

Michelle Replies…

Dear Graham, thank you so much for your perceptive and appreciative comments; it means a lot that Dark Matter has found favour with a devotee of the ghost story such as yourself – and that it frightened you, too!  To answer your questions, the book has been optioned for film a few times over the years, but so far nothing has got beyond the script stage.  This isn’t unusual; in fact, it’s the fate of the vast majority of film projects. But in my experience that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  I can recall at least one script of Dark Matter which filled me with horror – and not in a good way! It was a bit of a relief when the project fizzled out.  You asked whether I would like to see the book adapted for film, and the answer is broadly yes – but ONLY if the film were true to the spirit of the story, rather than a slasher movie with too many jump scares.  Finally, if and when an adapation looks like getting filmed, you may be sure that I’ll post the news on my website.  Thanks again for getting in touch, and perhaps next year you might enjoy my latest ghost story, Rainforest, when it comes out in September.  With very best wishes, Michelle