A Nightmare on Elm Street: Suffer the Children
| Company type | Publisher |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Books, horror novels |
A Nightmare on Elm Street: Suffer the Children is a 2005 British horror novel authored by David Bishop and released by Black Flame. This book marks the initial installment in a series of five Nightmare on Elm Street novels published by Black Flame, all connected to the American horror film franchise. The narrative centers on a group of adolescents participating in an experimental anti-insomnia medication trial who find themselves targeted by the supernatural murderer Freddy Krueger.
Plot
Alexandra Marie Corwin, a teenager struggling with self-injury resulting from her father's abandonment, relocates to Springwood, Ohio, alongside her mother, Joyce. Their new residence at 1428 Elm Street was once owned by Freddy Krueger, a serial child rapist and murderer who, after being burned alive by vengeful parents, now haunts the Dream World. Alex begins experiencing nightmares featuring Freddy, even during school hours, where she encounters Peter O'Mahoney, a bullied intellectual; Christopher Harris, an athlete burdened by his father's expectations; Heather Sutherland, a bulimic beauty queen coping with an alcoholic mother; Lloyd Reeves, a drug dealer and habitual user; and Katherine Walker, a defiant goth.
Lloyd persuades the group to skip school to participate in a compensated anti-insomnia drug trial at the Katja Institute. While undergoing the trial, Freddy assaults them within their dreams, brutally injuring Lloyd and leaving him comatose. The others learn that Freddy exploited the experimental drug to endow them with supernatural abilities and commands them to kill on his behalf or face death themselves. As they resist his demands, Alex and Peter develop a romantic relationship, as do Chris and Heather, despite concerns about familial repercussions.
Following Freddy’s murder of Kat, one member of the group betrays the others by killing Peter's father, Chris's family members, and Heather. These killings empower Freddy to manifest physically through Lloyd’s body at Springwood General Hospital. Freddy proceeds to kill patients and medical staff until confronted by Alex, Chris, and Peter. Freddy kills Chris and incapacitates Alex after she unintentionally stabs Peter, who dies remorseful for siding with Freddy. Within the Dream World, Lloyd urges Alex to perform a mercy killing to distract Freddy. Alex stabs Lloyd before being subdued by Sheriff Williams. With Peter and Lloyd deceased, Freddy retreats back into the Dream World.
Authorities in Springwood cover up Freddy's role by attributing all fatalities to Alex. Following a mental breakdown that leaves her catatonic, Alex is committed indefinitely to Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital. Freddy briefly possesses an orderly to visit her; it is revealed that Alex is pregnant with Freddy’s child—conceived when she lost her virginity to Peter while he was possessed by Freddy.
Publication
After obtaining the license to create tie-in novels for New Line Cinema's Nightmare on Elm Street series, David Bishop proposed Suffer the Children in September 2003. Eight months later, New Line Cinema approved the concept and contracted him to write a 95,000-word novel. Bishop cited inspiration from the 1980 Stephen King novel Firestarter as well as an unproduced sequel script for Nightmare on Elm Street penned by Peter Jackson. He initially faced difficulties during writing, describing his synopsis as "the instructions of a confused dyslexic with Tourette's Syndrome after too many beers."
In 2006, Black Flame reissued Suffer the Children within Ripped From a Dream: A Nightmare on Elm Street Omnibus, which also featured Dreamspawn and Protégé, two additional spin-off novels published by Black Flame.
Sequel
Bishop had intentions to create a follow-up titled House of 100 Maniacs, which would continue the story of Alex Corwin, the main character from Suffer the Children. Despite receiving favorable feedback from both Black Flame and New Line Cinema regarding Bishop’s concept, declining sales of New Line’s spin-off novels ultimately halted its release. In November 2006, Bishop published the synopsis for House of 100 Maniacs on his personal blog.
Reception
In a combined critique of Suffer the Children and its sequel Dreamspawn, Don D'Ammassa wrote for Chronicle that although neither installment was unexpected, both maintained suspense and successfully conveyed the atmosphere of their original inspiration. Reece Goodall, writing for The Boar, described the murders as "quite predictable" and expressed dissatisfaction with the cliffhanger conclusion but still regarded the book as a "solid read" featuring "generally strong" character development and a "well-crafted" portrayal of Freddy Krueger. Joel Harley’s review for Rue Morgue commended the "distinctly developed" characters and viewed the novel as a "faithful adaptation" within the franchise. Nevertheless, he pointed out that the realistic dream sequences represented a "missed chance," given what the medium could have offered, and felt that author David Bishop did not entirely succeed in capturing Freddy's voice, even though he managed to restore the character’s frightening presence.
External links
- Interview with David Bishop at Nightmare on Elm Street Companion