Oh, The Horror Returns with Authors and a Whodunit
September 29, 2021 — Oh, how we love to scare ourselves with tales of masked slashers stalking the night. Through October, lock all the doors and unmask some thrilling stories of murder and mystery. Be sure to catch these bestselling authors and tales to make your squirm.
A slasher is stalking the library stacks!
There's a Slasher in the Stacks, and we're on a mission to help final girl Paige escape the killer's clutches. Piece together clues throughout October to unmask the slasher and claim your prize.
Here's how to play:
- Pick up a game starter kit at any branch or the Mobile Library beginning the first week of October. Follow the directions to solve the first puzzle, reveal the first clue, and continue the story.
- Each week, return to any branch or Mobile Library for a new puzzle clue and a new piece of the story.
- Collect all four clues to unmask the slasher and help final girl Paige escape.
- Reveal the slasher’s identity at any branch or Mobile Library to pick up a prize and be entered into a drawing for a slasher-themed prize basket. The winner will be announced by Nov. 6.
Mysteries, Lore and Murders: Mystifying Parts of an Ozarks Past
Thursday, Oct. 7, 7 p.m. at the Springfield Art Museum, 1111 E. Brookside Drive. Whether it be mysteries left unsolved, fascinating folklore or mystifying murders, sometimes the unknown can be captivating. Ozarks Alive's Kaitlyn McConnell will explore some of the spooky stories and historical pieces of local culture that have stayed with the region for years.
Welcome to the Final Girl Support Group
Friday, Oct. 15, 7 p.m. at The Gallery at the Gillioz, 325 Park Central East. Best-selling author Grady Hendrix ("My Best Friend's Exorcism," “The Final Girls Support Group”) welcomes you to a very special support group, so have a seat, coffee's in the back and remember there's no cross-talk. Then prepare yourself for a guided tour of the history of murder books, from bizarro 19th century Jack the Ripper fan fiction, through "Psycho" to the industry-changing success of "Silence of the Lambs." Along the way you'll encounter astrological assassins and the female authors who wrote serial killer books first. Together, we’ll try to figure out what it means that so much of publishing is about selling murder and mayhem. Books will be available for sale and signing.
Donuts & Death Q&A with Grady Hendrix
Saturday, Oct. 16, 10 a.m. at the Schweitzer Brentwood Branch Library. A fast-paced and frightening homage to one of horror's most enduring tropes, "The Final Girl Support Group" has been called "a wickedly humorous thriller." Join author Grady Hendrix and the Donuts & Death Book Discussion crew for a Q&A full of nostalgia and pop culture straight out of the VHS era. Donuts will be provided; seating is limited. Registration starts Oct. 1; call 883-1974.
Chainsaw Hearts: Chatting with Stephen Graham Jones
Tuesday, Oct. 26, 7 p.m. in the Library Center auditorium. New York Times best-selling author Stephen Graham Jones' "My Heart Is a Chainsaw" is both an ode to slasher flicks and a harrowing coming-of-age story about revenge and redemption. Jones will discuss his love for the horror genre, the way history haunts the present and how horrors can forge a heart as powerful as a chainsaw. Books will be available for sale and signing.
"Scream" at The Moxie
Friday, Oct. 29, 8 p.m. at Moxie Cinema, 305 S. Campbell Ave. #101. A subversive sendup to the slasher subgenre, Wes Craven's "Scream" was credited with revitalizing the horror genre in the 1990s and spawned a series of sequels that follow final girl Sidney Prescott. Experience the terrifying classic on the big screen during this special free presentation.