The Silver Scream - by Roy Merkin & Spencer Charnas & Andrew Justin Smith

Book Synopsis

They say it's hard getting into the movies...try getting out! The Silver Scream is a chilling mash-up of true crime, horror homage, and gonzo reportage, cutting to the bloody core of America's most shocking pop-culture nightmare: Spencer Charnas, the rock star turned cinema-copycat killer.

Bayonet Award-winning journalist Roy Merkin reveals the grisly details through the lost journals of disgraced psychotherapist Dr. Ian Black, reconstructing the descent from fiction to fact as Charnas allegedly transformed classic slasher kills into real-life atrocities.

Part autopsy, part director's "cut," The Silver Scream is a razor-sharp excavation of obsession, violence, and the blurred line between art and murder.

About the Author

Roy Merkin is the Bayonet Award-winning journalist America trusts. Fearless, hard-charging, and unrelenting, Merkin stops at nothing to dig through the dirt, grime, and mud until he's touched the deepest insides of a story. An expert in Criminology, Serial Killers, True Crime, and Podcasting, with a Bachelor of Arts in Disruption and Music Therapy, from the prestigious University of Farmington in Michigan, Merkin's tenacious reporting on the Spencer Charnas case riveted viewers. He is the author of three other books, including Make-Up and Murder: The Colorful Kisses of the Lipstick Killer; Ghosts of the Appalachian Hill People; and The Devastation of Divorce.

Spencer Charnas is the lead vocalist, songwriter, and creative force behind the horror-themed metal band Ice Nine Kills. Born and raised in Swampscott, Massachusetts, he combined his lifelong love of horror films and heavy music to create a uniquely theatrical style know as "theatricore."

As the mastermind behind The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood, Spencer transforms classic horror into sound and story, blending cinematic storytelling, metal energy, and dark humor. His work bridges the worlds of music and horror, earning him recognition as one of modern metal's most inventive and visionary artists.