Write by the Rails Author Victor Rook announces his collection of satirical horror stories in which unwanted people are eliminated
November 1, 2014 — Watch out Black Friday shoppers. And that goes for you, too, bad drivers, distracted cell phone users, spammers, 
Internet trolls, litterbugs, horrible bosses, and more. In People Who Need To Die, the new book by award-winning filmmaker Victor Rook, the year is 2021, and people are fed up. The World Order Alliance allows selective homicides to reestablish a more peaceful society. Rook gives us a rare glimpse into his diabolical mind with this collection of satirical horror stories.
In the first short written for the collection, entitled “Black Friday Revenge,” a father seeks retribution for his son’s death by luring unsuspecting Black Friday shoppers into an abandoned warehouse. “I was inspired by last year’s news footage of real-life mall tramplings,” says Rook. “While everyone was celebrating Christmas Day 2013, I was actually writing the goriest parts of that story.”
Successive stories target more unwanted groups. “Cell Phonies was a long time coming,” admits Rook. In it, a former prison guard, a vigilante, and an app developer each come up with creative ways to eradicate obnoxious cell phone users. “All the stories have a satirical edge to them, but some, like Internet Trolls, which deals with cyberbullying, I took very seriously. I cried writing portions of that one,” adds Rook. “People may be shocked on how I handle trolls in that piece.” Another story, “Terror Garden,” in which a sweet, elderly woman deals with mean neighbors, is set in Lake Jackson, Virginia.
Reception to the new book has been very positive. “A gentleman visiting from Florida told me I was his hero at the first book signing at McKay Used Books in Manassas.” Rook laughs. “People love the title.” Pulitzer prize-winning TV critic Tom Shales lent his name to the book’s cover and describes the stories as “Clever, funny, shocking, and cheerfully vindictive.” Patricia Petitt, owner of The Man Cave in Old Town Manassas, writes in her Amazon review of the book, “I can truly say that there are many out there who have, at one time or another, had the same diabolical thoughts about the most irritating and inconsiderate people. I love that it is futuristic and that it could really happen!”
People Who Need To Die is available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and victorrook.com.
Author Bio:
Victor Rook has produced several award-winning films, as well as written and edited several books. His nature film Beyond the Garden Gate aired on PBS for four years and won two Telly awards. Recent books include People Who Need To Die, a collection of satirical horror stories; In Search of Good Times, a story about a man who believes that the TV sitcom families from “All in the Family” and “Good Times” are real; and Musings of a Dysfunctional Life, a humorous and poignant compilation of everyday mid-life musings.
Author Website: victorrook.com Email: vic@victorrook.com
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About Write by the Rails, Prince William Chapter of the Virginia Writers Club:
Write by the Rails is the Prince William Chapter of the Virginia Writers Club. Our purpose is to raise the profile of the local literary community and explore ways writers can nurture, cultivate and help that community grow. The chapter is open to published and unpublished writers affiliated with Manassas, Manassas Park and Prince William County. Membership in the Virginia Writers Club is NOT a requirement for chapter membership, but is encouraged to widen the scope of the individual’s knowledge and reach of their art and marketing abilities. Chapter meetings are held on the third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 9325 West St., Manassas. The next meeting is Nov. 20, 2014. For more information, contact writebytherails@gmail.com or visit www.writebytherails.org.
