One Hell of a Ride

Ah…well, we’re back to the abusive mother that drives the psychopath to kill.

It should be noted, right off the bat, that Jack Ketchum’s writing is not for the faint of heart. He’s is one sick son-of-a-bitch—in the best possible way. I love his writing. Sick, twisted, raw, perverted, demented. His stories are like my worst nightmares—pumped full of steroids and hyped up on meth.

Joyride is the story of a psychopath who witnesses a couple commit a murder and sees it as his opportunity to join kindred spirits on a night of murderous terror. After seeing Carole and Lee kill Carole’s viciously abusive ex-husband, Wayne, the story’s main antagonist and resident psychopath, kidnaps the couple, thinking that they will enjoy going on a wild spree killing random innocent victims. When the couple, already traumatized by the guilt over the murder they committed, are less-than-receptive to Wayne’s ideas of fun, they too become victims in his horrific nightmare.

What I find most interesting about Ketchum’s stories is how much he uses real life events for inspiration. In the short afterward of Joyride, Ketchum talks about the two different real-life killers who inspired the creation of Wayne, as well as other people, places, and events that inspired other facets of the story. I found it fascinating to realize that almost every major element of the book was inspired by real events. Maybe that’s what makes his books feel so raw and real to me. Where another writer might have a diligently plotted story that feels… well… plotted, Ketchum’s books always feel more real to me. This is not a highly-intelligent criminal mastermind basing his kills off the artwork of Michelangelo or who can see inside a person’s mind on an almost telepathic level. This is just some sick fuck out for the thrill of the kill. And, ultimately, I think there are a lot more Waynes in this world than there are people like The Sculptor or Hannibal Lecter.

I also think Ketchum’s process is very interesting. He talks about how he keeps interesting tidbits from the news or whatnot sometimes for years, waiting for different pieces to fit together, almost like a puzzle. At some point all the random pieces start clicking together and a full story is born. I think this is a great method for story creation. I also do something similar. It’s what I like to refer to as goulash writing. I take a bunch of different ideas, throw them into a pot together and set them on the back burner to simmer for a while. Eventually, all the flavors will start to meld together. But, while I do mine all mentally, Ketchum keeps some sort of physical reminders of the various tidbits. I think this might be a better way to do it. I think having the constant visual reminder on some sort of bulletin board with newspaper and magazine clippings, notes on napkins, matchbooks from locations, business cards, and so on, may help the process.

I know I didn’t talk a lot about Joyride itself. It’s a good story. Well written, vivid, detailed, fast-paced. I didn’t particularly connect with any of the characters, but I’m honestly not sure you’re supposed to in this book. If you are looking for a sick, demented ride, look no further. But in this case, I found the story behind the story even more compelling than the story itself (everyone confused now?).