As a lifelong horror nerd (no, really?), I'm ashamed to admit how long it took for me to "discover" the books of Jack Ketchum -- but let's just say I'm making up for it now. Although Mr. Ketchum (real name: Dallas Mayr) has been writing for about thirty years, his works have never made ANY sort of cinematic impact until recently. The first one out of the gate was Chris Sivertson's chilling The Lost, which was followed by the also-harsh The Girl Next Door. The third adaptation, Red, is still making the round on the festival circuit -- plus we recently caught word that Ketchum's Off Season would soon hit the screen. And now we have a new project to announce.

Right to Life is a story that Mr. Ketchum penned back in 1989, and here's what it's about: A pregnant woman is kidnapped on her way into an abortion clinic. Apparently the abductors want her baby. And frankly I don't want to know much more until I pick up the paperback* for myself. The movie will come from the filmmaking team of Eric Shapiro and Rhoda Jordan, whose Rule of Three is about to screen at Austin's Fantastic Fest. Says Ms. Jordan: "What's great about this book is how it works as a good, scary horror story, but it also brings the abortion issue into light. The kidnappers carry the pro-lifer argument to its logical extreme."

Yikes. Not only do I expect this indie thriller to incite a small amount of controversy ... I bet this very blog post gets inundated with opinionated viewpoints! More news on this adaptation as it becomes available. And let's keep things civil in the comments section, eh?

(* Yes, I know the book's title is Old Flames. But Right to Life is in there, trust me.)