Ghostlight Influences
Today, I want to discuss what influenced Ghostlight and drove me to write it.
"If We Were Villains," by M.L. Rio
This novel served as the catalyst for the idea. It's a mystery set in a private arts college among Shakespeare students, where one of them is murdered. The story is loaded with Shakespeare references, offering a mixture of dark academia with intriguing twists and turns.
I have Lux Adversaria papers on Shakespeare's Histories, Tragedies, and Comedies ready for release, which further inspired me.
"Dark Shadows"
The original 1960s television series, not any of the reboots or the painfully campy and mostly unfunny Tim Burton adaptation. Drawing on Gothic literature, it cleverly employs soap opera tropes to present a serialized narrative featuring ghosts, witches, vampires, werewolves, and ordinary people with complex backstories. Set in a secluded New England fishing town in decline, it managed to create a creepy and atmospheric vibe without relying on gore, a remarkable achievement. It’s more Universal Horror than Hammer, and that’s a good thing.
I also have Lux Adversaria papers on Gothic literature, soap operas, and "Dark Shadows" itself, awaiting release.
"Murder, She Wrote"
If you can take "Dark Shadows" seriously, you'll appreciate this. The cozy mystery genre, epitomized by Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, offers a less bloody portrayal of murder. Since I aim to emphasize interaction and investigation over combat in my roleplaying games, Jessica Fletcher's adventures provide a fitting influence. While Cabot Cove isn't realistically the homicide capital of the United States, because Mrs. Fletcher travels extensively throughout the series, it’s the small-town setting that resonates with me.
I've prepared Lux Adversaria papers on cozy mystery and "Murder, She Wrote" itself, awaiting release.
Quirky Small Towns
I've always been drawn to settings where peculiar occurrences unfold among eccentric characters. Whether it's Collinsport and Cabot Cove or Stephen King's Maine locales, Cicely, Alaska from "Northern Exposure," or Rome, Wisconsin from "Picket Fences," these settings have always fascinated me. If Ghostlight proves successful, I might develop a companion game centered around the isolated seaside town itself.
