Joe Hill is perhaps the most intriguing author I’ve come across. The son of Stephen King, Hill didn’t want to use his father’s name to succeed, so he started writing under the name Joe Hill in 1997 and didn’t publicly admit Stephen King was his father until 2007. He didn’t even tell his agent at first, because he was so concerned with making it on his own. This fact alone is enough to respect the hell out of the guy, but he’s also a very talented writer!
Locke & Key is a comic series written by Joe Hill and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez. It was recently adapted into a Netflix series which is remarkably good. It follows the Locke family: a young boy, his two highschool aged siblings and their mother. After the untimely death of their father, the mother moves the family into the Locke family ancestral home, Key House. A massive, beautiful but run-down mansion in Maine, Key House at first is a major bore for the kids. They resent being uprooted from their lives and forced to move into a creepy old house far away from their friends. They soon start discovering mysterious keys hidden around the house. With the aid of a ghost trapped in a well, the kids learn that the keys each possess wondrous powers, allowing them to teleport, leave their bodies and turn into animals to name a few.
Although Joe Hill has written some very good novels, Locke & Key stands out as my favorite of his works. The series easily could have worked as a novel, but the excellent illustrations add another level to the story that would have been a missed opportunity had it not been a comic. I recommend Locke & Key for fans of horror, comics, or anyone looking for a truly creative and original story. If for some reason comics don’t interest you, I also recommend checking out any of Joe Hill’s novels, they are all quite good.