Take a journey through Darren Shan’s books and you’ll find creatures from a kid’s favorite nightmare – snake boys who perform at freak shows, invading demons, and a boy (also named Darren Shan) who sacrifices his humanity to become a vampire’s assistant.
But who is the real Darren Shan – and how did he come to write the books about vampires and other monster books that readers devour every year?
Darren O’Shaughnessy
According to his website, Darren Shan was born Darren O’Shaughnessy in London and moved to Ireland at the age of six. As a teenager, much of his time was spent writing short stories, comic book scripts, and “false starts” of many novels.
At seventeen, Darren finished his first novel, Mute Pursuit, described as a “cross between The Terminator and Stephen King’s The Dark Tower.” Intended for adults, this novel was never published, but Darren loved the writing process so much he wrote an average of one novel a year for the next several years.
This hard work paid off when Darren published his first adult novel Ayuamarca (1999), called “a cross between The Godfather and Night of the Living Dead.” Although Ayuamarca and its sequel Hell’s Horizon (2000) received good reviews, neither book sold very well.
Darren Shan
While writing his adult novels, however, Darren wrote a children’s book, Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare, which told the horror story of two boys whose lives are forever changed when they meet a vampire at a freak show. To create a sense of realism, Darren wrote the book under the same name as the story’s hero – and Darren Shan was born.
Although Darren’s agent Christopher Little specialized in books for adults, he agreed to help sell Cirque du Freak. In an October 29, 2008 author visit, Darren revealed Little was also representing another then-unknown children’s book author, who wrote a cover review for Cirque du Freak.
The author’s name? J.K. Rowling, creator of Harry Potter.
New Books About Vampires: The Saga of Darren Shan
A Living Nightmare debuted on January 2000, earning Darren legions of fans who dubbed themselves the “Shansters.” Over the next five years, Darren treated his fans to a twelve book series, The Saga of Darren Shan, which followed his namesake as he grew from a vampire assistant into a vampire prince.
Upon completing this saga, Darren began a new ten-book series – The Demonata, which details a war between humans and demons. The eighth and ninth books will hit U.S. bookstores in 2009.
According to the December 2008 issue of Darren’s Shanville Monthly newsletter, Darren’s books have been translated into 30 languages and are sold in 38 countries. Ironically, while Darren’s adult novels did not sell well, his children’s books have topped adult bestseller charts in Hungary, Japan, and Taiwan – and have sold over 10 million copies worldwide.
A Darren Shan Film
Even before Cirque du Freak was published, Warner Bros. optioned the first two books with a seven figure deal, but never made the movie.
Upon regaining movie rights, Darren sold rights to the first three books to Universal Studios in 2005. Filming began on February 2008 with a cast including Chris J. Kelly, Josh Hutcherson, John C. Reilly, Ken Watanabe, and Salma Hayek.
D.B. Shan
Darren’s success as a children’s author also breathed new life into his books for adults. In 2008, Ayuamarca was republished under the title Procession of the Dead while its sequel Hell’s Horizon will be re-released in 2009. A previously unpublished book, City of Snakes, will be released in 2010 and complete the trilogy – known collectively as The City Book Trilogy and authored under the name D.B. Shan.
In a November 6, 2008 email interview, Darren revealed scenes from City of Snakes are adapted from an unfinished book he wrote in his late teens. With this, it seems events have come full circle for Darren – whose journey from aspiring author to bestselling children’s writer has led to new found recognition as an adult novelist.
Learn more at this Conversation with Darren Shan and visit Darren on The Official Website of Darren Shan.
Find more books about monsters and creatures of the night at Great Children Books About Vampires and Ghosts, Review of The Monster's Ring, and Review of the Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh.
 |
