Inspirations - WAYWARD PINES

I'm sharing some of the books, films, and TV shows that inspired Rule of Extinction, both to provide  recommendations and to give readers a sense of what to expect.

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Blake Crouch's Wayward Pines trilogy was one of the earliest inspirations for Rule of Extinction. 

Initially, Wayward Pines appears to be a traditional thriller about a Secret Service agent investigating a missing persons case in an idyllic Idaho town. The story spirals into horror when Agent Ethan Burke encounters homicidal townspeople. As things progress, Crouch peels away the layers of the onion to reveal something much, much larger going on.

​It's difficult to say more about Wayward Pines without spoiling the surprises. Crouch has talked about how Wayward Pines was inspired by Twin Peaks, but to me, it also felt like a mix of two older TV shows: The Fugitive and The Twilight Zone. I was hooked from the start, and felt like I'd discovered a new Stephen King. ​

I loved the way Wayward Pines tells an increasingly-epic story while keeping the emotional focus on the characters. I also loved the dark tone, constant tension, and the pervasive sense that anything could happen. Wayward Pines combines the right mix of science fiction and horror for my taste. All of these aspects were in the back of my mind as I wrote Rule of Extinction (and its sequels).  

Wayward Pines was also part of the now-defunct Kindle Worlds program, which allowed other authors to publish stories within the world of a particular intellectual property. I thought this was a great idea and developed a scenario that would work well with the program. Although Kindle Worlds was discontinued in 2018, the exercise strengthened my world-building.

The Wayward Pines trilogy is the perfect blend of suspense, mystery, science fiction, and horror. Highly recommended!​