Christopher Pike

(For Kevin McFadden)

Christopher Pike is one of my greatest influences on my writing, and he is also one of my greatest spiritual teachers. I have Jeff R. to thank for introducing me to Mr. Pike with Pike's Final Friends trilogy, when I was in seventh grade. With so many things, I read those books right when I needed to. I got hooked immediately and snatched up his others; I still look forward to each release with excitement and anticipation. Some of Pike's books go for more straightforward horror/mystery/suspense--Slumber Party, Die Softly--but many if not most have healthy doses of spirituality, of questioning one's place and identity within the realms of organized religion and those “outside” boundaries where we can explore our True Selves. So many of us find guidance in unexpected corners: Who would have thought that one of the world's bestselling authors of young adult fiction would help me on my spiritual quest, that I am who I am—who many of you see me as—because of his words? And I know I'm not alone. In fact, I've talked to people who also believe that Pike's "mission," if you will, is in part to spin a good yarn but more importantly to expose today's youth to different ideas about God and mysticism, in order to help them with their personal growth. Too many writers talk down to teens; they don't really get into their skin; they observe them from above some superficial surface. Christopher Pike, however, makes these boys and girls full of complexities and flaws, hopes and failures, loves and losses. Too many moments ripple through me: Remember Me’s Shari Cooper finding out the reason for her life as she probes the mystery of her death; The Last Vampire’s Sita talking with Krishna, while he plays his flute and offers lessons that she takes with her through the ages; Sati allowing Michael--and his family and friends--to discover how they are, in fact, directly tapped into the God-Essence; Tony and Alison seeking redemption and exploring their guilt/accountability while they perform deeds that strike them where it hurts--deeds offered by the Caretaker in the Chain Letter books; the group of friends in The Midnight Club, telling each other stories to help them as they struggle with their terminal illnesses. It's funny to me how lots of organized religions try to deny the parts of people that are dark and violent and flawed. Some sects of Christianity, for example, divide life into black and white, right and wrong, adult and child, man and woman. But let's face it--we're all capable of evil acts, of granting love and generosity. We're all blurry; our life stages and decisions don't have bookmarks or chapters with definitive periods. Life’s a giant question mark! (And as my last sentence shows, also a giant exclamation point!) Pike has gotten lots of flack over the years from conservatives regarding his “extraneous” violence and gore. And, yes, not all of us get wrapped up in murder mysteries, or come back as ghosts to solve our own murders, or create elaborate schemes to eradicate the world of its remaining vampires. But we all know darkness in our Wicked Hearts; we all go on Scavenger Hunts for clues as to why we're here; we all feel Spellbound by moments that make us realize that yes, we're all connected, yes, we are not alone, yes, we can look at our pasts and use these lessons to shape us into more spiritually evolved beings. I’d like to end by saying that sometimes I wonder if Christopher Pike is indeed a Wanderer. (I won’t give away who/what a Wanderer is, but reading the Remember Me trilogy will help you with this answer.) Maybe he’s been sent back here, this advanced soul, knowing that what can be seen by the "uninitiated" as frivolous, pointless, even destructive—the young adult horror genre—may in fact be a portal to learning just Who and What and Why we are.