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Psycho II
First Published: 1982 Publisher: Whispers Press Format: Hardcover |
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Summary: Twenty years after the horrific events that took place at the Bates Motel, Norman escapes from the state hospital where he had been under psychiatric care, but not before hijacking a van and leaving a trail of dead bodies in his wake. Dr. Clairborne, Norman’s psychiatrist at the hospital, fears that Norman may head to California, having learned of a motion picture in production regarding the Bates case. The doctor speeds to Hollywood, fearful that Norman will revert to his old ways in order to shut down the film. Apparently, Dr. Clairborne is correct...
Bloch: “I wondered what had old Norman been up to all this time? He’d be getting along in years now. Must be pretty damned dull for him, sitting there in that asylum; even duller if they’d gone ahead and cured him. Or thought they’d cured him. But suppose he wasn’t cured? And suppose he heard that somebody out in Hollywood intended to make a movie about him? What if he busted out and headed west? Maybe the answers would add up to a story. And writing such a story would in itself pose and answer other questions. What would Norman Bates think of a world which had become increasingly violent during the long years he’d been shut away from it? Even more intriguing, what would today’s world think of him, now that serial murders were commonplace affairs? The bottom line, of course, was whether or not readers would still be interested.”
Note: The cinematic Psycho II (1983) is not based on Bloch’s novel. Bloch offered his book to Universal Studios for consideration as a courtesy, but the studio declined, expressing no interest in producing a sequel to the Hitchcock classic. The studio had an abrupt change of heart, however, and quickly commenced work on their own Psycho II upon noting the positive reception to the news of the novel’s forthcoming publication.
Bloch: “I wondered what had old Norman been up to all this time? He’d be getting along in years now. Must be pretty damned dull for him, sitting there in that asylum; even duller if they’d gone ahead and cured him. Or thought they’d cured him. But suppose he wasn’t cured? And suppose he heard that somebody out in Hollywood intended to make a movie about him? What if he busted out and headed west? Maybe the answers would add up to a story. And writing such a story would in itself pose and answer other questions. What would Norman Bates think of a world which had become increasingly violent during the long years he’d been shut away from it? Even more intriguing, what would today’s world think of him, now that serial murders were commonplace affairs? The bottom line, of course, was whether or not readers would still be interested.”
Note: The cinematic Psycho II (1983) is not based on Bloch’s novel. Bloch offered his book to Universal Studios for consideration as a courtesy, but the studio declined, expressing no interest in producing a sequel to the Hitchcock classic. The studio had an abrupt change of heart, however, and quickly commenced work on their own Psycho II upon noting the positive reception to the news of the novel’s forthcoming publication.
Bibliography
Note: documenting editions of Psycho II proved difficult. So many "supposed" editions, especially where eBooks and audiobooks are concerned. If I could not find any, or insufficient, evidence of an edition's existence, it was not included. Some candidates even had ISBN numbers, but if a lookup in the official ISBN database did not produce a result...it was excluded from below. As a result, while the below is fairly comprehensive, any feedback regarding errors in omission or inclusion are welcome.
US: Whispers Press (Signed, limited edition); hc 1982
US: Whispers Press (Trade edition); hc 1982
France: Editions Fleuve Noir ("Psychose II"); pb 1982
US: Warner Books; pb 1982France: Fleuve ("Psychose 2"); pb 1982
Netherlands: Loeb ("De Tweede Psycho"); pb 1982
UK: Corgi ("Psycho 2"); pb 1983
UK: Corgi ("Psycho 2"); hc 1983
Germany: Heyne; pb 1983
Spain: Plaza & Janes ("Psicosis II"); pb 1983
Sweden: B. Wahlströms Bokförlag; pb 1984
Finland: Gummerus; pb 1984
Finland: Gummerus; hc 1984
UK: Crowood Press Ltd; pb 1986
UK; Robert Hale ("Psycho 2"); hc 1986
UK: Robert Hale ("Psycho 2"); hc 1986
UK: Lythway / Chivers Press ("Psycho 2"); hc 1987
France: NEO ("Psychose 2"); pb 1988
US: Tor Books; pb 1989
US: Warner Books; pb 1989
Germany: Heyne ("Super-Horror"); anth; pb 1990
Hungary: publisher unknown ("Pán Pszicho #2"); pb 1991
France: Presses Pocket ("Psychose 2"); pb 1991
??: Sunset Productions; audio 1992
Japan: Tokyo Sogensha Co; pb 1992
Poland: Phantom Press International ("Psychoza II'); pb 1993
US: Wings Books (In omnibus Three Complete Novels); hc 1993
US: iBooks; pb 2003
Spain: La Factoría de Ideas ("Psicosis II"); pb 2010
US: Blackstone Audio; audio 2011
US: Blackstone Publishing; audio 2013
Spain: La Factoría de Ideas ("Psicosis II"); ebook 2013
Czech: Baronet; hc 2014
US: Blackstone on Brilliance Audio; audio 2018
Ukraine: НК Богдан ("Психо ІІ"); hc 2022
US: Whispers Press (Trade edition); hc 1982
France: Editions Fleuve Noir ("Psychose II"); pb 1982
US: Warner Books; pb 1982France: Fleuve ("Psychose 2"); pb 1982
Netherlands: Loeb ("De Tweede Psycho"); pb 1982
UK: Corgi ("Psycho 2"); pb 1983
UK: Corgi ("Psycho 2"); hc 1983
Germany: Heyne; pb 1983
Spain: Plaza & Janes ("Psicosis II"); pb 1983
Sweden: B. Wahlströms Bokförlag; pb 1984
Finland: Gummerus; pb 1984
Finland: Gummerus; hc 1984
UK: Crowood Press Ltd; pb 1986
UK; Robert Hale ("Psycho 2"); hc 1986
UK: Robert Hale ("Psycho 2"); hc 1986
UK: Lythway / Chivers Press ("Psycho 2"); hc 1987
France: NEO ("Psychose 2"); pb 1988
US: Tor Books; pb 1989
US: Warner Books; pb 1989
Germany: Heyne ("Super-Horror"); anth; pb 1990
Hungary: publisher unknown ("Pán Pszicho #2"); pb 1991
France: Presses Pocket ("Psychose 2"); pb 1991
??: Sunset Productions; audio 1992
Japan: Tokyo Sogensha Co; pb 1992
Poland: Phantom Press International ("Psychoza II'); pb 1993
US: Wings Books (In omnibus Three Complete Novels); hc 1993
US: iBooks; pb 2003
Spain: La Factoría de Ideas ("Psicosis II"); pb 2010
US: Blackstone Audio; audio 2011
US: Blackstone Publishing; audio 2013
Spain: La Factoría de Ideas ("Psicosis II"); ebook 2013
Czech: Baronet; hc 2014
US: Blackstone on Brilliance Audio; audio 2018
Ukraine: НК Богдан ("Психо ІІ"); hc 2022