Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is an iconic film with quite the legacy. Leatherface and his whirring chainsaw have earned a spot in pop culture among other great slashers like Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees. While it famously inspired various horror films, it also introduced an extremely controversial book, Off Season, from the award-winning horror author Jack Ketchum.
The late Jack Ketchum is a horror veteran, who Stephen King refers to as "the scariest guy in American." Ketchum has a reputation for pushing boundaries in the genre. It's a trait he shares with Hooper. When Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre debuted in 1974, it caused quite the frenzy. While the film's violence and masked killer delighted horror fans, general audiences pushed back against the disturbing content. Several countries and handfuls of theaters banned the movie due to complaints.
The film's divisive reception also captured the attention of Ketchum. The author cited The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, among other films like Night of the Living Dead, as an influence for his 1980 horror novel Off Season. The story follows a group of New York friends who travel to Dead River, Maine, for a vacation to escape the city. However, unbeknownst to them, a cannibalistic, inbred clan resides in a nearby cave -- and they are hungry. That night, the group is brutally attacked one by one.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre's influence is apparent in the novel's theme, which explores cannibalism and backwoods-terror. Much like Hooper's film, Off Season was highly controversial and often panned as "torture porn." The critical reaction was so intense, the publisher, Ballantine, stopped supporting the novel. Despite strong sales, Off Season was withdrawn from circulation after the first printings sold out. Almost two decades later, in 1999, Cemetery Dance Publications picked up Off Season for re-publication. The book released as an "unexpurgated edition," featuring the gore Ballantine made Ketchum take out and his original, albeit bleaker, ending.
Along with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Ketchum drew from the Scottish legend of Sawney Bean. In the 16th century, Alexander "Sawney" Bean headed a 45-member clan rumored to have murdered and cannibalized over 1,000 people. Although it's said King James VI caught and executed the clan, there is not enough evidence to support the story. As such, Sawney Bean remains folklore known for inspiring Ketchum's book and a variety of films, including Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre might not be Ketchum's only inspiration, but it was undoubtedly significant. At the very least, Ketchum and Hooper have a lot in common. Both broke into the horror scene with debut work that caused waves and called attention to the backwoods subgenre. While The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Off Season were initially met with extreme criticism, both became some of the most influential stories in horror.