The Screaming Staircase

Last updated

The Screaming Staircase
The Screaming Staircase.png
UK cover
Author Jonathan Stroud
IllustratorKate Adams
Cover artist Alessandro "Talexi" Taini (UK)
CountryUnited Kingdom
Series Lockwood & Co.
Genre Supernatural, thriller
Publisher Random House (UK)
Disney-Hyperion (US)
Publication date
August 29, 2013 (UK) [1]
September 17, 2013 (US)
Media type Hardcover, Paperback, ebook, Audio CD
Pages384 [2]
ISBN 978-1-4231-6491-3
Followed by The Whispering Skull  

The Screaming Staircase is a young adult, supernatural thriller novel by Jonathan Stroud. It is the first book in the series Lockwood & Co. , and was published on 29 August 2013 by Random House in the United Kingdom, and by Disney-Hyperion in the United States on 17 September 2013. [1] [3]

Contents

The story is set in a version of modern-day London experiencing an event called "the Problem," ghosts which appear throughout the city at nighttime and attack the living. Agencies have been created to fend off the ghosts and protect the public for a fee. However, only certain children and teenagers have the "talent" to sense the ghosts, which they gradually lose as they reach their twenties. The agencies are run by those who have passed the ghost-sensitive age, and the agents are the youth with the talents necessary to solve the hauntings, which puts them in danger in the process.

The story follows Lucy Carlyle and Lockwood & Co., the only supernatural agency in London run by children. The agency is led by Anthony Lockwood and has one other member prior to Lucy's joining, George Cubbins. As the series progresses, they investigate and solve hauntings and find deeper truths behind the ghosts and the Problem.

Plot

A sinister Problem has occurred in London: all natures of ghosts, haunts, and spectres, who are weakened by iron and salt, are appearing throughout the city, and they are not exactly friendly. All ghosts have a "source" where they originate from, though if the "source" is destroyed or neutralised the ghost will be as well. Only young people have the psychic abilities required to see and eradicate these unnatural foes. Many different Detection Agencies have cropped up to handle the dangerous work, and they are in fierce competition for business. When the brave Lucy Carlyle joins the small but enterprising agency Lockwood & Co., which consists of George Cubbins (researcher), Anthony Lockwood (leader), and Lucy Carlyle (assistant), approximately a month later they are sued for a job gone wrong, resulting in the house of their employer burning down. So that DEPRAC (Department of Psychical Research and Control) does not close down their agency, they are forced to take on the de-haunting of the most haunted house in England for the sinister millionaire John Fairfax (owner of Fairfax Iron, an iron manufacturing company) with even odder conditions, such as no explosives.

The group ultimately survives the night and solves the mystery of the house and Fairfax, and the book ends with a celebration.

Characters

Sequels

A sequel to the book, titled The Whispering Skull , was published in September 2014. [8] [9] A second sequel, titled The Hollow Boy, was published in September 2015. [10] The fourth book in the series, The Creeping Shadow, was published in September 2016. The final book, The Empty Grave, was published in September 2017. [11] A related book, The Dagger in the Desk, was published in February 2015. [12]

Adaptations

The film rights were acquired in December 2012 by Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures, making this the first live-action project for the former. The film, titled Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase, was to be produced by Illumination Entertainment CEO Chris Meledandri. [13] However, in September 2017 it was announced that Big Talk Productions had optioned the rights to Lockwood & Co., with plans to adapt it into a television series. [14] In December 2020, the show was announced to be going to Netflix, adapted by Joe Cornish. [15] Filming began on the Lockwood & Co. television series in the week following 5 July 2021, [16] and it premiered on 27 January 2023. [17]

Reception

The Screaming Staircase has received the following accolades:

Related Research Articles

Carlyle may refer to:

The Carnegie Medal for Illustration is a British award that annually recognises "distinguished illustration in a book for children". It is conferred upon the illustrator by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) which inherited it from the Library Association. CILIP is currently partnered with the audio technology company Yoto in connection with the award, though their sponsorship and the removal of Greenaway’s name from the medal proved controversial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Stroud</span> British author

Jonathan Anthony Stroud is a British writer of fantasy fiction, best known for the Bartimaeus young adult sequence and Lockwood & Co. children's series. His books are typically set in an alternative history London with fantasy elements, and have received note for his satire, and use of magic to reflect themes of class struggle. The Bartimaeus sequence is the recipient of the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire and Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards. Stroud's works have also been featured on ALA Notable lists of books for children and young adults. In 2020, Netflix announced a TV series based on Lockwood & Co., with filming initiated in July 2021.

The British Book Awards or Nibbies are literary awards for the best UK writers and their works, administered by The Bookseller. The awards have had several previous names, owners and sponsors since being launched in 1990, including the National Book Awards from 2010 to 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karin Slaughter</span> American crime writer (born 1971)

Karin Slaughter is an American crime writer. She has written 24 novels, which have sold more than 40 million copies and have been published in 120 countries. Her first novel, Blindsighted (2001), was published in 27 languages and made the Crime Writers' Association's Dagger Award shortlist for "Best Thriller Debut" of 2001.

<i>The Amulet of Samarkand</i> 2003 novel by Jonathan Stroud

The Amulet of Samarkand is a children's novel of alternate history, fantasy and magic. It is the first book in the Bartimaeus Sequence written by English author Jonathan Stroud. The first edition (paperback) was published in September 2003 by Doubleday in the United Kingdom. The book and series are about power struggles in a magical dystopia centred in London, England, and feature a mix of current and ancient, secular and mythological themes. The book is named after a magical artifact created in the ancient Asian city of Samarkand, around which the story revolves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Maberry</span> American author (born 1958)

Jonathan Maberry is an American suspense author, anthology editor, comic book writer, magazine feature writer, playwright, content creator and writing teacher/lecturer. He was named one of the Today's Top Ten Horror Writers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gillian Jacobs</span> American actress

Gillian MacLaren Jacobs is an American actress. She is known for playing Britta Perry in the NBC sitcom Community (2009–2015), Mickey Dobbs in the Netflix romantic comedy series Love (2016–2018), and Mary Jayne Gold in Transatlantic (2023), also on Netflix. Her other notable television roles include Mimi-Rose Howard in the fourth season of the HBO comedy-drama series Girls (2015) and Atom Eve in the animated superhero series Invincible (2021–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Dockery</span> English actress (born 1981)

Michelle Suzanne Dockery is an English actress. She is best known for starring as Lady Mary Crawley in the ITV television period drama series Downton Abbey (2010–2015), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and three consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She reprised her role in the films Downton Abbey (2019) and Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marie-Louise Gay</span> Canadian illustrator and childrens writer (born 1952)

Marie-Louise Gay is a Canadian children's writer and illustrator. She has received numerous awards for her written and illustrated works in both French and English, including the 2005 Vicky Metcalf Award, multiple Governor General's Awards, and multiple Janet Savage Blachford Prizes, among others.

<i>The Graveyard Book</i> 2008 young adult novel by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book is a young adult novel written by the English author Neil Gaiman, simultaneously published in Britain and America in 2008. The Graveyard Book traces the story of the boy Nobody "Bod" Owens who is adopted and reared by the supernatural occupants of a graveyard after his family is brutally murdered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucy Hale</span> American actress and singer (born 1989)

Karen Lucille Hale is an American actress and singer. She has received various accolades, including seven Teen Choice Awards, a Gracie Award, a People's Choice Award and two Young Hollywood Awards.

William Edwin Bell was a Canadian author of young adult fiction, born in Toronto, Ontario. He lived in Orillia, Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiernan Shipka</span> American actress (b. 1999)

Kiernan Brennan Shipka is an American actress, best-known for her roles as Sally Draper in the AMC drama series Mad Men (2007–2015), Sabrina Spellman in the Netflix series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018–2020) and the sixth season of The CW series Riverdale (2021–2022), B. D. Hyman in the FX series Feud: Bette and Joan (2017), and Jinora in The Legend of Korra (2012–2014).

Kirsty Murray is an Australian author. Murray writes children's fiction with a focus on Australian history. She is known for the Children of the Wind series of children's novels. She is a recipient of the Aurealis Award for best children's fiction.

<i>The Fall</i> (TV series) German-Irish-British television crime drama series (2013–2016)

The Fall is a crime drama television series filmed and set in Northern Ireland. The series, starring Gillian Anderson as Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson, is created and written by Allan Cubitt and features Jamie Dornan as serial killer Paul Spector. It is produced by Artists Studio, and shown on ZDFneo in Germany, RTÉ One in the Republic of Ireland, and BBC Two in the UK.

Lockwood & Co. is a young adult supernatural thriller series by Jonathan Stroud. It follows three young operatives of a psychic detection agency as they fight ghosts in London, England.

Lucy Katherine Mangan is a British journalist and author. She is a columnist, features writer and TV critic for The Guardian and an opinion writer for i news. A major part of her writing is related to feminism.

<i>The Whispering Skull</i> (novel) 2015 young adult novel by Jonathan Stroud

The Whispering Skull is a young adult thriller novel by Jonathan Stroud. It is the second book in the Lockwood & Co. series. It was released on the 26 February 2015 in the UK by Corgi Children's, and released on the 16 September 2014 in the US by Disney-Hyperion. The Whispering Skull was mentioned in an article of The Daily Telegraph twice in March 2015.

<i>Lockwood & Co.</i> (TV series) 2023 British detective thriller television series

Lockwood & Co. is a British supernatural detective thriller television series developed by Joe Cornish for Netflix based on Jonathan Stroud's book series of the same name. Consisting of eight episodes, it premiered on 27 January 2023. It follows the plots of the first two books, The Screaming Staircase and The Whispering Skull. In May 2023, the series was cancelled after one season.

References

  1. 1 2 Stroud, Jonathan (9 February 2013). "Lockwood Publication Dates!". Jonathan Stroud's Blog. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  2. ↑ Stroud, Jonathan (17 September 2013). The Lockwood & Co.: Screaming Staircase. ISBN   978-1423164913.
  3. ↑ Stroud, Jonathan (25 October 2012). "Lockwood & Co news 25th Oct". The Random House Group Press Office. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  4. ↑ "Coming Up in 2013 #7: Lockwood & Co. by Jonathan Stroud". The Book Zone. 2 January 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  5. ↑ Binea, Literatwo (15 August 2013). "Jonathan Stroud – The official "Lockwood & Co." interview". Literatwo Binea & Mr. Rail. Archived from the original on 20 August 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 Stroud, Jonathan (26 October 2012). "Hello Bee! Great question - well, there are three main character: Anthony Lockwood himself, who's the leader of the agency. He's quite dashing and a bit reckless, and gets into trouble consequently. There's George Cubbins, his deputy, who's rather more portly and (you'll be pleased to know) has a nice line in acerbic comments; and Lucy Purser, who's the newest member of the group and has one or two chips on her shoulder. They all live together in Lockwood's house in London and go out to tackle ghosts..." Facebook . Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  7. ↑ Stroud, Jonathan. "Scribd". Scribd . Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  8. ↑ Stroud, Jonathan (11 August 2013). "Ask the Author". Random House. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  9. ↑ Stroud, Jonathan (25 October 2012). "Lockwood Movie Deal Announced!". Tumblr . Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  10. ↑ "The Hollow Boy, by Jonathan Stroud" . The Independent . 4 October 2015. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  11. ↑ Stroud, Jonathan (7 September 2017). Lockwood & Co: The Empty Grave. Corgi Childrens. ISBN   9780552575799. ASIN   0552575798.
  12. ↑ Stroud, Jonathan (9 February 2015). Lockwood & Co: The Dagger in the Desk. Penguin Random House Children's UK. ISBN   978-1-4481-9694-4.
  13. ↑ Kroll, Justin (24 October 2012). "Illumination, U acquire 'Lockwood' series". Variety . Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  14. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (19 September 2017). "'Lockwood & Co': Big Talk Prods To Adapt Spooky YA Detective Series For Television". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  15. ↑ Ravindran, Manori (13 December 2020). "Netflix Unveils New U.K. Projects With Sam Mendes, Rowan Atkinson, Andy Serkis". Variety .
  16. ↑ Daniels, Nia (5 July 2021). "Filming begins on Lockwood & Co for Netflix". The Knowledge. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  17. ↑ Netflix. Lockwood & Co. | Official Teaser | Netflix . Retrieved 26 October 2022– via YouTube.
  18. ↑ "2013 CYBILS AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED". The Children's Book Council. 18 February 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  19. ↑ "The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co., #1)". Goodreads. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  20. ↑ "2014 Los Angeles Times Book Prizes Winners Announced". Los Angeles Times. 18 April 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  21. ↑ "Edgar Allan Poe Awards 2014". Book Reporter. n.d. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  22. ↑ Saker, James (31 July 2014). "We Read Experience". Ronson Jewish Community Secondary School. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  23. ↑ Eyre, Charlotte (27 March 2014). "Booktrust unveils shortlist for Best Book Awards". The Book Seller. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  24. ↑ "2014-2015 Nominees & Winners". NCSLMA YA Book Award. 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  25. ↑ "Five of our books nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2014". Knight Hall Agency. 5 November 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  26. ↑ "Worcestershire's Teen Book Award winner announced". Evesham Journal. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  27. ↑ "The 2014 Inky Awards Shortlist". Readings. 25 August 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  28. ↑ "Warwickshire Book Awards". Stratford Girls' Grammar School. 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  29. ↑ "The 2015 UKYA Blogger Awards: A Whole Lot of Awesome". Once Upon a Bookcase. 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  30. ↑ "The Weald Book Award". LRC & Library. n.d. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  31. ↑ "2015 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults Top Ten". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 26 January 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  32. ↑ "clau_2016.pdf" (PDF). Children's Literature Association of Utah. 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  33. ↑ "Past winners". Nevada Library Association. n.d. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  34. ↑ Lagios, Melina (2 February 2016). "And the Award Goes To…". San Juan Islander. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  35. ↑ "Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award". Rebecca Caudhill. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.