Mania

Nearly ten years ago, Lucas self-published a book called Mania. The premise is simple: in Hollywood, there's a cursed screenplay making the rounds, killing or driving to insanity anyone who tries to film it. The main character, William Ward, is the only one with the audacity, skepticism, and a big enough chip on his shoulder to attempt bringing it to life. He's a cult horror director living in the shadow of his A-list director father. Although he's made films before, completing his most recent effort gave him a nervous breakdown. Directing a film from this supposedly cursed screenplay is his comeback picture, something to prove to the world (and himself) that he still has it. Plus, he hopes the supposed curse will give the film enough notoriety to boost his career. Besides, curses aren't real, are they?

Like a lot of Lucas' early efforts, he wrote and rewrote Mania many times. He considered rewriting it again for the 10-year-anniversary, but settled for some edits and a few revisions to fix continuity errors that made it through earlier editions. No need to George Lucas myself here.

At the heart of its story-beyond the curses, ghosts, strange deaths, sexually charged imagery-lies something everyone who's ever tried to be good at something will find relatable. It's about trying to carve out your niche and make a name for yourself and prove that you can do something meaningful, even when your own personal damage and external forces are working against you. It's about struggling with one's self-worth and escaping the shadow of those who harmed you or those you put on an undeserved pedestal.

It's also a B horror movie in book form on the surface, something that has become a hallmark of Lucas' work in the ten years since the book first came out.

To celebrate the anniversary, Madness Heart Press is releasing a hardcover edition this October, complete with a brand-new cover by artist extraordinaire Don Noble, an introduction by critic and filmmaker Scout Tafoya, and some reflections by Lucas, a decade after the book's initial release.