Charles F. Rosenay!!! (aka “Cryptmaster Chucky”) may be better known as the producer of the Beatles conventions and festivals for over four decades. Along with musical events, he published a magazine on The Beatles called Good Day Sunshine for 25 years, and since 1983, he has organized and hosted the Beatles Tours to Liverpool for fans. For as long as he can remember, he has been asked to write a book on The Beatles, or on his adventures through the years as a Beatles aficionado, expert, and promoter. Others have encouraged him to write a book on his four decades of entertaining thousands as a professional DJ/MC. He has finally just published his first book, but it’s not exactly a Beatles book, nor is it a memoir of his experiences.

Instead, it is a pop culture book titled The Book of Top 10 Horror Lists, which collects lists of favorite monster movies, actors and other themes from 100 celebrities.

No stranger to the horror genre, along with presenting the Beatles tours, Charles is the creator and organizer of the annual Dracula Tour to Transylvania, a “vampire vacation” that brings fans to the land of Vlad the Impaler and Dracula. That spun off the GHOSTours to Europe, week-long travel experiences for lovers of the supernatural. Closer to home, Charles brings area enthusiasts on Paranormal Investigations to haunted landmarks throughout the state. He has acted in numerous horror films and shorts and was also the founder of Connecticut’s largest and scariest indoor haunted attraction, “Fright Haven,” which still operates in Stratford. So it isn’t such a stretch that horror turned out to be the theme of his book.

How exactly did this unique book come to be? For a few years, Rosenay!!! wrote an online newsletter called “National Horror Happenings,” which was read by thousands worldwide. A special feature of that column was an occasional Top 10 List from a celebrity. Rosenay!!! would invite well-known and not so well-known notables, many of whom were his friends, to contribute a list. In most cases it was their favorite monster movies. Others, however, contributed their lists of favorite genre actors, scariest scenes in horror films, funniest scary movies, sexiest scenes in horror, and so many other interesting themes. Within a short time, there were memorable lists from actors, rock stars, authors, athletes, horror icons, directors, producers, scream queens, radio and TV personalities. and other pop culture luminaries.

When the pandemic hit, all of what Rosenay!!! did, he could no longer do. A party DJ/MC/entertainer by trade, there were no social or public events where he could perform. He was no longer able to book live bands, as there were no longer gigs. All the international tours he produced and promoted for so long were now postponed. With a little extra time on his hands during quarantine, Charles started to assemble, edit, and write introductions for all those Top 10 Lists. He called on a friend, Janet Davis, also from Connecticut, to proofread what he had written and accumulated. Davis became his Assistant Editor, and the book came together. He realized that there were about 80 or 90 lists in the can, and his goal was to reach 100, which he did in just a few more months’ time.  

More than just lists, every submission was a list plus additional comments as to why the choices were made. Often hilarious, sometimes thought-provoking, but always fascinating, the lists run the gamut from fan-based opinions straight through to thesis-worthy chapters on the horrific elements in Shakespeare’s work.

There are lists from a Beatle, from a McCartney, from a Lennon(’s sister), from a Karloff, from “Star Trek”’s William Shatner, from respected thespian Ed Asner, from one of The Monkees, from a Munster, from a Woodstock legend, from a Baseball Hall of Famer, from three Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, and from many famous names one would never know were “monster mavens.”

Not to disappoint friends who have followed Rosenay!!! for years in the Beatles “universe,” the author points out that this isn’t just a “horror book,” but that it can also be considered a book for Beatles fans as it features contributions from no less than six Beatles-related individuals.

Rosenay!!! has always been a fan and follower of horror, pop culture, and Top 10 Lists, commenting, “Who doesn’t love a Top 10 List? They’re short, they’re fun, and we always want to see if our choices match. In this book, 100 celebrities reveal their Top 10 favorite monster movies and themes.” He adds, “You won’t believe the actors, singers, musicians, horror figures, writers, film-makers, artists, composers, disco divas, sports figures, and others who are horror buffs and “monster mavens!” Rosenay!!! asks, “Will your favorite horror films show up on any of their lists?“

At over 300 pages including photos and illustrations, The Book of Top 10 Horror Lists is available from Amazon and wherever books are sold. Charles Rosenay!!! has been making guest appearances at conventions, libraries and other locations to meet friends and sign copies of his book, and will continue to do so. For more information email BookOfTop10HorrorLists@gmail.com, or phone (203) 795-4737.

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