Having read James Ellroy's "Killer on the Road". The motoring public may be more familiar with Hollywoods' version of Ellroy's "LA Confidential" or his "Black Dahlia" among others. I think KOTR is most definitely the creepiest fictional book I've ever read. Stephen Hunter's "Dirty White Boys" a not even close second. KOTR was written by Ellroy in the mid 80's. 10 years earlier another James, Morrison recorded the song "Riders on the Storm", one of his last recordings. Both of these Jim's were LA kinda guys.
Some accounts say Jim of the Doors would hitch hike to Florida to see a girlfriend, others think the seedbed for the errie lyrics was 1950's spree hitch hike killer Billy Cook. Cook's spee starts in LA.
I found myself humming and singing "Riders on the Storm" and started to wonder if Ellroy was a Doors fan. After all his story is about a wacko serial killer in a van. A killer on the road. The common ground of these Jims being: LA, infatuation with death, creative art, over the top personalities, parental youth issues.
"mother I want to..." and he walked on down the hall. Ellroy's mom was murdered in LA when he was still very young. His Mom's unsolved murder having personal connections in his "Black Dahlia", a story about a sensational LA front page murder of a woman.
It may all be coincidence, these strange, LA Jims. Granted, the theme has been popular in LA (Hollywood). The HBO series the Hitcher, a 50's Hitch Hiker, and modern version of different hitch hiker themes. All killers on the road. It's weird and creepy stuff that just leaves your brain...uh, sorry, squirming like a toad. Why does it sound so silly when I write it?
