Matthew Corbett Meets Vincent Price in "To Slay a Dragon"

Robert McCammon's novel Speaks the Nightbird became one of my favorite books when I first read it 15 years ago. This title launched the Matthew Corbett series, ten books that span the genres of historical fiction, mystery, adventure, and thriller. In the early 1700s, Matthew operates as a kind of detective, or "problem solver." With other members of Herrald Agency, he investigates matters that include murders, worldwide crime syndicates, and even more speculative subjects.

After the release of the final book, Leviathan, in December of 2024, author McCammon generously opened Matthew Corbett's world to the public, inviting readers to create their own fan fiction. This was a surprising and welcome way to keep the series going, both because I was curious to see what other fans might have to share and because I had an inkling of an idea of my own.

Some years ago, I had watched the movie Dragonwyck, an adaptation of Anya Seaton's bestselling gothic novel, starring Vincent Price, Gene Tierney, Walter Huston, and Jessica Tandy.

 Dragonwyck is a big change of pace for people who are accustomed to seeing Vincent Price in villainous or supernatural roles. He's definitely got a wicked streak in this movie, but he's also the young, smoldering object of desire for Gene Tierney's poor, rural ingenue, Miranda. Dragonwyck was the third film in which Tierney and Price appeared together, and it's the most horror-adjacent. Unlike the book, the Dragonwyck movie features hints of the supernatural, including a family curse and a ghost.

Although the movie is set in the 1800s, Price’s character, Nicholas Van Ryn, mentions that his family has owned the Dragonwyck estate since 1630. That means there were Van Ryns at Dragonwyck in Matthew Corbett’s time. The mansion and surrounding lands are in the Hudson River Valley, not terribly far from Matthew’s home base of Manhattan. It’s possible that one of Nicholas's ancestors (who would, of course, have looked and sounded just like Vincent Price, the family resemblance being so enduring) might have hired him to solve a problem. But what sort of problem might Matthew come to Dragonwyck to investigate? Perhaps. . .a dragon?

I began to see an opening to the story: Matthew and his associate, Hudson, traveling to the house, discussing their peculiar assignment along the way, then meeting with the current Van Ryn patroon and his possibly deranged wife, and hearing a prophecy of doom. But I didn't think much further than that. After all, these characters weren’t mine to play with. I didn’t know what Mr. McCammon’s attitude toward fan fiction was. Some artists don’t allow it. There didn’t seem to by any point in continuing my plotting.

But, fast-forward four years, and now fan fiction is authorized. The details I had toyed with for a possible Corbett story still called to me, so I decided to develop them. The result is a mystery loosely inspired by Dragonwyck and infused with old dark house tropes and a dash of Wilkie Collins. With Robert McCammon's kind permission, my story “To Slay A Dragon” is now available to read on his website: https://www.robertmccammon.com/2025/07/08/matthew-corbett-fan-fiction-by-amanda-desiree/

To be honest, little of the original film made it into the story, aside from the setting and the family name (all right, and one other reference). The set design informs the layout of the house. Otherwise, considering that “To Slay A Dragon” takes place more than a hundred years before the source material, there's little room for overlap. 

Instead of the young leading man from the Dragonwyck film, I elected to base the description of my character, Dirk Van Ryn, on the more mature Price seen in the Corman and Castle films of the 1950s-60s, as this is the most familiar representation of him.

For his wife Cornelia, I chose as a model the actress Elizabeth Russell, who appeared in several of Val Lewton's films in the 1940s, including Bedlam, The Seventh Victim, Cat People, and Curse of the Cat People. 

Elizabeth Russell in Curse of the Cat People, a film set in Sleepy Hollow

In real life, Vincent Price was a collector of fine art and had studied the subject extensively. As a tribute to him, I decided to make Dirk Van Ryn an art connoisseur as well.  The character’s speech about a particular etching in his collection is Price's own description of the same work taken from a video I found on YouTube (a film intended to promote the Price art collection available for purchase from the Sears department store).

I can't remember a time when I didn't know who Vincent Price was. Even as a child, I recognized his voice from cartoons and the radio long before I actually saw him on-screen. I've always admired his work, and I'd like to think he would get a kick out of the posthumous role I’ve written with him in mind.

As for the Dragonwyck estate itself, we're told it's near the Hudson River, but no specifics are given about just where in the region it might be. For my convenience, I set the story in the Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow area because I'm familiar with the location from making numerous visits to Lyndhurst (the home of robber baron Jay Gould, a dragon for the modern era) over the years. I even think the architecture of Lyndhurst looks a bit like Dragonwyck as seen in the film.

However, I don't see Lyndhurst as the Van Ryn estate. Rather, I picture Dragonwyck a few miles distant, where Kykuit stands today. If the spot was good enough for the Rockefellers, it surely would have suited the Van Ryns.

View of the Hudson River, as seen from the rear of Lyndhurst

It's not far-fetched that Sleepy Hollow could have been home to Dragonwyck. The historic site Phillipsburg Manor was once part of a patroonship that spanned the region. As an added bonus, this setting gave me the opportunity to incorporate a couple of Washington Irving references into my story.

I don't believe it's necessary to watch Dragonwyck in order to read "To Slay a Dragon," though doing so may enhance the story. The full film is available to watch on YouTube through the Vincent Price Legacy Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERixfe5M7Q4

While it is also possible to read "To Slay a Dragon" without prior familiarity with the Matthew Corbett series, I definitely recommend exploring them. They are beautifully written, filled with memorable characters and fascinating stories.

I'm grateful to Robert McCammon for creating the marvelous world of Matthew Corbett and for giving me a chance to participate in it.

I hope you have as much fun reading "To Slay a Dragon" as I had writing it.