Adam CyznerAdam Cyzner (he/him) is currently studying film and psychology (among other subjects) at Wesleyan University. He has interned at Incognegro Productions, a production company founded by Billy Porter that uplifts Queer and BIPOC voices in film/television. He loves photography especially when used to capture beautiful, organic moments in nature. Adam has danced in all styles from jazz to ballet since middle school and is currently developing his skills in contemporary choreography. Adam strongly believes in the power of storytelling that literature, dance, film, and television all possess to immerse the audience and begin a discourse.
In terms of genre, Adam loves horror and psychological thrillers that utilize strong imagery to worm their way into the reader's mind and absorb their attention with a particular interest in books that feel cinematic. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, he also adores warmhearted queer romances and seeks to improve the representation of queer characters in film, television, and books. Adam wants to find original, boundary-breaking stories, whether novels or screenplays, that involve the reader in an emotional journey while providing profound observations on the human condition and existence. He especially loves stories that are grounded in reality and incorporate a fantastical or supernatural twist to absorb the reader. |
Adam's Wishlist:
Film/TV
Books
Fiction (note that the genres and comps listed below are by no means definitive. Always love to be surprised!)
Nonfiction
I am NOT looking for:
Books That I Have Recently Enjoyed (will be periodically updated)
Film/TV
- Adam would love to see polished screenplays with strong voices and visuals for the following genres:
- Satire in the vein of THE MENU or I CARE A LOT
- Comedies that are a little bit weird or absurd
- Horror
- Mystery
- Thriller/Psychological Thriller
- Anything LGBTQ+
- We are primarily looking for feature-length screenplays at this time.
Books
Fiction (note that the genres and comps listed below are by no means definitive. Always love to be surprised!)
- Graphic Novels with strong adaptation potential - bonus points if they feature LGBTQ+ characters or create a sense of nostalgia
- Some of my favorites include THE PRINCESS AND THE GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH by Deya Muniz, the GARLIC duology by Bree Paulsen, and HEARTSTOPPER by Alice Oseman.
- Children's books (picture books, early readers, chapter books) that are strangely whimsical and/or have dark undertones
- Comp: THE SKULL by Jon Klassen, SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS by Lemony Snicket
- Anything Weird Queer that is totally bonkers but still grounded.
- LGBTQ+ Romance (though I love a queer romance as a subplot in any book)
- Comps: RED, WHITE, AND ROYAL BLUE by Casey McQuiston, MILO AND MARCOS AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Kevin Christopher Snipes, THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END by Adam Silvera
- Paranormal mysteries where the line between the supernatural and reality is blurred
- Comps: Books by Jennifer McMahon and Simone St. James
- Contemporary Mystery/Thriller with strong control over the reveal of information, potentially unreliable narrators, and unpredictable twists
- Comps: MIRACLE CREEK by Angie Kim, books by Ruth Ware, THE GUEST LIST by Lucy Foley
- I especially love Multi-POV stories!
- Light or contemporary SFF novels that are grounded in reality
- Comps: MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig, HOUSE ON THE CERULEAN SEA by TJ Klune, WE ARE THE ANTS by Shaun David Hutchinson
- Horror with strong imagery that maintains tension and prioritizes atmosphere, narrative, and characters over excessive gore
- Comps: WHAT MOVES THE DEAD by T. Kingfisher, WHERE DARKNESS BLOOMS by Andrea Hannah, SLEEPING BEAUTIES by Stephen King
- I would love to read some Social Horror!
- Stories about twisted and/or unusual motherhood
- Comps: THE PUSH by Ashley Audrain, THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD MOTHERS by Jessamine Chan, THE BABADOOK
- Literary or upmarket fiction that skillfully reveals the cracks within a seemingly perfect suburban landscape
- Comp: LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE by Celeste Ng
- Stories that provoke an existential crisis or make the reader ponder broader philosophical questions
- Comps: MONK & ROBOT by Becky Chambers, THE HUMANS by Matt Haig, SOUL
- Stories focusing on mental health with a potential supernatural/fantastical twist
- Game Show, Reality TV, or Competition stories that straddle the border between grounded and absurd/fantastical
- Comp: THE CANDYMAKERS by Wendy Mass
Nonfiction
- Graphic Novels about history and/or culture as well as Graphic Memoirs.
- Psychology books that make complex theory/phenomena accessible to a general audience
- Memoirs that are unique and/or "out-of-the-box" (or perhaps even eccentric)
- Comps: EDUCATED by Tara Westover, SOUNDS LIKE TITANIC by Jessica Chiccehitto Hindman
I am NOT looking for:
- Political/Legal/Espionage Thrillers
- High Fantasy/Science Fiction
- Clean, Heteronormative Romance
- Historical Fiction (unless it is also a thriller, mystery, or LGBTQ+ Romance)
- Slow-Paced Literary Fiction
- Stories about WWI/WWII
Books That I Have Recently Enjoyed (will be periodically updated)
- Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney
- Bloom by Kevin Panetta
- Shark Heart by Emily Habeck
- Maeve Fly by CJ Leede
- The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun