The Medusa Touch

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The Medusa Touch is a 1973 novel by Peter Van Greenaway, which was adapted fairly faithfully into a feature film in 1978.

The novel tells the story of a radically disenchanted novelist with highly destructive telekinetic powers. Its dialogue was described in Kim Newman's book Nightmare Movies (1988) as "incredibly misanthropic". Many have now compaired the books cover to that of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks as Morlar also used his telekinetic powers to cause a jumbo jet to crash into a building. The Medusa Touch is one of several Van Greenaway books featuring the character Inspector Cherry of Scotland Yard.

The 1978 movie version starred actor Richard Burton as the lead character John Morlar. The film contains a scene where a jumbo jet crashes into an office block - as with the book cover this is reminiscent of the 2001 terrorist attacks and as such means the film, a mainstay of late-night television schedules over the years, is unlikely to be broadcast on television in the United States of America for some time to come, due to continued sensitivity over the subject matter.