John Milas's "The Militia House"

John Milas is the author of the new novel The Militia House. He enlisted in the US Marine Corps at age nineteen and subsequently deployed to the Helmand Province of Afghanistan in support of OEF 10.1. He was honorably discharged from active service in 2012.

After his discharge, Milas earned both his BA and MFA in creative writing. As a student, he studied with writers such as Marianne Boruch, Roxane Gay, Brian Leung, Robert Lopez, Terese Marie Mailhot, Julie Price Pinkerton, Donald Platt, Sharon Solwitz, and others.

Here Milas dreamcasts an adaptation of The Militia House:

My debut novel follows a small team of US Marines deployed to Afghanistan in 2010. The characters are already exhausted by their jobs, weary of each other, and disillusioned by the course of the War in Afghanistan when their routines are interrupted by a haunted house near their current duty station in the Helmand Province. Imagine John Cena acting in The Marine. Now imagine the opposite of that, in addition to ensuring that all of the actors are younger than what we're used to seeing in war films and you're approaching what would be more realistic for an adaptation of my book. We can cast some celebrities, but please no pro wrestlers.

I see a young Peter Sarsgaard as Corporal Loyette after his role in Jarhead, but here he would need to play it cold and bitter and he would need to be younger than he was in Jarhead.

For Blount I envision Dustin Diamond as Screech in a USMC uniform, shaved head and southern accent included.

When I wrote Johnson, I saw Denzel Washington as Peterson from A Soldier's Story, but quiet and seething rather than explosive. However, as Washington was in his late twenties for said role, he would still need to be several years younger for The Militia House.

Jason Isaacs from Black Hawk Down would be perfect for Staff Sergeant Rynker. All he needs to do is take one look at you and you know you're screwed.

I'll finally go with someone current in selecting Erica Hernandez from True Lies (the series) as the lieutenant, but if we stick with fantasy casting then a young Michelle Rodriguez for sure.

I hope these actors don't see this and think I'm implying that they're all old now!

As a bonus, Rob Riggle would obviously have to play the crazed artillery captain as a former Marine Corps officer himself, but with the arrogant, hilarious energy from his role in Step Brothers. I think comedy actors performing in horror films is an interesting way to get viewers off balance from the start.

I'm sure everyone out there wants this guy to direct their horror novel adaptation right now, but I'd go with Ari Aster for sure. His films have been original scripts so far, but I'd be confident in letting him go in his own direction with an adaptation of my book. I know he would at least get the ending right.

Visit John Milas's website.

Q&A with John Milas.

--Marshal Zeringue