Did you catch the Trump Colorado border wall remark last week? If so, you’ll like this. My good friend Rex Mannheim released an e-book satirizing recent news. Here’s a preview of one of the articles in the book, along with the titles of the other articles:
Trump Cedes New Mexico to Mexico to Justify “Colorado Border Wall” Remark
Washington, D.C. (AP) — Following his claim at a recent rally that the United States is building a border wall in Colorado, President Donald Trump officially ceded the state of New Mexico to Mexico and then denied it had ever been part of the U.S.
“Of course the wall’s going to be in Colorado,” Trump said when confronted by reporters on the White House lawn, with Marine One’s rotors churning in the background. “The United States border has always included Colorado. You people should really learn your geography.” (Read more in the book!)
New California Law Limits Wildfires to 35 a Year
Buttigieg’s “Air and Water for All Who Want It” plan met with criticism
Opinion column by Uncle Frank: Where Were the Kurds During the Hundred Years’ War?
Amelia Smith is a New England fantasy author whom I first crossed paths with at Boskone last year. She has made a name for herself writing both fiction and nonfiction. In this interview I ask Smith about her fantasy series, Dragonsfall, and its prequels. But first, here’s a quick bio:
Amelia Smith
Amelia Smith lives on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, where she’s currently beach-combing and beating the tick-infested bushes in search of her next big idea. Meanwhile, she’s working on a variety of small projects, including articles for a local magazine and a historical romance.
Deck: How long have you been writing fantasy, and what kind of training or study did you have?
Smith: I co-wrote a fantasy story with a friend of mine in our Freshman year of high school, back in the mid-1980s, and have written on and off since then. We wrote that story in longhand and passed the pile of paper back and forth each day, writing on alternate nights. I think it was pretty awful. I probably still have it somewhere but I’m afraid to dig it out. We tried it again the next year, using primitive word processors, but fizzled out before reaching the end.
I went on to Pomona College where I cobbled together a self-designed major in Ethnomusicology. I told people that it was an excuse to travel around the world and go to parties. After graduating, I moved back to Martha’s Vineyard, did some landscaping, worked retail, traveled some more, then decided to go to divinity school. After that I tried architecture school. If I’d done the architecture school one round earlier I might have stuck with it, but as it was I was thoroughly burned out on school by that point.
Deck: What led you to transition from poetry to fantasy?
Smith: Many people write poetry. A much smaller number of people read it. With fantasy, I think that there are at least as many readers as writers, and hence a better chance of finding an audience. I was tired of writing into the void and maybe I also wanted to work on something that had more substance and story to it.
Deck: Who are your biggest influences?
Smith: Growing up, my idea of fantasy was shaped by C.S. Lewis’s Narnia series, Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain series, and other mid-20th century children’s/YA fantasy. I moved on to read a pretty decent range of fantasy for grownups, but I don’t think I’ve escaped those formative influences. Before I started writing my fantasy series, I read a lot of Guy Gavriel Kay, Charles De Lint, and some Marion Zimmer Bradley, among others. Connie Willis is another favorite. These days, though, I’m much more excited about newer authors like V.E. Schwab, Naomi Novik, and N. K. Jemisin … and a bit peeved by the phenomenon of so many female authors using their initials rather than their names.
Deck: Has living on Martha’s Vineyard had any effect on your fantasy fiction?
Smith: Living on an island has been great in that it’s a small community where you get to know people complete with their overlapping webs of friends, family, and jobs. The connections holding the community together are much more apparent than they would be in a bigger place, and more typical of how humans have lived for most of our history. In cities, where there’s more anonymity, I think it’s harder to see the influence of individual personalities on the community as a whole.
We also have a lot of writers here, which makes what I do seem more normal… not that anyone here on the island aspires to normalcy.
Deck: What is the relationship between your Dragonsfall trilogy and the Anamat books?
Smith: Initially, this was going to make it one long, 5-book series, but the trilogy really can be read on its own and I think those books are stronger than the two Anamat books, which feature the same core characters in their youth.
Deck: What was the inspiration for the dragon-gods and the world they inhabit?
Smith: It was really a mash-up of things inspired by aspects of Asian- and European-style dragons thrown in with some thoughts about Indian, Greek, and ancient Near Eastern mythologies, all of which stewed together and came out as these dragon-god figures intrinsic to the land but who also have bodily forms that can appear separate from the land itself.
Deck: What do you think is the strongest selling point for readers to check out your Dragonsfall series?
Smith: This is one of those questions that I didn’t think about going in. I wanted to see what sacred prostitution would look like in a fantasy world, and I wasn’t sold on the way Jacqueline Carey did it – her religion was too much like Christianity, and it just didn’t ring true to me. I thought that it made a lot more sense with primordial, cthonic gods.
The story grew out of that. I’m told that the worldbuilding is a strong point, but it’s a slower story built around characters and relationships (none of them classically romantic) rather than an action-adventure story. That said, I do try to get my fight scenes right.
Deck: Why do you think we enjoy stories that include magic, monsters, and other elements that would be impossible in real life?
Smith: I read because I want to go places that I can’t go in real life. I like to travel to other cultures, other times in history, and even to places that never were and probably never will be. I mean, if I want to go to America I can just get on the boat and go there myself. Beyond that, magic lets us explore ways of being that we can’t get to in the world of 20th-century style realist literary fiction.
Deck: Do you face any challenges or misconceptions from the general reading audience when writing in the fantasy genre? Do you try to target readers who already “get” the genre?
Smith: So many people who don’t read fantasy think that it’s just for kids. That’s the main misconception I run into. One bookstore employee here said that she couldn’t read fantasy because it was all about men having manly adventures – obviously she wasn’t reading the same books I am.
For this series I’ve mostly tried to reach readers who already like the genre and are somewhat aware of its diversity. If I veer off into magical realism, though, I’ll also try to reach readers of literary fiction.
Deck: What led you to move away from fantasy for your next projects? Could you tell us about your progress on the romance and cookbook?
Smith: Fantasy is hard! I’m looking for a change of pace and I want to experiment with different types of writing. That said, I’ve made very little progress on any one project since wrapping up Chronicles at the beginning of the year. Now I’m exploring a concept for a semi-historical story with magical realist elements, alongside the historical romance which I may put out under a pen name because it really does fill a different emotional need.
The cookbook is a very different kind of project and is proceeding at a snail’s pace. It will probably take me at least a year to test all the recipes.
Deck: We all know the big names in fantasy — do you have any recommendations of books by current writers in the genre who may not (yet) be well known?
Smith: There is so much good stuff out there and I have a huge stack of it waiting to be read. That said, one of my favorite recent reads was The Grey Bastards by Jonathan French. The plotting is great and there’s a lot of lowbrow humor. In a completely different vein I’d like to recommend one of my critique partner’s books, Till Human Voices Wake Us, by Victoria Goddard, which is full of historical and literary references.
Most of the other recent books I’ve read that I would recommend are in other genres or were trad-published and have good legs under them already.
Deck: What do you love to do in your spare time that has nothing to do with writing fantasy?
Smith: I have two young children so that takes up most of my time. Nearly everything I do feeds into writing fantasy in one way or another, but I do try to get away from the desk. I practice take long walks, cook, and practice aikido very casually (I used to be serious about it when my spine was bouncier). I’m also learning to play guitar, just for the heck of it.
Do you like Game of Thrones? I’m a huge fan of the show. But then again, I started reading the A Song of Ice & Fire book series that the show is based on almost twenty years ago (old!). I’ve been living with these characters for literally half my life. I was curious to see how someone brand new to the world of Westeros would react to the show, especially someone who hasn’t really tried reading or watching fantasy. So I asked my mom to watch the pilot episode of the show and then interviewed her about her thoughts.
Jeff: First and most important question: what would you name your direwolf puppy if you found one?
Susan: Bob.
Jeff: What did you expect going into the show? How much had you heard about Game of Thrones?
Susan: I knew that Game of Thrones is very popular and violent. Other than knowing that this is a medieval fantasy, I did not know what to expect.
Jeff: How did it compare with the level of violence you’re able to tolerate in other shows?
Susan: I watch a lot of violent crime shows so I was able to tolerate the gore and mayhem.
Jeff: What were the most memorable moments of this episode for you
Susan: The scenes of extremely violent and wanton behavior were quite memorable, particularly when Jaime had sex with his sister. I also found it interesting when scenes of affection between the Starks were juxtaposed with scenes of murders.
Jeff: Do the Starks remind you of your own family at all?
Susan: Wasn’t there some competition between the older brother and the bastard brother?
Jeff: Yes, and also Theon.
Susan: Who’s Theon?
Jeff: How about the Lannisters?
Susan: Oh my God. Oh. Those siblings were nothing like my siblings.
Jeff: Which character or characters do you have the most sympathy for right now? Anyone?
Susan: I have the most sympathy for Daenerys because she wants to go home and was forced to marry a creepy barbarian.
Jeff: Let’s talk about that wedding for a minute. What did you think of the entertainment they chose to include in it?
Susan: It was X-rated. Nothing like either of my weddings.
Jeff: If you were the director of this episode, what would you do differently?
Susan: I might have inserted an opening crawl at the beginning, like in StarWars,to explain what was going on. I also might have skipped Catelyn’s warning to Bran not to climb, as I immediately assumed that at some point Bran would fall off a wall.
Jeff: What do you think are going to be the consequences of Bran “falling” off that wall?
Susan: I think it will lead to war between the Starks and Lannisters.
Jeff: As someone who hasn’t read the books, did you find the episode confusing?
Susan: Yes, I found the first episode to be a little confusing because in the beginning I didn’t really know what was going on. Also, there are many interesting characters, but their names are so unique that I had trouble remembering their names and keeping track of them.
Jeff: What do you hope will happen in the next episode?
Susan: I want to find out what happens to Eddard’s family after he leaves to become the right hand of the king. I would also like to see the demise of Khal. I want to know more about the White Walkers.
Jeff: If you lived in the world of Westeros, what kind of job/position do you think you would have?
Susan: I might have worked in a shop or market. It doesn’t appear that there are any social workers or customer service agents in this world, nor female bankers.
Jeff: What would your shop sell?
Susan: Yogurt, coffee, and Cheez-Its.
Game of Thrones makes its season 7 debut on Sunday, July 16. If you need to catch up, check out HBO GO; also, the first six seasons of the TV show and the first five books are on Amazon. Warning: the most recent two books in the series are a little meandering, and the sixth book may not be released until spring of 2032.
Horror author Tom Deady’s 2016 novel, Haven, has just been nominated for a Bram Stoker Award. In this interview I ask Deady about Haven, his new novel Eternal Darkness, and influences on his work. But first, here’s a quick bio from his website:
Tom Deady (left)
Tom was born and raised in Malden, Massachusetts, not far from the historic (and spooky) town of Salem. He has endured a career as an IT professional, but his dream has always been to be a writer. A passionate Red Sox fan, Tom and a friend created Surviving Grady at the start of the 2004 season. Ten years and three World Series championships later, he still blogs about the Sox. Tom has a Masters Degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University, and is a member of both the Horror Writers Association and the New England Horror Writers. Tom’s first novel, Haven, was released in 2016 by Cemetery Dance Publications. His new release, Eternal Darkness, was released in 2017 by Bloodshot Books. As always, he is actively working on his next novel.
Deck: You received your masters in creative writing from Southern New Hampshire University. Were you working on horror projects during that time, and if so, did you find that your peers gave you helpful feedback?
Deady: I had just finished Haven when I started my masters program. I was writing a “zombie virus” type novel along with a few short stories. I think I was the only horror writer in the program, so I’m not sure how receptive most people were to my work. I try to take whatever feedback I get and use it to become a better writer.
Deck: Your publicist mentioned that your new book, Eternal Darkness, is “reminiscent of the paperback horror days.” What are some works from that time that have been the most influential for you? Do you think the genre is making a comeback?
Deady: The late seventies and eighties were a gold mine for horror readers. ‘Salem’s Lot is the one that really got me started, but there were so many greats back then. The Keep by F. Paul Wilson, Ghost Story, of course, all the rest by King and Koontz, The Cellar by Richard Laymon. I could go on and on!
Deck: Your book is set in the fictional town of Bristol, Massachusetts. How has living in Massachusetts influenced the setting of this book?
Deady: New England has a rich history in horror. The Salem witch trials, Lizzie Borden, the Boston Strangler, the Bridgewater Triangle…how could it not be influential! I grew up in a small neighborhood in Malden, MA. If you visit there now, it’s almost as city-like as Boston, but when I grew up, it felt a lot like Bristol.
Deck: What do you think is the strongest selling point for readers to check out Eternal Darkness?
Deady: I know the vampire sub-genre is a well-worn trope, but I hope I’ve added something new to it. It’s a classic vampire tale with some attempts to legitimize the vampire through science. Make no mistake, they are brutal creatures, but what I’ve tried to do is make the reason they could exist more believable. That, to me, makes it scary.
Deck: What do you think you learned during the writing of your first novel, Haven, that had an effect on Eternal Darkness?
Deady: Well, Haven was written in fits and starts over a fifteen-year period. I wrote a lot of scenes out of order and with a long novel like that, it was very frustrating putting it all together. Obviously, I learned NOT to do that! I still don’t outline, but if I do write a scene out of order, I at least have an idea of how I’m going to get there.
Deck: You had different publishers for Eternal Darkness and Haven, and you self-published your novella Grando’s Traveling Sideshow. What are the advantages of taking these different approaches to release your work?
Deady: I’m not sure if there really are any advantages, it’s just the way it worked out for me. I self-published Grando’s and a short story called The Lake just to get my name out there and start building a platform. When Cemetery Dance offered me a contract for Haven, it was a dream come true. I saw the open call for Bloodshot Books just as I was finishing Eternal Darkness and decided to give it a shot. My intention was to publish a book in between the two because I think they have similarities – both coming-of-age, small town boys, set in the seventies – but the timing worked out and I wanted to work with Bloodshot.
Deck: What keeps you up at night? Do you think that confronting the weird and monstrous in fiction helps us confront the mundane terrors of the real world?
Deady: The only thing that used to keep me up at night was worrying about my kids. Since November, a lot keeps me awake at night. To answer the second part of the question, I think any fiction reading or writing is a form of escapism. That being said, I do find writing horror to be cathartic.
Deck: Do you face any challenges or misconceptions from the general reading audience when writing in the horror genre?
Deady: Absolutely! I think it’s a stigma that all horror writers face. People seem to associate the entire genre with the worst or goriest horror movie they’ve seen and just assume that all horror is like that. I’ve seen writers label their work as “thriller” to avoid the bias against horror.
Deck: What’s next for you?
Deady: I am negotiating a contract for a new novella that I’ll be announcing soon. It’s still horror but doesn’t have any supernatural elements…maybe I should call it a thriller? I also have my first attempt at YA horror with my editor, I’ll be looking for a home for that one next.
Deck: We all know the big names in horror and dark fantasy — do you have any recommendations of books by current writers in the genre who may not (yet) be well known?
Deady: Two years ago I would have said Rio Youers, Josh Malerman, and Paul Tremblay, but now everybody knows those names. Ben Eads is one to watch; his debut Cracked Sky was a Stoker finalist. John McIlveen’s Hannahwhere was just brilliant. Same for Bracken MacLeod’s Stranded. There is a lot of talent in the horror genre these days!
Deck: What do you love to do in your spare time that has nothing to do with dark fiction?
Deady: Other than spend time with my family, running is what I love. Aside from the health benefits, it really clears my head. I’ve worked out many a plot while on the treadmill.
Deck: Who are your biggest influences?
Smith: This is one of those questions that I didn’t think about going in. I wanted to see what sacred prostitution would look like in a fantasy world, and I wasn’t sold on the way Jacqueline Carey did it – her religion was too much like Christianity, and it just didn’t ring true to me. I thought that it made a lot more sense with primordial, cthonic gods.
Deck: What do you think you learned during the writing of your first novel, Haven, that had an effect on Eternal Darkness?