Our next anthology, Tales from the Ruins, is going to be a cataclysmic one! It will be released on the 25th of February but the Kindle version is available for pre-order today at just 99c instead of $3.99. To celebrate the imminent publication of the first Black Beacon Books anthology exclusively dedicated to post-apocalyptic fiction, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Behold the maniacal workings of their troubled minds!
Let’s make the first question a lighthearted one...hmm...okay, got it! Is your story simply an entertaining piece of fiction or are you giving us a peek at the terrifying fate tomorrow will unleash upon us?
Humanity seems to have an unlimited capacity for finding reasons to fight each other, whether it’s ideology, religion, or territory. I’m looking at what would happen if the state broke down and private armies deteriorated into warring factions, fighting over ever decreasing enclaves under their control. To me that is a terrifying scenario, but one which seems very possible given what is happening globally.
What is it that makes post-apocalyptic fiction so appealing? Would the world be better off if more people read this genre?
I think post-apocalyptic stories are cautionary tales. They serve a similar purpose as traditional folk tales, warning us of the dire consequences of following a certain course of action.
Do you have a favourite post-apocalyptic author?
I’m going to go for Adam Roberts, and two books of his. Firstly ON, published in 2001. It has great premise. The world has shifted on its axis and the centre of gravity has changed. The surface of the Earth is now a wall with a vast, endless drop and people live on the ledges that were once the sides of mountains. The main character falls from the ledge where his village is and finds himself pressed
ganged into an army engaged in a conflict between warring Popes. The second is New Model Army, published in 2010, where a network of wireless connections, the internet and CCTV, called Pantegral, unleashes a skewed democratic form of conflict where anyone at all can take up arms and become a soldier.
Some people like to listen to music while reading. Which song can you imagine providing the soundtrack to your story?
Given the theme and location of my story it would have to be London Calling by The Clash. Also the title of my story was drawn from their album track, English Civil War.
If you woke up in your story tomorrow, what would you do?
I would probably jump in the 181 bus that features in my story and drive as far away from the centre of the conflict as possible, avoiding getting taken out by surface missiles.
There are no firearms or ammunition. You have to choose an everyday object from the home or garden as your weapon of choice—what’s in your hands?
Probable a steak hammer. It’s light and easy to carry, but it can do a lot of damage. It would be useful both as a weapon and as a tool. If push comes to shove, it could also be thrown at an advancing assailant.
Time to get more personal. Tell us three interesting facts about yourself.
I just took early retirement but up until a month ago I was a national official
for one of the UK’s largest trade unions.
I am currently training to be a tour guide. My course project is Waterloo in Time and Relative Dimension. A guided walk that looks at all sorts of connections the Waterloo area in South East London has with SciFi, Horror and Fantasy fiction.
Before all of that, I was a Chef. I have worked in clubs, casinos, hotels, and banqueting venues. I once worked a summer season in a holiday camp that was half a mile away from a nuclear power station.
What do you aim to give your readers?
I want to provoke some thought. In my story, I wanted to look at how war can dehumanise child soldiers and the ways civilians caught up in conflict find to cope.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a horror novella set in the swinging 60s. It’s called the Hurdy Gurdy Man and it draws inspiration from the Grimms’ Fairy Tale Fischer’s Bird.
Where can we find you online?
My website is www.tumsh.co.uk
In case you are wondering, Tumsh is a nickname from the Scottish Border that used to be given to anyone with the surname Turnbull.
Editor's note: David and I are almost certainly distant cousins since we both have Turnbull ancestry. The Turnbulls controlled land around the town of Selkirk. Interestingly, the lifestyle of the border families over several centuries wasn't that different from what's described in David's short story set in a post-apocalyptic London. If you'd like to learn more about the "border reivers", George MacDonald Fraser's book, Steel Bonnets, is a riveting read.
Thanks for playing along. Good luck in the wastelands!
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