A Post-Apocalyptic Interview with Adam Breckenridge

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!

Hi Adam,

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? 

Well I certainly didn’t hope to bore anyone with it but I think I was trying to get at a particular angle of the apocalypse in the story by considering the way a certain small slice of the population would be little affected by it, though of course only for so long.

What is it that makes post-apocalyptic fiction so appealing? Would the world be better off if more people read this genre?

There can be something cathartic about apocalyptic fiction, especially in the times we live in, where apocalyptic scenarios feel all too imminent. It’s worth remembering that Greek tragedy often served the function of helping Athenians cope with their own struggles and uncertanties and I think this genre can do the same for us. It can even be optimistic in its way, since it’s a genre that is pretty much always about survivors it shows us how people can always endure even through the worst. That’s something I think most people could benefit from.

Do you have a favourite post-apocalyptic author? 

I don’t know if I can single out a particular author who I see as excelling specifically at this genre, though of course there are many superb works that have been produced. Samuel R. Delaney’s Dhalgren (sort of a mild apocalyptic novel) left a profound impression on me, as did Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. And of course we can’t discount all the great apocalyptic cinema out there, especially the Mad Max films.

Some people like to listen to music while reading. Which song can you imagine providing the soundtrack to your story?

Given its natural surroundings, I’d say no soundtrack at all, or perhaps nature sounds if you’re into that sort of thing.

If you woke up in your story tomorrow, what would you do? 

Probably die. I don’t have the survival skills my hero does.

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?

A hammer. It’s lightweight and easily concealed but packs a deadly punch and might also come in handy if I needed to find some way to drive some nails into a piece of wood.

What do you aim to give your readers? 

I hope my readers come away from my work with something to think about. I’m not interested in just entertaining, I always try to go for something deeper.

What are you working on now?

I just finished up a smattering of short stories to start sending out. While I’m doing that I’ll be revisiting a novel project I had to put on the back burner for a bit because I hit a wall on it, but I think I see my way past it now. There is plenty more coming from me though, believe you me.

Where can we find you online?

I recently quit Twitter for reasons that probably don’t need to be stated (rhymes with Schmelon Schmusk) so unfortunately I don’t have much of a social media presence at the moment, but keep an eye out. I’m sure I’ll pop up again somewhere.

Thanks for playing along. Good luck in the wastelands!