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?
It doesn’t seem like the rich and powerful have our best interests at heart, does it ? I’m getting a very ‘Russia, 1917’ vibe about the world right now.
What is it that makes post-apocalyptic fiction so appealing? Would the world be better off if more people read this genre?
Conflict is an almost essential part of narrative, especially in genre fiction. The post-apocalyptic element allows readers to see conflict in a setting separate from day-to-day life – same as with a lot of horror. That offers us the thrills but also the escapism.
Do you have a favourite post-apocalyptic author?
The classics by John Wyndham (The Chrysalids) and J.G. Ballard (Concrete Island) offer interesting takes on the stripping away of buttoned-down, English sensibilities after everything goes to hell. I reference Ray Bradbury in my story as well. More recently, Emily St. John Mandel (Station Eleven) and Chuck Wendig (The Wanderers) have been great reads. Utopias don’t seem as much fun, do they?
Some people like to listen to music while reading. Which song can you imagine providing the soundtrack to your story?
Mogwai with their builds from quiet to loud would be wonderful. Otherwise, Godspeed You! Black Emperor.
If you woke up in your story tomorrow, what would you do?
I’m afraid I’m more a Greg than an Elizabeth. I’ll leave it there.
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?
That’s a cool question because firearms remove the need and threat of proximity. If I was at The Deep End, I might go with a hammer. Or I’d pick up a bible, start ranting, and see if I could just become part of the furniture. That gives me a story idea…
Time to get more personal. Tell us three interesting facts about yourself.
Eeek! ‘Interesting facts’ are so subjective.
i. I’ve lived overseas for almost half my life.
ii. I love horror movies but generally hate true crime (unless David Fincher is
somehow involved).
iii. I once went to seven countries on three different continents in six weeks. I
don’t recommend it.
What do you aim to give your readers?
I hope to put my protagonists in situations where they have an inner as well as outer journey. I also enjoy exploring power dynamics a lot. I also hope to provide a fair amount of mayhem.
What are you working on now?
I have a post-apocalyptic novel that I’m sending out at the moment. And a zombie novel, an Agatha Christie/Lovecraft mash-up, lots of stuff…
Where can we find you online?
I’m on twitter for now at @l_p_ring and on mastodon at @lpring@writing.exchange .
Thanks for playing along. Good luck in the wastelands!
Cheers! I hope they still serve good beer.
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