A little about Eric S. Brown....................
Eric S. Brown has been writing
since March of 2001. He has had over 85 fiction acceptances by places like Story House,
Eternal Night, Bloodlust UK, Wicked Hollow, Burning Sky, Black Petals, Dark Angel Rising,
etc. Eric is also co-author of the chapbook BAD MOJO being released this April by
Undaunted Press, book reviewer for the Haunted, a member of the HWA, the author of 20
accepted articles, and has been an editor for The Swamp, Alternate Realities, and The
Smoky Mountain News. Now he edits and publishes his own print magainze Night Shopping
which is available for sale at www.geocities.com/nightshopping.
Eric is 27 years old and lives NC with his wife
Shanna and their cat Howard.
Some fiction on the web now: www.horrorfind.com, www.wildchildpublishing.com, www.demensions.com (up soon), www.bewilderingstories.com
(issue 8), www.blackpetals.com,
and the list goes on. And he will have a story in the 19th issue of Eternal Night e-zine
this November, plus new tales in print at Macabre issue # 1 and Black Petals again in Oct.
1. How did you get into writing horror?
I have been a sci-fi fan all my life and have always dreamed of being a writer like
Timothy Zahn or David Drake (the kings of military sci-fi). However, I had no faith in
myself what so ever and didn't even try to write for real until I was 26. Around Feb of
2001, I realized I wanted to give it a shot before I died and sent off tales to both Black
Petals and Burning Sky. On March 18th, of 2001, I got acceptance letters from both places
at the same time. Both paid only in copies but I was so excited there are no words for it.
So I kept on writing from that point and haven't stopped and in the process discovered
that Horror not Sci-Fi was my true love.
2. Did you have any publishing or writing background before you started on
your horror fiction career?
At the time of my first acceptances, I had NO experience what so ever!! As time progressed
though, I have learned as I went along. By the time I had around 13 tales accepted, I was
also editing for Alternate Realities, The Swamp, and large local paper called the Smoky
Mountain News. I believe these experiences of seeing the writing world from the other side
certainly helped me a great deal and not only gave me editing credits to add to my cover
letters but also taught me that I am writer not an editor. I liked editing but it felt
more like a job than writing. Being a writer is who and what I am and so much more than a
job. Writing is a dream and the love of my life.
3 . Some writers get their ideas from dreams, from everyday life or things
just pop into their heads, how do you come up with ideas for your fiction?
Most of the time, things just pop into my head. Some times I do write from my dreams too
though or from life experiences. Recently, I had an aunt that I was extremely close to die
of an unexpected heart attack. It tore me up inside and made me feel terrible but at the
same time her constant faith in God made me write a tale called "The Return"
about person completely opposite of her and how that person faced the return of Jesus.
4 . Any formal training, such as college or writing classes, editing
magazines or such?
No, not really. I went to college for a while but dropped out to write. I don't regret it
for a second. I may not be rich or famous, but I am published, have my first book coming
out, and am living my dream. And again, my time editing for the zines I discussed above
also helped me a lot.
5 . What authors do you draw inspiration from?
GREG GIFUNE. I love that man. He is one the best of the writers in the genre today and
beyond that he is DANG nice guy. He has taught me alot and been so very supportive of me
in so many ways. In fact, it was a story he had at House of Pain long ago that brought me
to you and introduced me to your great 'zine. I also love H. P. Lovecraft just like almost
every horror writer out there and I like people Dan Simmons and Robert McCammon.
6. How does life in general effect your writing?
Well, It's a struggle sometimes. It intrudes on my obsession of being published and being
remembered. That's why I write by the way, not for the money, but for the hope that years
and years from now someone will read one of my tales and say "Eric was a pretty good
writer, he gave it everything he had" long after I am dust. And of course that money
is a struggle too. Unless, they're Stephen King NEVER believe anyone who tells you they
write fiction just for the cash.
7. Since you write some great horror fiction, you must love the genre. Any
favorite films or books that help you along?
Well, thanks for the "great" thing. I
do hope people like my little tales of darkness. And yes, I a huge list of inspirations.
The Books of the Dead which featured writers like Lansdales, McCammon, Simmons, King, etc.
are my fav. anthos. I love Greg Gifune. Down To Sleep by him and Puzzles of the Flesh by
partner in crime Jason Brannon are maybe my two fav. collections ever. OH, and as to
movies I love Dario Argento as a writer and director and worship George Romero for Dawn of
the Dead, which is my all time fav. Horror film.
8. You've recently started a hard copy magazine, Night Shopping, tell me about it!
Yes, I did just start a print zine of my own. Issue one is out and for sale now at www.geocites.com/nightshopping.
It is also available through Project Pulp and Shocklines.com as well as City Lights bookstore, www.citylightsnc.com. The
first issues features writers like Stoker winner Brian Keene, Greg Gifune, and more with
art by the likes of Mark Mclaughlin. I am very proud of it. Issue two is just around the
corner with works from Cullen Bunn, John Grover, Jon Hodges, and a new writer's first
tale. Each issue cost only $4.50 US plus shipping.
9. You've had quite a few works published on and off the internet, what's in
the future, anything coming out?
Well the coolest things are my book BAD MOJO co-written by Jason Brannon and John Grover
which is coming from Undaunted Press this April. In Oct. I have tales in Black Petals (my
fifth issue in a row) and the first issue of Christina Sng's Macabre. In Nov. I have a
tale with Jason Brannon at Eternal Night and in Dec. I will be in Aofie's Kiss and in Jan.
at Blood Moon Rising, and in Feb at Dark Angel Rising. I also just landed a tale in an
anthology that John Lawson of the Dream People is putting together that's really awesome
in concept called Flesh and Hunger. It's going to be a freakin great book. That reminds
me, I have a tale in the Oct. issue of The Dream People as well and countless other things
on-line like a tale up at Horrorfind.com now and too many others to list. And finally, I
am trying my hand a bit a journalism again to help pay the bills and am doing some
articles soon for the SMN again which also is reviewing Night Shopping issue one in an
upcoming issue of the paper.
11. A lot of people say that the horror genre in general and the violence
which it contains has an adverse effect on people , what is your opinion on that?
I agree and disagree. I think it depends on the mental state and cognitive abilities of
the reader as to whether it has a bad effect. I hope people who read my work realize that
I am not an evil person. Actually people NEVER
believe I am a horror writer when I tell them, they just think I am sci-fi nerd. Ha.
12. As a horror lover, you are probably drawn to the darker side of things,
what do you usually do for Halloween?
Halloween is one of FAV holidays without question. I started a tradition in the fifth
grade that I try to keep even today. On Halloween, I lock myself in with the greatest
horror films ever made and watch a ton of blood and
gore. I usually watch things like Dawn of the Dead, Fulci's The Beyond, Argento's Deep
Red, some fun cheesy stuff like Peter Jackson's Dead Alive or Rami's Evil Dead and always
try to watch at least one new film I have never seen before though that is getting hard to
do in this age of crap like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Sorry, but I like
my horror with a dose of the supernatural or better yet science behind the plot.
13. What do you see in the future for your work?
Well, I am working on a full length 70,000 word
collection of my best with Jason Brannon called Spacestations and Graveyards, still
writing shorts like a manic, and am considering trying my hand at a screenplay soon.
And one day I hope I can convince Greg Gifune to work on a project with me. That
would be like a dream come true. Something that Greg, Jason, and I worked on
together would have to rock just because of Greg and Jason. They are DAMN great
writers and if you haven't read them you bloody well should!!
Thank you, Eric S. Brown and good luck
to you on all your future projects!
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Last updated on 2-15-2004
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