Interview: Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond

Kirstyn McDermott and Ian Mond are the first duo of editors at the helm of Midnight Echo, the Australian Horror Writers Association's (AHWA) new fiction e-zine. Both are AHWA committee members and have a long involvement in Aussie horror, spanning back to the days of the Australian Horror Society. Both are noted writers in their own right, with Ian best known for his Dr Who short fiction, while Kirstyn has been nominated for a number of awards for her horror short stories.

HorrorScope: How would you compare the horror genre today with the mid-90s?

Kirstyn McDermott: It's different today, naturally. There are a lot less novels being published under the label of outright horror - but then, I don't think we really need another spate of glossy black spines sporting drippy red letters, do you? That particular market seems to have migrated to film quite successfully - its natural medium, one can argue - and probably doesn't need a second go round in print. Fictionwise, I think there is less opportunity for publication in both the mainstream and the small press, especially for new writers. I don't see this as necessarily a bad thing, as it should mean that the fiction which does make it to print is of a better caliber these days. I'm not entirely sure that is the case sometimes, but I do know that there was some godawful dross being published in the 90s. Some absolutely brilliant stuff as well, of course, but oh boy, was there dross! To be honest, I'm not entirely comfortable with "then and now" comparisons. The past is always too easily distorted by memory, and the present is often impossible to analyse with any precision. I prefer to consider the continuum: I loved reading horror back then, and I still love reading horror now. Some of my favourite books and authors came out of the 90s, but I'm also still excited about the genre and the possibilities it presents today. It's very much a living genre.

Ian Mond: As Kirstyn says, I really think it’s hard to make the comparison. For me, the current horror scene is very new and fresh and still developing and while there’s lots and lots of excitement, it simply doesn’t match what happened in the early 90s.

In the early 90s, horror in Australia went gang-busters following the so-called horror boom in the US. In the US, you had Cemetery Dance and Subterranean Press releasing works by authors like Joe R Lansdale, Ed Gorman, Edward Lee, and Poppy Z Brite. At the same time, Dell brought out its Abyss line of books, which featured authors like Kathe Koja, Skipp and Spector, and Brian Hodge. As a result, Australia tried to emulate the US – on a much smaller scale. From memory, there was talk of an Australian line of horror novels – and even a few published by authors like Graeme Hague (remember him?) whose books were marketed to look exactly like a Dean Koontz novel (but nowhere near the quality). And of course, there was Bloodsongs, a brilliant, confronting Aussie mag that tried its best to put Australian horror on the map. But when the horror market collapsed in the US, taking the Abyss line with it and a number of magazines as well, the same happened in Australia. Bloodsongs was sold to the US and horror novels by Graeme Hague stopped being published.

Since then, horror in the US and Australia has mostly been dead. It’s only recently that we’ve any spark of life in either markets. Leisure Books is out there publishing a line of horror novels, some of which are UK reprints, and many are from authors who’ve been around for 15 years, like Ray Garton, Graham Masterton, and Douglass Clegg. And in Australia, the hard work of people like yourself and Marty Young has opened the possibility for a second horror boom in this country.

What do you miss most about horror in the 90s?

KM: Mostly things of a personal nature. People I knew back then who've since disappeared from the scene and/or my life, certain quirky little fanzines that floated around, those sometimes insane AHS (Australian Horror Society) meetings at the Moari Chief Hotel, those sorts of things. Truthfully, I don't spend a hell of a lot of time reminiscing about the past. I’m far too interested in the present, and what is being produced right now, to worry too much about what was.

IM: I’ll definitely miss the wackiness of the AHS. Wow, were those meetings at the Moari Chief Hotel surreal. I miss the larger and life personalities, chats about Bob and the Church of the SubGenus, and rallying against censorship (which amongst the group was the most terrible thing in the world). It’s where I met Kirstyn (who rudely fooled me into critiquing one of her stories without telling me who she was. Thank God I liked it) and we’ve been friends ever since. On reflection, it was all probably a bit immature and silly. But it was enormous fun as well.

Are we headed for another bust similar to that which bankrupted Aussie at the end of the last millennium?

KM: Well, I don't think we've actually had a "boom" yet, so we can't be about to head into a "bust"! The genre is certainly in an “up” phase at the moment, but I don’t think we’re anywhere near the sort of hysteria that was the 1990s. The current glut of epic fantasy is probably closer to being at that stage than horror/dark fiction is. This may sound a little simplistic, but a good indicator of where a genre stands is the remainder bins and discount bookstores. Back in the late 90s – the horror “bust” if you like – the remainder bins were full of horror novels. You know, the kind of “4 Books for $10” sort of thing. I remember buying heaps of those books, most of which have been summarily dismissed from my shelves since. These days, those remainder bins seem to hold a lot of epic fantasy, crime, and what is rather dismissively termed chick-lit, but very little horror or dark fiction at all. Which, I guess, could be taken as a good sign for the genre.

IM: There’s really not much I can add to what Kirstyn has said. I think horror, both here and overseas, is just beginning to find its feet again. The great thing is that there’s no rush from anyone to push horror along and make it BIG. The decision to publish Midnight Echo only came after we were certain that the AHWA would be a goer, in terms of membership, and that there was an audience for the work we wanted to publish. And this means that the boom, if and when it comes, will be a gradual thing with a proper foundation, rather than a sudden, unsupported surge of unfounded popularity.

How did Midnight Echo come about and what do you hope to achieve with it?

KM: It was Marty Young’s idea – blame him! Seriously, it’s been something that Marty – along with quite a few of us other committee members – has always wanted the AHWA to be able to do some day. We debated the practicalities towards the end of last year and decided the time was right. What do we hope to achieve? Well, to produce a damn fine magazine for a start! We’re also committed to Midnight Echo being very much a community project, hence the rotating editorial teams. Different people at the helm will mean that each issue will have a different flavour and focus, without being constrained by the tastes, opinions, and preferences of only one or two particular editors all the time. It also means that the chance of longevity for Midnight Echo is higher, as editorial burn-out shouldn’t ever be an issue. The AHWA sees Midnight Echo as a way to really showcase where the genre is today – in the short form, at least – with an emphasis on Australian writers, of course!

IM: I agree, blame Marty. His passion for seeing horror take off here in Australia is addictive and you can’t help but want to get involved. Initially, I think Marty was going to edit the first issue, but I think he realised that he had too much on his plate and so he asked if the two of us would give it a go. So, it’s a real privilege to be working on the first issue of what I hope turns out to be a mainstay in Australian Horror fiction. And, it’s great fun working with Kirstyn. It makes me all nostalgic for the old days.

What are you looking for in a 'Midnight Echo' story?

KM: To put it simply: Very Good Stories. That’s what every editor is after, right? Neither Ian nor myself have a particular “wish-list” of the types of stories we want. As long as they keep our interest to the final page, it doesn’t matter which part of the genre they fall within. Scare us, disturb us, make us laugh or just creep us out: we are open to just about anything as long as it’s well told. Speaking for myself – with and without my editor’s hat on – I like reading stories that I wish I had written. Make me envious of your work, and there’s a good chance I’ll arm-wrestle Ian to make sure your story is accepted!

IM: It’s very hard to answer this question without speaking in generalities and clichés. As Kirstyn says, the most important thing is a good story. But we’re also finding that we’re drawn to the stories that also show some ambition and don’t just rely on the tried and true horror tropes. But mostly, it’s all about good storytelling.

Do you have any tales from the slushpile or tips for submitters?

KM: People, use your spell-checkers! The amount of subs we get from writers who haven't even bothered to run a basic spell-check on their file before sending it through to us is somewhat disappointing. It's a small thing, I know, but it demonstrates a lack of care and attention on behalf of the writer, which more often than not extends to other elements of the story. Oh, and never be afraid to cull your adjectives – some stories are positively infested with them. I’m a huge devotee of style (not necessarily over substance but sometimes it can come close), so when I’m choking on the adjectives and adverbs, you know you’re in trouble.

What was the rationale for opening Midnight Echo to international submissions?

KM: There are enough small press magazines in this country that restrict themselves to Australians only. That’s fine, but we didn’t want to do that. Quite simply, we want to publish the best stories that we receive, no matter where the author comes from. We will seek to emphasise Australian writers – and if forced to choose between two equally good stories, we’ll accept the Australian one every time – but we’re not going to reject a really kick-ass story just because it comes to us from foreign shores.

As AHWA committee members, are you happy with the Association's progress?

KM: You know, I really am. We've had more members join in our first two years than we thought we'd get in five, the AHWA Mentor Program was launched last year to great success, and is running again this year, and I believe we're creating a real sense of commmunity among Australian writers, editors, and fans of horror and dark fiction. Marty Young in particular works his butt off with AHWA projects and ideas and it is largely thanks to him that the Association has come as far as it has so quickly.

IM: Like Kirstyn, I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved in such a small space of time. I’ll be honest and say that editing Midnight Echo is my first real contribution to the AHWA. As a committee member I’ve made the odd suggestions, and I was the Treasurer for a small period. But this is the first time that I really feel involved in the community. Over the last year, the AHWA has seen a real development in terms of membership and the sorts of resources it provides to writers and publishers and the general fan of horror in all its forms.

A lot of the thanks and pats on the back have to go to Marty, who deserved his Ditmar nomination.

What more can we expect from the AHWA in coming years?

KM: With sales of dark fiction beginning to take off again in Australian bookshops, we're planning to generate a lot more publicity within the mainstream media and to bring greater public awareness to this often maligned genre of ours. We hope to see more Australian names sitting alongside the Stephen Kings and Laurell K Hamiltons on the shelves of Australian booksellers.

IM: Creating a genuine sense of community amongst Australian horror writers. It’s what was really lacking during the boom period of the 90s.

What about your own writing - what are you working on right now and what can we expect from you in the next 12 months?

KM: I'm working on a dark fantasy novel about which I'm yet to come up with a one line summary, and hope to have the first draft done by the end of the year. I keep telling myself to stop writing short stories and concentrate on the novel, but my constantly-creative brain keeps taunting me with intriguing new ideas, so there will probably be several shorter pieces floating around as well.

IM: Over the last couple of years, I’ve written a number of Doctor Who short stories for Big Finish in the UK. In fact, I have two stories coming out this year, one of which should be out by the time this interview is published. Other than that, Midnight Echo has given me the urge to get back to writing original short fiction. And like everyone on the planet, I’ve got this idea for a novel banging about in my head.

Who are your favourite authors?

KM: This is always a hard question, as the my list of "favourite" authors is in a state of constant flux. But today I shall nominate Caitlin R Kiernan for style and strangeness, Stephen King for sheer ambitious grab-you-by-throat story-telling, Joe Hill and Neil Gaiman for poignant flights of imagination matched with near-faultless technique, and Shirley Jackson because no one can capture the feeling of not-quite-right the ways she could.

IM: Stephen King, first and foremost. His recent novel, Duma Key, is one of his best pieces of writing since Hearts in Atlantis. Since the accident, his stories have become more emotionally honest and character-driver. And while I think Lisey’s Story was a major disappointment, I don’t think Stephen King has lost the knack of telling a damn fine and scary story. He’s a genius.

Other than King, I highly recommend Robert Shearman – who was a recent guest at Swancon. His short story collection, Tiny Deaths, is simply magnificent and one of the best books I read last year. Rob’s brilliant at making you laugh and giving you the chills in the same story.

And while I’m at it, all horror fans should read Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. I’m not a fan of post-apocalyptic novels, but this one is just astonishingly good. It’s an intense reading experience and will get under the skin of the most devout horror fan.

Who are the Aussie authors to watch?

KM: I really love Kaaron Warren's work. Her short stories are the perfect blend of the weird, the creepy and the utterly beautiful, and she is a gorgeous stylist as well - so all my buttons are well and truly pressed! Ben Peek does incredible, indefinable things with words, and I believe Cat Sparks is working on a novel which I'm very much looking forward to seeing.

IM: For me, it has to be Paul Haines, who just won a Julius Vogel award for Doorways for the Dispossessed. He’s one of very few writers who really makes your skin crawl and he’s wonderful story-teller to boot. I also like Martin Livings, who I think has a very accessible style and whose novel, Carnies, really impressed me. And then there’s Stephen Dedman, whose constantly producing really good work. His recent short story, "Teeth", is a perfect example of the sort of horror story I’m looking for for Midnight Echo.

Ed. Midnight Echo (under Kirstyn's and Ian's editorship) is open to submissions until May 31. Issue One will be published in October. The submission period for Issue Two (with the next editorial pair) opens in August.