THE GOLDEN LIGHTNING ROD

An Interview With Author Christopher Golden


At this point in his prolific career Christopher Golden needs no introduction to readers of dark fiction. But in case you've been living under a rock for the past 15 or so years, he is the award-winning, bestselling author of such novels as THE MYTH HUNTERS, WILDWOOD ROAD, THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN, THE FERRYMAN, STRANGEWOOD, OF SAINTS AND SHADOWS, and (with Tim Lebbon) MIND THE GAP, which arrives in bookstores this May and is a must-read. Golden co-wrote the lavishly illustrated novel BALTIMORE, OR, THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER AND THE VAMPIRE with HELLBOY creator/artist Mike Mignola, which they are currently scripting as a ... (more…)

You watched him read his short story, "Noodlers Nab Naked Nymphs". You read his interview with Brian Keene. You thrilled to Richard Hipson's in depth interview with him and exploration of his Werewolf Saga. Hell, you may even have watched his Werewolf Saga Book Trailer right here!

Now you can hear what high school teacher by day, horror author by night Steven E. Wedel had to say to Fear Zone's Gabrielle Faust at Texas Frightmare Weekend. Don't worry, Gabrielle didn't have to press charges; Steve is nothing but a gentleman beneath all that long hair.

Pictured is Steve's ghost story novella, Seven Days in Benevolence, available for $9.95 (I love it when novellas don't cost $40...). ... (more…)

I've been friends with Weston Ochse for a few years now and it's always great (in a "I hate you" sort of way) to watch your friends blow up. Luckily, he still remembers who I am. His novel, Scarecrow Gods, won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in First Novel, and is about to be re-released as a trade paperback by Delirium Books. All of this made for a great excuse for me to pester him with a few questions.

Which do you prefer writing: short stories or novels? Do you recommend writing short stories as a way to break into the industry?

Writing a novel is such a long commitment of time and creative energy. For me, writing a novel is more fulfilling, but there are stories that ... (more…)

The Horror Writers Association recently honored Robert Weinberg (interviewed by Fear Zone here) with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his lifelong contributions as an author, historian and bookseller. Unfortunately, Bob was unable to attend the award ceremony, which was held in conjunction with World Horror Con in Salt Lake City. Proving once again that some of the classiest people work in the horror field, Twilight Tales will host a celebration for Bob's award and achievements in his native Chicago on Monday, May 12th. The award will be presented by fellow icon Mort Castle (whom we also interviewed).

Bob told Fear Zone, "Twilight Tales is a Chicago literary institution and I'm proud ... (more…)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Kelli Jones will interview John Skipp for Fear Zone in the near future.

John Skipp rose to fame on the wave of the splatterpunk movement. The man knows horror, the kind that grabs a reader by the throat. After he and Craig Spector stopped collaborating, the public had to do without John Skipp for a few years until he came roaring back to the scene in the new century with Conscience (Friendly Firewalk Press, 2004), which included the titular short novel, six other short pieces, and a screenplay. The novella was later released in Leisure's edition of his novel, The Long Last Call in August of 2007. The writing in both volumes has the ferociousness and imagery that ... (more…)

EDITOR'S NOTE: One of my favorite aspects of Fear Zone, and one of the things which sets it apart from most other horror entertainment websites, is the original video content, which falls into two camps: interviews with horror film celebrities and authors reading short stories or excerpts from novels. If you're new to the site, click on the EXCLUSIVES button and treat yourself to this content.

We haven't posted any author readings in a while. This isn't because we've made a conscious decision to emphasize horror films over horror fiction--we haven't--but because we had two different videographers go AWOL on us after they'd taped readings. One guy, who suffered from depression, simply ... (more…)

If you're a regular Fear Zone reader, you may recognize Gabrielle Faust as one of our more frequent contributors; she's reviewed movies and books for the site and has interviewed a number of authors. Now the shoe is on the other foot! Gabrielle's first novel, Eternal Vigilance, is now available, so it's her turn to be bound to a Petri dish and slid beneath the FZ Author Microscope. Let's peel back some scalp and probe the cerebral tissue of this up and coming writer and artist...

Let's start with your interest in horror. How old were you when you caught the infection?

My earliest memories of the horror world begin around the age of 6 when my dear mother used her very poor judgment ... (more…)

When she isn't chainsawing to death the local population and serving them up as the Blue Plate BBQ Special, Fear Zone's Texas correspondent, Gabrielle Faust (Eternal Vigilance) wrangles up horror authors and filmmakers for interviews. At this year's Texas Frightmare Weekend, she lassoed Lee Thomas for a Fear Zone Radio interview.

Lee is the author of such popular horror fiction as Parish Damned, Stained, The Dust of Wonderland , and, as Thomas Pendleton and with Stefan Petrucha, the Wicked Dead Young Adult series. His next book is Mason, from Harper Teen, and you can check him out at LeeThomasAuthor.come.

If you like what Lee has to say, check out the in depth text interview with him that ... (more…)

Caitlin R. Kiernan is the author of a vast body of work, ranging from dark fiction, sci-fi, comics and even scientific papers. She has had short fiction selected for Year's Best Fantasy and Horror series, The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, and The Year's Best Science Fiction, just to name a few things you might have seen her name in. She isn't one to be placed into one label, be it genre or otherwise. Caitlin R. Kiernan writes. You cannot describe her in one sentence, let alone one paragraph, and that's just how she likes it. Which makes it hard to describe her work if you haven't read her fiction. When I first picked up on of her novels Silk, I was spellbound by the passion in ... (more…)

Fear Zone's intrepid journalist Gabrielle Faust assaulted Texas Frightmare Weekend in Chainsaw Massacre Land, and scored several audio interviews with horror creator celebrities.

Today, she probes the cerebral cortex of author Christopher Fulbright, who writes fiction on his own (check out his collection When It Rains, pictured) in addition to efforts he's co-written with his wife, Fear Zone columnist Angelne Hawkes, such as the novellas Then Comes the Child and Blood Coven.

We'll be posting Gabrielle's audio interviews with Lee Thomas, Steve Wedel, "and the rest" in a couple of weeks. (more…)