San Antonio horror writer Joe McKinney recently won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Novel for his zombie book Flesh Eaters. It’s the third nomination and first win for McKinney, a 15-year veteran of the San [Read it all...]]]>

San Antonio author Joe McKinney recently won a Bram Stoker Award for his novel "Flesh Eaters".

San Antonio horror writer Joe McKinney recently won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Novel for his zombie book Flesh Eaters. It’s the third nomination and first win for McKinney, a 15-year veteran of the San Antonio Police Department and a rising star in the horror field. The Horror Writers Association presents the Stokers annually to recognize the year’s best horror literature.

Missions Unknown has visited with Joe a few times to discuss his ongoing zombie series, which mashes up police procedural thrillers and gut-munching zombies. With the Stoker win under his belt and a whole spate of new projects in the works — some not involving the walking dead — we thought it was time to catch up once again and… well… chew the fat.

This is your third nomination, is it not? Did you have a feeling that the third time would be the charm?

I was hoping, of course, but I also had some serious doubts. There were six of us on the final ballot, and I’m friends with four of those writers, so of course I had read their books. Greg Lamberson, Lee Thomas, Ronald Malfi, and Gene O’Neill all brought their A-game this year, turning out some incredible novels. Lee especially, with his novel THE GERMAN. Then I read Chris Conlon’s A MATRIX OF ANGELS and I got really worried. That man can really write! This was a fantastic year for horror novels, and I fell really lucky to have been a part of it, much less honored like this.

Zombies are enjoying quite a bit of mainstream exposure right now, and Flesh Eaters, of course, is a zombie novel. Were you concerned that voters might suffering from undead overexposure?

Yeah, I was actually. I keep hearing that on nearly every review site out there, and while the zombie reading community is going stronger than ever, I thought some of the industry pros who vote for the award might have reached the saturation point. Lucky for me there’s still a little shamble left to do for the zombie.

As a zombie author, how do you keep the genre from growing stale? (Rotten, apparently, is OK, but stale is a deal breaker…)

Stoker Award Winner for Superior Achievement in a Novel: "Flesh Eaters" by Joe McKinney (Pinnacle Books)

Well, like all good fiction, there fun is in the characters. They make the story, regardless of the genre. You would have thought that the ghost story would be dead by now, for example. The Victorians did it so well (and so often, one might also point out) that you’d like the blush would be off the rose by now. Yet we still gobble up ghost stories, movies and TV shows much in the same way zombies gobble up victims. As I said, the characters are the important part of any story. Compelling personalities faced with difficult situations will sell every time, so really, the zombies are just window dressing for the characters. That’s how it stays fresh for me, and I hope that’s the experience readers take away from my zombie stories.

What does it mean for your life and career now that you can say you’re a Stoker Award winner?

Well, personally, it’s huge. I have a huge respect for the Stoker Award, and for the HWA that awards it, so to be honored with it is both humbling and empowering. Now, from a professional standpoint, it’s what I make of it. Will it be a career high point, or will it lead to a renewed commitment to my craft, which in turn will lead to better novels and better stories? Obviously, I want it to be the latter.

You’ve got some new projects coming up. Tell us about them.

You bet! Let’s see, next thing out of the gate is a short coming-of-age horror novel called LOST GIRL OF THE LAKE, co-written with Michael McCarty. It takes place in the Piney Woods above Lake Livingston, and revolves around an abandoned village, a dark family secret, and lots and lots of snakes. After that I’m releasing a collection of all my zombie stories to date. I’m assembling that collection now, and it’s been a lot of fun revisiting some of these earlier stories. That one should be out sometime late this summer. Then, in September, I’m releasing MUTATED, the fourth and (perhaps) final book in my Dead World series. I’m also working on two different novels right now, a haunted house story called CROOKED HOUSE and a standalone zombie novel called MIDNIGHT BUFFET. In between I have half dozen or so short stories and novellas coming out in various publications and anthologies.

You work full time and raise two young children. How do you balance those with such an ambitious publishing schedule?

Because my wife is freaking awesome! I’ve been far luckier than I deserve when it comes to a supporting family. There’s no way I could do half of what I do without them in my corner. But beyond that, time to write is short. My remedy is to go at it in an organized, disciplined fashion. I almost always do extensive outlines of what I’m what I’m writing. That way, when it’s time to sit down and start writing, I know exactly what I’m going to be doing.

In addition to zombies, you’re also quite interested in ghosts. Tell us why ghost stories have captured your imagination.

Like a lot of contemporary horror writers, I came to the genre through both fiction and film, and I remember watching George C. Scott in THE CHANGELING back when I was a kid. That movie is one of the only horror movies that ever really scared me, and I guess the idea of ghosts caught hold of me then. Shortly after that I read THE SHINING, and that cinched the deal. Since then I’ve read widely in the ghost story genre and have found it continually exciting.

Do you find it harder to write novels or short stories? Which do you enjoy more?

Actually, I don’t think it matters much as to the length of the tale. I’ve had both short stories and novels come quite easily, and I’ve had the opposite experience as well. It really depends on the story. Some tales just have a harder birthing process than others, and I don’t know if there’s any rhyme or reason to it, nor does the difficulty of the creative process seem to translate into a better or worse story. It’s a mystery to me and I just can’t give you a good answer.

Any advice for aspiring horror writers?

Definitely. As I mentioned, I outline in detail before I write. This doesn’t work for everybody, but if you’re having trouble finishing pieces, or if editors are telling you that your stories lack cohesion or aren’t “tight enough,” then maybe you ought to consider outlining first. Again, it works for me. Your mileage may vary. Beyond that, though, my advice is to treat writing like it’s a job, because that’s exactly what it is. Yes, it’s a creative process. I realize that. But it is still a job, like any other. You have to show up to work everyday. You have to turn out a quality product every time. You have to treat clients (editors, publishers, professional contacts, readers, etc.) professionally. You have to make sure your professional reputation is solid. These are the kinds of things you have to do to survive in the business world, and they’re the same kinds of things you have to do to survive as a professional writer. Oh, and one last thing…never forget the value of a handwritten thank you note. That will open doors that might otherwise remain forever closed.

What have been your favorite horror books, movies, comics, etc. of the past year or so?

Well, this past year I read more short story collections than I’ve ever done in my life. I absolutely LOVED Christopher Fowler’s RED GLOVES: THE LONDON HORRORS. It was smart, spooky as hell, and hit all the right notes with me. I felt the same way about Reggie Oliver’s MRS. MIDNIGHT AND OTHER STORIES and Caitlin R. Kiernan’s OTHER WORLDS AND IN-BETWEEN. I liked John Horner Jacob’s SOUTHERN GODS a lot. That was a fresh, well-told horror story of the highest order. And I’m still loving The Walking Dead and Joe Hill’s Locke & Key series of graphic novels. I’ve heard it said this is horror’s golden age, and it’s easy to see why.

Looks like South/Central Texas horror creators and fans have cause to celebrate. (This breaking news courtesy of JOE MCKINNEY.)

The WORLD HORROR SOCIETY has named Austin, Texas, as the location for the 2011 WORLD HORROR CONVENTION. The international gathering of horror’s brightest talents and their fans will take place from April 28 [Read it all...]]]>

Sarah Langan

Looks like South/Central Texas horror creators and fans have cause to celebrate. (This breaking news courtesy of JOE MCKINNEY.)

The WORLD HORROR SOCIETY has named Austin, Texas, as the location for the 2011 WORLD HORROR CONVENTION. The international gathering of horror’s brightest talents and their fans will take place from April 28 through May 1, 2011.

Austin, Texas was chosen for its unique style and rich genre history. The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre was filmed near the city, and the remakes of both Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13^th were filmed in town. Austin also serves as home to the largest urban bat colony in North America, and at sunset 1.5 million bats fly over the city, truly marking it as a horror locale.

“Texas has a long history of strange fiction, serving as home to such luminaries as ROBERT E. HOWARD, MICHAEL MOORCOCK and JOE R. LANSDALE,” says Convention Co-Chair NATE SOUTHARD. “Bringing the World Horror Convention to Austin is a natural. It’s a vibrant city with a taste for the eccentric and a love of the arts. Further, its central, southern location makes it convenient for travelers throughout the US, and visitors from abroad will have no trouble reaching us either.”

Known as both the Capital of Texas and the Live Music Capital of the World, Austin provides the entertainment and cultural draws of a large city with the intimacy of a small town. This smaller size translates to ease of transportation in and around the city with many opportunities for convention attendees to absorb what Austin has to offer.

Convention Chairs, Southard and LEE THOMAS, promise to bring the convention back to the US in style. Focusing on literary horror’s newest stars, WHC 2011 has already confirmed author SARAH LANGAN as its first Guest of Honor.

“We couldn’t be more pleased,” Thomas said. “Sarah was at the top of our list, and her enthusiastic agreement to attend really set the tone for what we hope to achieve with this convention. We’ll be inviting additional industry luminaries, and we’ll make announcements when those folks are confirmed.”

Ms. Langan’s first novel, The Keeper, was named a New York Times editor’s choice. Her second novel, The Missing, won the Bram Stoker Award for outstanding novel and earned an American Library Association Award. Her third novel, Audrey’s Door, will be released in late 2009 and has already been optioned by the Weinstein Company for film.

Additional Guests of Honor, registration information, and hotel information will be forthcoming. A website featuring convention information is currently in development.

The World Horror Convention is an annual gathering of professionals in the horror industry; publishers, authors, artists, musicians, filmmakers, dealers and, of course, horror fans. WHC serves as both an industry insider’s networking event and a chance for fans of the genre to get together, meet some of the creative talents in the field, and generally spend a weekend celebrating All Things Scary.