ALONE WITH… OWL GOINGBACK

Alone with… Owl Goingback

16/9/2022

Isolation: The Horror Anthology, edited by Dan Coxon, gathers 20 modern masters of horror to confront the dark moments, the challenges that we must face alone: survivors in a world gone silent; the outcast shunned by society; the quiet voice trapped in the crowd; the lonely and forgotten, screaming into the abyss. Featuring stories by Paul Tremblay, Joe R. Lansdale, Tim Lebbon, M. R. Carey, Ken Liu, Nina Allan, Ramsey Campbell, Jonathan Maberry, Angela Slatter and many many more, it explores something that the horror fan has always known: when it comes to the crunch, we all die alone.

This week we’ll be featuring interviews with five of the writers featured in Isolation. Laird Barron, Gwendolyn Kiste, Michael Marshall Smith, Lynda E. Rucker and Owl Goingback will give us a sneak preview of their story in the anthology, as well as their other work in progress, and answer that vital question: why are we so afraid of being alone?

https://titanbooks.com/70997-isolation-the-horror-anthology/

Alone with… Owl Goingback

Without giving too much away, what can you tell us about your story in Isolation?

My story was inspired by the recent pandemic and the insanity it spawned. We all suffered various forms of isolation during those days, trapped inside our homes, unable to go anywhere, watching the world fall apart on the nightly news. People were dying alone in hospitals, family members not allowed to be there to comfort them during those final moments. The pandemic caused frustration, anger, and even panic. We thought things would quickly return to normal once a vaccine was created, but other evils waited on the horizon.

"Full Blood" is about a young Navajo man alone in the Arizona desert. He too has had the rug pulled out from under him. The world he knew has changed drastically. There is no one he can reach out to for help, not even members of his own tribe. He is isolated, standing guard each night as he faces a danger he can barely comprehend. It is a story laced with fear, and uncertainly, sprinkled with just a touch of irony. A reflection on the history of indigenous people in North America, and perhaps on their future.

What in particular appealed to you about isolation as a theme? Is it something you've experienced yourself?

Isolation can really test a person's strength and weaknesses. When you're completely alone, and have no one to call for help, you have to rely on your own physical and mental abilities. In extreme situations, survival skills kick in that you didn't even know you had. Survive the situation, and you come away confident and better prepared to make it on your own merits.

Isolation has always been part of my life in one form or another. I grew up an only child in rural America, living in a mobile home surrounded by forest. I had no companions, and spent a lot of time on my own in the woods. But I adapted to the situation, and was happier being by myself than surrounded by other people.
As an adult, I faced isolation during a vision quest: three days and nights alone in the wilderness with no food and very little water, and only a pair of shorts and a thin blanket for protection from the elements. Definitely a test of my fortitude.

Apart from your own, whose stories are you most looking forward to reading in Isolation?

That's a tough question because the list of authors in Isolation is amazing. A lot of them are friends; and I've been enjoying their work for years. But I will probably read the stories by Joe R. Lansdale and Ramsey Campbell first. Those guys are masters of horror and always take things to the next level.

What are you working on at the moment?

I've taken a break from writing novels to crank out short stories for various anthologies. I hadn't written short fiction for many years, so it has been a nice change of pace for me. I just finished a horror western story, and I'm about to start on an unknown superhero tale. After that, I will be trying my luck with a story featuring a dead detective. Writing short fiction allows me to flex my creative muscles, and work on some fun projects I wouldn't be able to do otherwise. But I will be getting back to writing longer fiction again in the not-so-distant future. I already have three new novels in the works.

Apart from the story in Isolation, do you have anything else coming out in the next few months that we should be keeping an eye out for?

I have an old west Dracula story that just came out in the anthology Classic Monsters Unleashed. It's a fun tale featuring everyone's favorite vampire facing off against Buffalo Bill Cody and Sitting Bull. I also have a couple of wendigo stories coming out soon. One will appear in the anthology American Cannibal, while the other will be out in comic form. Another story will be published in First People Shared Stories. Audio editions of my novels Coyote Rage and Tribal Screams will also soon be available.

What are you reading at the moment (or what are you most looking forward to reading)?

I read mostly nonfiction, because I'm always on the lookout for material I can use in future stories. I'm currently reading several books about the Texas Rangers of the 1800s. Those guys were some serious bad asses, and their true stories are more exciting than anything Hollywood could invent for the silver screen. After I finish reading about "Big Foot" Wallace, Creed Taylor, and the other Rangers, I'm going to grab a cup of Tribal Screams coffee and treat myself to the stories in Isolation.

GNoH's review of Full Blood

Full Blood might be the most strait-forward tale in this anthology in terms of narrative structure and plot devices, but that doesn't take away from the stories ability to be powerful response to nit just this pandemic, but the atrocities of biological warfare that were carried out in the early days in the birth of the American nation.

The opening to this story is elegantly written and cannot fail to be a cutting reminder of struggles and barbarity that Owl's people have and still face today.

I loved Owl's use of lesser known monster, in this story and the stoic, portrayal of a warrior ho is a little too old for all of this shit. Tightly written, utterly compelling, and with a narrative drive a solid as as they come Full Blood is an exquisitely thrilling survival tale.

Owl Goingback

Owl Goingback has been writing professionally for over thirty years, and is the author of numerous novels, children’s book, screenplays, magazine articles, short stories, and comics. He is a HWA Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient, A two-time Bram Stoker Award Winner, and a Nebula Award Nominee. His books include Crota, Darker Than Night, Evil Whispers, Breed, Shaman Moon, Coyote Rage, Eagle Feathers, The Gift, and Tribal Screams. In addition to writing under his own name, Owl has ghostwritten several books for Hollywood celebrities.

ISOLATION: THE HORROR ANTHOLOGY
EDITED BY DAN COXON

Lost in the wilderness, or alone in the dark, isolation remains one of our deepest held fears. This horror anthology from Shirley Jackson and British Fantasy Award finalist Dan Coxon calls on leading horror writers to confront the dark moments, the challenges that we must face alone: survivors in a world gone silent; the outcast shunned by society; the quiet voice trapped in the crowd; the lonely and forgotten, screaming into the abyss.
Experience the chilling terrors of Isolation.
Featuring stories by:
Nina Allan
Laird Barron
Ramsey Campbell
M.R. Carey
Chịkọdịlị Emelumadu
Brian Evenson
Owl Goingback
Gwendolyn Kiste
Joe R. Lansdale
Tim Lebbon
Alison Littlewood
Ken Liu
Jonathan Maberry
Michael Marshall Smith
Mark Morris
Lynda E. Rucker
A.G. Slatter
Paul Tremblay
Lisa Tuttle
Marian Womack