Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

I don’t know if I have anything to add to that amazing bio. That was great, wasn’t it?
Let’s see, worked in tech for 20 years. Sick of it. Back when I started the Internet was all about bringing people together and optimism. Now it’s tracking codes, spyware, and trolls. So I’m going back to school to earn a masters degree in mathematics and teach at a junior college. After a career in the corporate world, I need another career to wash the lies out of my system and math is objective truth.
 
I also write, of course. This would be a pretty short author interview if I didn’t. Picking Up the Ghost is my first novel a young adult urban fantasy about ghosts, lies, and voodoo. It’s the first thing I’d ever written. One day I figured, “I’ve read a book before. It doesn’t seem too hard. I’ll give it a go.” And I did and it was. Hard that is. So I did it again.
 
The Faith Machine is my second novel, due out in May of 2020 (Preorder Now!). It’s a psychic espionage thriller. Like the game Control, the TV show Legion, or the book The Men Who Stare at Goats. I like this one enough to make a role-playing game out of it, and hope to Kickstart the game next year.

To get the ball rolling and get everyone relaxed, here is a hopefully lighthearted question to break the ice, which one of your characters would you least like to meet in real life and have them complain at you about they way you treated them in your work.

In Picking Up the Ghost there’s a ghost of a kid in a hospital who’s reliving his murder over and over. That’d be an awkward meeting. He didn’t deserve that.
 
In The Faith Machine, I put Agent 97:4 through the ringer, physically and spiritually. She’s a killer with electrokinesis, so that’d be the last excuse I ever make.

Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?

Comics. Specifically, superhero comics. It’s everywhere in my work. Picking Up the Ghost is Cinque’s Williams origin story. Sure he’s a shaman, but he’s also a super sorcerer. The Faith Machine is filled with superhero tropes; secret identities, powers, saving the world, etc. I’d like to live in a world where good defeats evil on the regular. It ain’t this one.
 
The term horror, especially when applied to fiction always carries such heavy connotations.  What’s your feeling on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions?

It’s a marketing term and an unfortunate reality of the publishing business. We’ve seen an uptick in quality horror in cinema recently, and that’s done a lot to destigmatize the genre. As movies go, so goes the culture. People will come around eventually.

A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate, considering the current state of the world where do you see horror going in the next few years?

Surrealism. PBS Idea Channel has a great video about cultures after fascist movements run their course. They’re often followed by the surreal. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2bAN9pPeiE) Dadaism in Spain, all the weirdness that comes out of Japan, I’m not sure what the equivalent is for Germany.

I love surrealism, so I’m looking forward to it. The end of fascism would be nice too.

Given the dark, violent and at times grotesque nature of the horror genre why do you think so many people enjoy reading it?

Safety. I’m hardly the first one to say this, but horror media allows one to expose themselves to the feelings and sensations of the horrific without the lasting physical effects. It’s an inoculation. Not any different than a roller-coaster.

What, if anything, is currently missing from the horror genre?

There are so many people producing content in every medium and artform these days...is anything missing any more? I say that now, but as culture keeps moving along new possibilities open up. The only constant is change, so a new niche is forming and something’s coming to fill it. You can count on that.

In the past authors were able to write about almost anything with a far lesser degree of the fear of backlash, but this has all changed in recent years.  These days authors must be more aware of representation an the depiction of things such as race and gender in their works, how aware are you of these things and what steps have you taken to ensure that your writing can’t be viewed as being offensive to a minority group? 

As a middle-aged white guy, I’m starting to run into the liberal soapbox problem. No one wants to hear me say, “You know guys, racism is bad” There are plenty of writers of color out there saying it in their own voices. I’m not going to be able add anything to the conversation that Rod Serling and Gene Roddenberry didn’t back in the 60s.

What I can do is portray people of color, women, and queer people in roles formerly reserved for white males. Representation is my contribution to the movement.

I haven’t published anything with a white male main character. Picking Up the Ghost takes place in St Jude, a fictionalized version of East St. Louis which is 98% African-American. So all the people and most of the ghosts and loa are black. I’m not making a statement of any kind. It would be weird if they weren’t.

The diversity in The Faith Machine was deliberate. It has an ensemble cast of psychics. Like mutants in the X-Men, psychics manifest evenly across the population. As I built out the team, I took a moment to go through the roster and ask, “Is there any reason this character need to be a white guy?” The answer was always no, until I got to the end. Exposition Joe was the last character to assign a race and gender, so he got to be the white guy. Out of seven, there had to be one.

I don’t know if you can avoid offending someone somewhere, but if you write people as people, and not as caricatures, you’re on solid ground.

Does horror fiction perpetuate its own ghettoization?

All genres do. Again, this is an effect of how marketing parses media. We the consumers perpetrate this. In the early days of algorithm driven recommendation engines they seemed free from this kind of compartmentalization. But I suspect the market (us) rely on these labels, so we can all stay in our lanes.

I hope we can transcend genres someday, but that will require a better solution.

What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice off?

I wish I could tell you, but I’m out of touch with what’s going on. Like, across the board. News, music, movies, books, I haven’t got a clue what’s current in any media. What year is it again? Who’s the president now?
You’re kidding.

What are the books and films that helped to define you as an author?

For a long time it was anything by Stephen King. That’s true for a lot of us. But when I tried to write like Stephen King it didn’t work. He’s a unique animal. Not a lot of authors can shoehorn entire short stories into the narrative and get away with it.

When it comes to movies, Blade Runner’s my jam. I often play the Final Cut while I’m writing, for inspiration. It’s as perfect as a movie gets. No filler.


Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you?

On Picking Up the Ghost there’s more than one reader review along the lines of, “it starts to get good around chapter 3.” Ouch. I know where that came from. I had literary ambitions, and in literature ‘plot’ is a four letter word. That book’s opening could be tighter.
Because of that, now I write in tight prose, short scenes, and always moving, moving, moving.

What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?

This first draft is the worst draft. 90,000 words feel so far away, until it’s not. Then it feels exhausting. I much prefer rewriting to writing. Rewriting is like playing with clay. Writing is like passing clay, lots of clay.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?

Todd. Fuck that guy. He knows what he did.

How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning?

Both. The phonics are very important. A big bad guy who goes by Billy is different than if he went by William. And my character names are almost always a deep cut reference to someone from the real world.
 
Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years?

It’s a constant battle between the rising forces of brevity and subtlety. A quest to communicate the most intent with the least amount of words without gushing about how clever I think I am.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing?

In the second draft of Picking up the Ghost, Cinque spent the last half of the book in a pocket dimension called the halfway World. When I workshopped it, my group told me they hated it and that half had to be rewritten. They hated it because I’d taken Cinque away from the rest of the characters. Characters they liked.

I learned that a novel’s main character is not alone. They’re defined by their relationships.

For  many writers, the characters they write become like children, who is your favorite child, and who is your least favorite to write for and why?

I gotta say, I like writing them all. If I didn’t like writing a character then that character needs some work.

That said, writing Agent 97:4 is the most emotional experience I have writing. She has a core of righteous anger that I share, but she gets to express that anger. I’ve had to step away from the keyboard while writing her.

For those who haven’t read any of your books, which of your books do you think best represents your work and why?

The Faith Machine, because it’s my most recent one. I’m working on its sequel so maybe that’s the best representation, but that one’s in its first draft, so no one’s going to see that for a long time.

Do you have a favorite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us?

No. But I will tell you about it. In The Faith Machine two characters have a conversation with God at the same time. In both conversations, God’s dialog is the same, but with different outcomes. I wanted to show that God was far above us. For Him, entire conversations were rote.
 
Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?

Maybe I’m pushing your definition of ‘book,’ but I’m finishing up work on ESPionage: The Role-Playing Game, based on the worldbuilding I did for The Faith Machine.

The novel was finished, and I also had two sequels outlined, plus a notebook full of ideas for future stories that came to me while doing research. I pored all of that into the RPG, and I ended up creating a series bible for the ESPionage property. In doing so, I discovered a few shortcomings that I was happy to fill.

For example; I’ve been using playing card terms as spy jargon for psychics. The psychic agents are ‘Cards,’ and their handlers were called Proposition Players. Well then the Proposition Players bosses have to be Dealers, right. And Dealers work for agencies called Tables. A nation or multinational organization with a number of Tables under its control is a House. And then the worldwide psychic espionage community is the Strip.

Next up, I’m working on the sequel to The Faith Machine, called The Bliss Gun. Like I said before, agent 97:4 went through a lot and lost a lot. This is her story of getting it all back. This time on her terms.


If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice?

It would have been the Idiot Driven Plot, but I think everyone’s tired of that. Nowadays, you only see it if they’re lampshading it like they did in Cabin in the Woods. That said, some people pick on the Emotion Driven Plot the same way and that’s not valid. Horror especially is about emotional decision-making. There’s a tension there that you can’t get from rational decision-making.

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?

I recently reread Mike Carey’s run on the Lucifer comic. A spin-off of Sandman that follows the titular character after he’s given up the key to Hell. It’s refreshing to have a protagonist who isn’t a hero, but still worth rooting for.

I won’t share any disappointments. I try not to bash other authors, especially online.

What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do?  And what would be the answer?
​
Would you like a job? And, “Probably. Tell me more.”

I’m open to work for hire jobs, but I’m terrible at professional networking. Hopefully, after the second novel and the RPG are published I’ll get some offers. I’d like to write for an existing property, especially one with a marketing team. Selling your own product is exhausting.

Here at The Ginger Nuts of Horror, we’re always trying to provide readers with quality news, reviews, and interviews that can’t be found anywhere else. We’ve really outdone ourselves this time, though. What you are about to read is the first of its kind, an interview conducted through the power of time travel!
 
Thanks to the good scientists at the Institute of Future Technology, we here at GNOH have the opportunity to send questions back the ancient year of 1988, where they will be intercepted by author, butcher, and smut expert extraordinaire Jeff O’Brien, who will then bury his answers in a time capsule to be unearthed in modern times. It’s a lot of trouble to go through for an interview, but GNOH has spared no expense. Read on and find out what O’Brien can tell us about his recent visit to the past and his latest book, John Titor is an Asshole.
 
So Jeff, the book is about how you were transported against your will from the year 2018 all the way back to 1988. How have you been holding up?
 
Well, for starters, I’m sitting here in 1988 holding a copy of a book that I wrote in 2019 about experiences I had in 2018. Confusing, right? The real Men in Black used their time traveling abilities to give me a copy of the book. I’m hoping I can hold onto it until I get back to 2019 because then, when I get back, I won’t even have to go through the whole writing process. I can just type out what’s already in the book and publish it. Time travel sure can be a hassle, but look at all the work it’s gonna save me!
Sadly 1988 isn’t as different as I thought it would be. Lots of smoke everywhere. I almost forgot you used to be able to smoke indoors pretty much everywhere. I decided to start again. I quit in 2013, but I figure since I’m in 1988 it doesn’t count. So I’ve got that going for me. And I’m gonna be going to the mall in a little bit. Remember malls in the 80s? I can’t wait to see that shit again.
 
What do you like the most about being back in the ‘80s? What do you miss most about 2019?
 
I’m most excited about experiencing this year as an adult. The first time I was in 1988 I was only 7 years old. I’m gonna try to make the most of this experience while I’m back here. My top priority is finding a Bradlee’s or Zayre’s some other defunct department store with a Nintendo console in the electronics section. I’m gonna school those kids in Legend of Zelda with no map, and trick them into thinking I’m some Nintendo wizard from the future. Oh wait, I AM just that.
 
As far as what I miss most about 2019, damn I dunno. Technology and stuff. I keep looking at my cell phone and remembering I can’t get internet access. I guess I’m gonna have to go buy a spank mag or two after this interview is over.
 
Have you found yourself in any other eras since your journey began? Do you have any favorite time periods, or least favorite ones? Are there any periods you haven’t gotten to visit that you would like to?
 
Oh yes. I first landed here in 1988. Then I had the misfortune of waking up in cowboy times. Wild West. I don’t even know what year it was. I was not there under the most pleasant of circumstances, and had to duel the sheriff because he claimed I banged his daughter or something. That’s not even why that era is my least favorite, though. People fucking stunk back then, dude. Their pits. Their breath. Everything. Even the rich people and the pretty ladies in the fancy dresses. Very unpleasant. Would not recommend. Then I landed in 2008. Let me tell you, 2008 was just as boring as I remembered it. I also had an unpleasant run-in with Chris Hansen from Dateline NBC’s To Catch a Predator, but you’ll have to read the book to get the skinny on that. Then I got chased by the real Men in Black to 1999 and got to relive my glory days as a high school emo boy. The quest pretty much ended there, but I got sent back to 1988 to take care of some unfinished business. And here I am writing out the answers to this interview sent from some scientist guys claiming they’re associated with Ginger Nuts of Horror.
 
And as long as the trip could be brief, I’d like to go to the Giza Plateau whenever the Pyramids were built. I gotta see that shit in real time. But I’m very pale, burn easy, and hate heat. So I can’t stay there very long.
 
Tell us about some of the interesting characters and personalities you’ve encountered in your adventures. A little birdy told me that you got to meet one of my favorite oft-overlooked ‘80s scream queens Mistress Osirah. What’s that been like?
 
Yes, I’m at her place right now. Her real name is Sarah Bartlett. Pretty sure she has the hots for me. Not because I’m hot or anything. I think she just likes the allure of me being a mystical time traveler. I did also rescue her from nearly being sacrificed on a stone altar by John Titor, so that might be helping me a little too. She’s got a great VHS collection of forgotten horror movies, most of which she starred in. Hopefully I’ll be able to spread the word about her when I get back home to 2018 and revive her career, unless I come back to find a whole different 2018 where she’s still famous. I did mention the reason I’m here is to give her sage perv advice from the future on how she can shift her appearance to something more timeless, right? Straighten that hair and lower those thong straps. Yeah, she literally had me sent back in time 30 years for that.
 
I haven’t done much socializing in my timely travels, since until now that the quest is over, I had to focus mainly on the task at hand. The only other person I’ve spent any real time with is that asshole John Titor. He’s a shifty scumbag who wears way too much disgusting cologne. That’s all I have to say there.
 
Before finding yourself the victim of this chronal conundrum, did you have any interest in time travel prior? I believe one of the individuals involved in plucking you from 2018 was the infamous time traveler John Titor. What can you tell us about him? How familiar were you with Titor before this adventure?
 
I had no interest in it whatsoever. I mean, I’ve been to the edge of the Flat Earth dimension. I’ve seen some shit. But time travel was the one thing I didn’t think was actually possible. Yet here I am. And yes, Titor was the one who plucked me and sent me. It’s all his doing. Sure backfired on him though.
 
I also thought the whole John Titor thing was a total hoax that originated from Art Bell’s old message board. That’s the last time I approach something with a closed mind.
 
Is there any truth to the rumor that your encounter with John Titor recently attracted the attention of a second, imposter John Titor who has threatened to write a hatchet-job book about you? What can you tell us about that?
 
Yes, that is 100% true. All I can really say is check out his video about me on his YouTube channel. I think it’s titled “Jeff O’Brien Cyber Bully Internet Troll Writer” or something like that. The guy is like 130 years old and I doubt he’s really going to write the book. I’d never be lucky enough to have that kind of publicity.
 
As incredible and as hard to believe it is, this journey through the time-stream is not the first real-life adventure that you’ve written about. Would you mind telling us about some of your other amazing experiences and where interested parties can read about them?
 
Ahh, yes. As I previously mentioned, I’ve discovered the truth behind the multiverse and traveled to the Flat Earth dimension. Earth is flat, man. Just not the physical one we live on. That little trip brought a lot of other places too, specifically the bunker miles below Denver International Airport where there is an underground railway that takes you through the dimensional gateway and to the very edge of the Flat Earth dimension. This is all chronicled in my memoir Journey to the Edge of the Flat Earth, available on Amazon for a reasonable price.
 
Finally, what other artefacts have you included in the time capsule containing your interview answers, and why?
 
Had I know this interview was going to happen, and in such a way, I would have come better prepared. Best I can do is a banana Twinkie and a box of Nintendo cereal. Since those don’t exist in 2019 I’ll consider sharing them with you as a thanks for reaching out and giving me this great publicity. Thanks, William! I hope this time capsule finds you well.