Interview : Barry Napier

Barry Napier is the victim of the day.  Barry Napier is the author of The Everything Theory series, The Hollows, The Masks of Our Fathers, and several other novels. He has had more than 40 short stories and poems published in print and online.He attempts to blend all genres (with a preference for the paranormal) while also bringing faith into the mix. He consumes too much coffee and enjoys obscure electronic music.

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Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

I've had more than 40 short stories and poems published in print and online, including a piece published in Norton's Hint Fiction anthology (subsequently knocking an item from my bucket list, as my name is in the same pages with Peter Straub, Joe Lansdale, and Joyce Carol Oates). I am currently under contract with 47 North to write an installment of Lee Goldberg's popular Dead Man series. I have released several novels via Kindle and have had a novel and poetry collection published through small press outlets.

I enjoy coffee, irony, and electronic ambient music.


Do you prefer the term Horror, Weird Fiction or Dark Fiction?

Dark fiction. Most of the stuff I write is horror at its core, sure...but a really hard core horror fan may feel let down if they venture into my books thinking they are in for full out balls-to-the wall horror.

Who are some of your favourite authors?

Stephen King, Clive Barker, Tom Piccirilli, Cormac McCarthy, Gillian Flynn, Joe Hill, Mary Roach, Lovecraft, Bradbury.

What are you reading now?

3 different books, actually. I'm reading The Serpent and the Rainbow by Wade Davis for weird research-type purposes (although I have already read it a while back), What the Night Knows by Dean Koontz, and King's On Writing. I tend to read the autobiographical portion of On Writing when I need motivation.

Which book do you wish you had written?


Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy. I've read it twice and still don't fully understand what the hell is going on. But, as is usually the case with McCarthy, it always leaves me feeling like a miserable writer. This book is loaded with everything Gothic lit should have and when you're done, you're emotionally exhausted and not 100% sure what just happened. Such a great book.

If you could use any other author’s creation in your own work, who or what would you use?

Quiddity, the Dream Sea from Clive Barker's The Great and Secret Show and Everville. The idea that there is a sea that produces all of our dreams and, as an extension of that, our stories is fascinating to me. I can't wait for the third book of the trilogy to come out so we can learn more about it.

Describe typical day spent writing. Do you have any unusual writing habits?

Well I am a freelance writer by trade, so I have to juggle the two. In terms of fiction, though, I tend to create playlists before I write so much as the first word. I like to set the mod and tone I know the book is going to need to succeed. I have about 15 Spotify playlists specifically for the creation of plots and character development.

What piece of your own work are you most proud of?

The first book of my planned 5 part Everything Theory series. The first book, Cold Compass, was the hardest thing I ever wrote because I had to write it knowing that certain aspects of it would evolve with the other books. It's sort of like telling a really long and involved joke backwards. While I'm still scrambling to get it noticed, the little bit of feedback and reviews I have gotten from it have been better than I could have ever hoped for.

What is the hardest lesson you have learned with regards to your writing?

I'm not the huge horror fan I thought I was. I'm perfectly happy writing vague supernatural tales rather than full out horror spectacles. When I stopped fighting this and adapted as best I could, I found that my writing actually improved a bit.

What do you like to do to relax?

Open up one of my works in progress, put on some Carbon Based Lifeforms, pour a glass of red wine, and get to work.


Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?


The last book I wrote was my first attempt at faith-based fiction (I'm reluctant to call it Christian fiction, as it wrestles with more than just themes of faith). It's untitled as of now and in the hands of an agency that has shown interest. Works I am currently tinkering with include the third book of the Everything Theory series, an attempt at blending Christian fiction and horror, and a fun little dark fantasy series that may or may not ever see the light of day.



Barry On Amazon