LUKE SMITHERD SEES THE MONSTER (AUTHOR INTERVIEW)

21/6/2021

It’s a blessing and a curse; when I first released The Stone Man I billed it as a ‘sci-fi horror’ novel, as it’s a scary book. Then people came in expecting gore, and it isn’t that kind of book, so there were a handful of outraged reviews. Then when I changed it to a ‘sci-fi thriller’ novel people complained that it was too dark

LUKE SMITHERD SEES THE MONSTER (AUTHOR INTERVIEW)

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

I’m a former musician turned author and I still don’t know which is the more ‘real’ job.

Which one of your characters would you least like to meet in real life?

The villain from He Waits. If you’re meeting that guy, it’s already over.

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

Roald Dahl’s work. I love the way he approaches the logistics of fantastic things. Dreams have to be sucked in through tubes and spat into our ears, witches have to wear wigs because they’re bald and so their scalps itch… that fascinates me. That and 90s comic books.

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 blessing and a curse; when I first released The Stone Man I billed it as a ‘sci-fi horror’ novel, as it’s a scary book. Then people came in expecting gore, and it isn’t that kind of book, so there were a handful of outraged reviews. Then when I changed it to a ‘sci-fi thriller’ novel people complained that it was too dark. To break past it I think the horror community needs to branch a little out of traditional horror tropes and look at work that is a little more on the edges of what is seen to be ‘horror’.

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?

I think paranoia about misinformation and ‘the man’ is going to proliferate dramatically.

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

It’s a release, I think. Something so removed from most people in the west’s relatively safe everyday lives.

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

Psychological horror that doesn’t always turn into a straight-up slasher.

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

Not a review, but a hilariously smug email. The guy sent an example of how one of my chapters could have been better after berating me for several paragraphs. I wouldn’t have minded, but his chapter was awful.

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

The isolation. Oof.

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

I don’t think so.

Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years?

I’ve learned more about agency for characters and objectives, and the need to clarify them. That’s very important.

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

See above!
Which of your characters is your favourite?

Probably Charlie from In the Darkness, but Andy from The Stone Man will always be my favourite curmudgeon.

Which of your books best represents you?

Probably The Stone Man.

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

I do like this one: Different sides of us, brought out by different situations, and we can never truly know who we will be from one day to the next. You can be one of them more than you are any of the others, and decide that is you ... but when you are caught unawares, the dice of your personality is rolled and the outcome is not given by any means.

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

My last book is You See the Monster (coming out on June 14th!) and the next will be the third book in my Stone Man series.
If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice?

The supernatural antagonist only teasing its victims until the third act for no reason and then disappearing when someone else walks into the room. Drives me insane. Why would it wait?? Very, very annoying. It’s why I wrote You See the Monster!

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

I’d say Bird Box was the last great one I read, and I wouldn’t like to say which one disappointed me.

What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do? And what would be the answer?

“How about a free massage, sir?”

Luke Smitherd is the author of the #1 bestselling novel THE STONE MAN, shortlisted for Audible Book of the Year 2015, recently followed by it’s sequel THE EMPTY MEN. He also created the #1 bestsellers IN THE DARKNESS, KILL SOMEONE, THE PHYSICS OF THE DEAD, and THE MAN WITH ALL THE ANSWERS as well as his new modern horror novel YOU SEE THE MONSTER, out June 14th.

A former singer and guitarist, Luke now writes full time for a living. He can't quite believe it. He currently travels and writes, and ignores cheap jibes about not having a 'proper job'.

WEBSITE LINKS www.lukesmitherd.com
Amazon Author Page

Facebook.com/smitherdbooks
Instagram.com/lukesmitherdyall
Twitter.com/lukesmitherd

YOU SEE THE MONSTER BY LUKE SMITHER

From the author of Audible #1 bestsellers In The Darkness, That's Where I'll Know You, The Physics of the Dead, and The Stone Man (shortlisted for the Audible Audiobook of the Year award 2015)

The sound hits Guy in some low, forgotten part of his psyche - a part of him that understands the truth about shadows. The part of him that knows the deep, dark truth behind fairy stories and myths.

Guy is about to finish writing his breakthrough online article. He overheard the story by chance in a pub and it's guaranteed to go viral - all he needs to do is persuade the World's Unluckiest Man to talk to him. His best friend Larry's quest for killer clickbait material has led him to a recently-appeared shanty town in Glasgow, where he finds some kind of urban voodoo cult. Ex-cop Sam has already come face to face with the terrifying force behind both these phenomena, but he's been trying to put it out of his mind.

When Larry is killed in inexplicably gruesome circumstances, Guy knows he's also a target. The evidence of malevolent power is suddenly proliferating - but why now? Together, Sam and Guy enter a shadow world of ancient monsters and modern curses, in a battle to figure out the rules of the game and bring them to the light before it's far too late.