 Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself? I’m Ryan Harville, and I’m from the southern U.S., and when I’m not writing horror, I’m that big, bearded dad you see driving a minivan and blasting metal on the way to pick up his kids from school. Which one of your characters would you least like to meet in real life? I’m going to stick with characters from my (incoming shameless plug) new collection Red Rains Down, and out of those I’d say the long-haul trucker from “The Middleman”. He has a Randall Flagg-esque kind of glee to his work that’s disturbing, and also has a penchant for a bit of the old ultraviolence. Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing? Music, definitely. I’m a metalhead at heart but do branch out to other genres as well. I still love the grunge I grew up with, and have even gotten into synth-wave over the last few years. Most of the stories in this new collection were probably written with Zeal & Ardor blasting in the background. 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? I don’t believe that we will ever truly break away from the negative connotations, just due to the fluidity of the genre. For every “elevated” horror movie or book, Get Out or Hereditary, for example, there’s going to be a Terrifier. I could show someone Midsommar and they may walk away with a new appreciation for the genre, or I could show them Terrifier 2 and cement all of their negative preconceived notions of horror. Both good movies, both horror, but on the opposite ends of the spectrum. As with most things in life, you can’t please everyone, and that’s totally fine. 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 honestly don’t know, but I believe minority filmmakers and authors are going to lead the way. Jordan Peele, Stephen Graham Jones, Agustina Bazterrica, Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I mention them specifically not only because they’re excellent at what they do, but I believe they will be the influencers of the next generation horror creatives. Is that a term? I may have made that up, but you get the idea. Given the dark, violent and at times grotesque nature of the horror genre why do you think so many people enjoy reading it? “Horror” to me is one of the myriad ways that we come to terms with our own mortality. An example I like to use is watching someone in a comedy slip and fall, or get hit in the crotch. You laugh because it’s amusing but, on some level, you’re also relieved because it’s not happening to you. What, if anything, is currently missing from the horror genre? Maybe not missing, but I’d definitely take more time travel and/or time loops. Triangle, Coherence, The Endless, The Shining Girls. I’ll take everything you’ve got! What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice off? I really enjoyed Max D. Stanton’s collection A Season of Loathsome Miracles. All the White Spaces by Ally Wilkes was excellent as well. Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you? Someone in an Amazon review called one of my first published stories “both heartbreaking and horrifying”. And that has always stuck with me because it means I made them feel something beyond just being scared. It’s a great feeling. What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult? I have ADHD and various other issues I won’t get into, but for me writing is a waiting game. I must wait for one of the golden moments where the stars align just right, and my brain decides to get to work. That usually means spending three days on a writing binge and cranking out ten or twelve thousand words, then nothing for two weeks. I chose to stop fighting that process a long time ago. Forcing myself to sit in front of the keyboard never works. If my brain isn’t ready, it just isn’t ready. So, I’ve embraced it. When I know it’s time, I crank up the music and get to work, if not, I go read what someone else is doing. Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? I haven’t found one yet but I’m sure it’s out there. I can say with certainty that fatherhood has made me much more sensitive to anything involving kids in dangerous situations. Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years? I believe I’ve finally gained the confidence to trust myself and to stop all of my second-guessing. Imposter syndrome is a very real thing, and it can get into your head if you let it. My first published story was in an anthology alongside stories by Clive Barker, Ramsey Campbell, and Jack Ketchum. So, the questions quickly became “How the fuck did I get here? Can I do it again? Were those the only good ideas I’ll ever have?” A couple of years ago I had a story published in an anthology alongside Brain Keene, an author whose work I love. I tweeted about imposter syndrome shortly thereafter, and Mr. Keene commented something like “For what it’s worth, I dug your story.” It was then I decided to stop questioning myself and just write whatever I felt like writing. It’s a great feeling. And if all of that seemed like self-serving name-drops, I wouldn’t totally disagree with you. What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing? My creative writing professor in college was Carolyn Haines, who I believe has published something like fifty books at this point. She pointed out multiple sentences in the story I was working on and said something to the effect of “These are really nice, and paint a beautiful picture, but they don’t serve the story, and they’re dragging down the pace. Get rid of them.” I always try to keep that in mind. Is this serving the story? Is it moving things along? If the answer is no, I kill it without hesitation. Which of your characters is your favourite? From my new collection, probably Maddie, from “Branches and Bones”. She is resourceful and unrelenting. Which of your books best represents you? Now, I only have the one book available, but it definitely represents me as a writer and as person. If for no other reason that it’s set in my part of the world, with characters like the people I see and interact with every day. Do you have a favorite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us? I wrote a brand-new story for this collection, and it begins with the line: “Jesus returned to Earth about the same time I was pulling into my driveway.” It’s extraordinary and mundane, and that’s why I love it. Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next? I have another collection that’s about to go out to my editor here after the holidays, probably for a Spring release. I’m also working on my first novel, which is going well at the moment. If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice? No more ghosts and monsters popping up behind people’s reflections in mirrors. I just die a little inside every time I see it. What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you? Philip Fracassi’s Beneath a Pale Sky was the last great one. I’d rather not say the last disappointing book, because as a new author on the scene I need all the friends I can get! What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do? And what would be the answer? Do you have a tattoo from Stephen King’s The Dark Tower? And the answer is yes. Yes, I do. Red Rains Down |
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