TIM MENDEES HAS THE SECRET TO MIRACLE GROWTH

5/4/2022

Tim Mendees is a horror writer from Macclesfield in the North-West of England that specialises in cosmic horror and weird fiction. A lifelong fan of classic weird tales, Tim set out to bring the pulp horror of yesteryear into the 21st Century and give it a distinctly British flavour. His work has been described as the love-child of H.P. Lovecraft and P.G. Wodehouse and is often peppered with a wry sense of humour that acts as a counterpoint to the unnerving, and often disturbing, narratives.

Tim has had over eighty published short stories and novelettes along with five stand-alone novellas and a short story collection.

When he is not arguing with the spellchecker, Tim is a goth DJ, crustacean and cephalopod enthusiast, and the presenter of a popular web series of live video readings of his material and interviews with fellow authors. Tim is also a co-host of the Innsmouth Book Club podcast. He currently lives in Brighton & Hove with his pet crab, Gerald, and an army of stuffed octopods.

WEBSITE LINKS

https://timmendeeswriter.wordpress.com/
https://tinyurl.com/timmendeesyoutube
https://www.facebook.com/goatinthemachine
https://twitter.com/@mendees_tim
Amazon - https://viewauthor.at/tim_mendees

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

Hi, I'm a writer of weird fiction and cosmic horror originally from Macclesfield in the north-west of England. I'm now based down on the south-east coast. I've been writing properly since early 2019. I wrote a lot as a kid but I became a chef at 16 and a DJ in the little spare time I had which didn't leave a lot of time for it. I wrote the odd thing here and there but never did anything with it. I was convinced that nobody would be interested in my bizarre scribbling, it just goes to show how wrong you can be. I started writing again for the sake of my sanity. I developed a spinal condition that meant my career was over so I was going nuts. One afternoon while feeling sorry for myself, I decided to finally write that novel I'd been putting off for decades. After all, I had no excuse anymore, did I? It all came from there. Once I'd started, the floodgates opened and I haven't stopped. The novel was a complete disaster that I need to go back and rewrite at some point but it got me going.

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

In a way, I feel like I already have met some of them. The character of Ivy Finch in “Miracle Growth” is an amalgamation of my gran and all of her Women's Institute pals. Also in that book, the character of Jerry the Janitor is an affectionate tribute to a friend of mine who passed away a few years ago. Tony Cash was Brighton's top Johnny Cash tribute act and a damn fine chap to boot. Such a character.
Aside from that, I'd like to meet Mr Eugene Angove, a character that appears in a series of short stories and novelettes. He's a drunken explorer. I reckon we would have a damn fine drinking session if we got together.

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

I'm a huge fan of P.G. Wodehouse, Agatha Christie and Carry On movies. I guess that's where a lot of the humor and 'Britishness' of a lot of my stuff comes from. I like to use comedy as a counterpoint to all the horror. I like pulling the rug on the reader. Have them chuckling one minute then freaked out the next.

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 not an issue to me at all. I'm very firmly of the opinion that if you enjoy what you do and are proud of what you do, who cares what anyone else thinks? The was I see it, there are people out there that like horror, I like writing horror, it's all good. It's just a label at the end of the day. A handy way to sort books out on the shelf. There are so many sub-genres that it's all got a bit muddled anyway which I think is great. Is it fantasy, is it horror, is it sci-fi? Does it matter as long as you enjoy it?
I know some people who get bothered by tags and labels, I'm just not one of them. Somebody I talked to online got upset by being labeled as a 'pulp' writer. I don't get it, I loved it when someone described my stuff as pulp. I'm pulp and proud!

The one assumption I would change, however is that us horror writers are all scary and moody, it's just not true. We are all lovely! Maybe we should start a 'hug a horror writer' campaign to change this?

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?

Good question. I can see a lot more eco-horror on the horizon. It's a genre that kind of peaked in the early 70s then petered out. With all the worry about climate-change, that kind of thing is in people's heads again. Also, with the state of the global political situation, I can see a rise in cyberpunk and dystopian fiction.
Before COVID there was a lot of zombie virus stuff coming out. I think that will die off for a bit. I think we are all pandemiced out!

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

I think it's all about living vicariously. It's a way to experience the adrenaline of fear without being in any danger. Plus, who doesn't like a good monster every now and then. It's probably a primal thing. Some race memory of when we were being chased by bears and stuff like that. It gets us in touch with our savage side.

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

More tentacles! Nah, just kidding. I don't know. I think there is something out there for every reader. There is just about every niche covered nowadays. That's the beauty about having such a healthy indie horror scene. Some publisher somewhere will have you covered.

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

I'm a big fan of so many of the current crop of horror writers that we'd be here all day if I was to list them all. Off the top of my head, David Green, Robert Poyton, E.L Giles, Neen Cohen, Callum Pearce, S.O Green, Holley Cornetto. The list goes on and on.

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

My favorite positive review is from Sci-fi legend Piers Anthony. I had the pleasure of appearing in an anthology alongside him and he reviewed it on his blog. He said my story made him wince... my work is done.

My other favorite is a negative review. Somebody clearly didn't read the cover as they complained that it turned into “some kind of horror show.” The fact that this particular work is subtitled “a cosmic horror novella” should have given the game away.

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

Writing blurbs and synopsis. I absolutely suck at blurbs. I'm terrible at bigging up my work. My blurbs usually end up something like. “This bloke goes wandering about in the woods and then some tentacles appear and some other weird shit happens.”

Oh, and keeping to word counts. I couldn't keep under a word count with a gun to my head.

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

I don't think anything is off-limits as long as it's handled right. There are subjects I'd never touch, child abuse, bestiality, that kind of thing, but aside from that, everything else is fair game.

Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years?
Tremendously. It's like night and day. I look back on some of my early stuff and cringe. I guess that's the case with most writers. I've been fortunate enough to work with some amazing editors and I've learned a lot from that process.

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

Don't let rejections get you down. Seriously, I see so many writers get crushed by rejections. They are going to happen, it's part of the process. Most rejections are less about the quality and more about it being a good fit. There are so many publishers out there. Just keep subbing, you'll find somewhere eventually. Being a writer and not expecting rejections is like being a boxer and not expecting to be punched.

Which of your characters is your favourite?

I like a lot of my characters for different reasons but I'd have to go with my Great Old One, Ger'igguthy. I wanted to add something to the Cthulhu mythos pantheon and I'm proud of my creation.

Which of your books best represents you?

The easy answer would be my short story collection “The Pseudopod That Rocks The Cradle” as it's 18 stories so there is a bit of everything in there.

In terms of single releases, I'd definitely say “Miracle Growth.” It's got the comedy, it's got the weirdness, it's got the gore. It's pretty much me condensed into one book.

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

I like the silly lines. One of my favorite is from “The Creeping Void.” “A sharp thistle in the sporran region is a nightmare best avoided.” My current favorite is from “Miracle Growth.” “Something more humus than human.” I'm going to get More Humus Than Human on a t-shirt.

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

Miracle Growth is about the run-up to the flower and vegetable show at a small-town fete. Without giving too much away, let's just say that there is some dodgy compost going around and that things get quickly out of hand.

I have a couple of shorts to do then I'm going to work on the final novella in my Hollowhills Cycle and a sequel to Miracle Growth. I'm also editing a Cthulhu vs Musketeers mash-up anthology.

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

I wouldn't. I like cliches. They are just there waiting to be subverted. Again, it's all about yanking the rug out from under the reader.

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

The last book I loved was one I beta read for a publisher but I don't think I can talk about it yet. The one before that was the Arkham Horror novel “Mask of Silver.” I'm a sucker for a King in Yellow story and it didn't disappoint.

One that disappointed me was “Kraken” by China Mieville but it was all my own fault. I went in thinking it was a cosmic horror story but it turned out to be urban fantasy. It was well done, just not my cup of tea. Proof that you can't judge a book by the tentacles on the cover.

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

If you were a kind of squid, what squid would you be? As a self-respecting goth, I'd have to go for the vampire squid. Deep-sea Nosferatu!

Miracle Growth: A Cosmic Horror Novella (The Ger'igguthy Cycle)
by Tim Mendees

More Humus than Human

Bizarre things are unfolding in a sleepy Cornish town right in the middle of the annual fruit and vegetable show.

What was once a fun and enjoyable affair of roots, assorted pies, and blue ribbon pickles, has rival green-fingered neighbours turning to an untested miracle fertilizer to win the coveted Rosette. But all hell is about to break loose and it’s up to a team of bumbling locals to put an end to the insidious horror that threatens not just the town, but the whole world.

Can they stop the contamination before it spreads or will the vegetation prove to be un-beet-able?

You won't find any bland veggies in this book. Man-eating marrows and vicious vines are just a few of the nightmares that lurk within the idyllic countryside in this novella of cosmic horror. Weird, disturbing, and brilliantly funny.

You haven't read anything like this before. Check out our updated page and let us know what you think. Buy links and pre-order coming soon.