Bloody Parchment Event 2012

Join us for this year's SA HorrorFest Bloody Parchment event when a selection of Cape Town's top local authors thrill and spook us with their horror-themed drabbles (a short story of exactly 100 words). Contributors include Sarah Lotz, Lauren Beukes, Dave Chislett, Louis Greenberg, Cat Hellisen, Joan De La Haye, Maya Teresa Fowler, Toby Bennett and others. Dress up like your favourite ghoul and join us for cupcakes and thrills at the Book Lounge (71 Roeland Street, Cape Town), on Friday, October 26, 5.30pm for 6pm.

RSVP with the Book Lounge at booklounge@gmail.com and, if you have any questions, feel free to email nerinedorman@gmail.com

Except for Bryan... Austin Malone's vision #guest

Today I welcome another of our Bloody Parchment anthology finalists, Austin Malone, who's the man responsible for the chilling tale, Except for Bryan. So, Austin, tell us a little about yourself.

I'm a new writer with a lifelong love for speculative fiction. A native of New Orleans, I live in Texas with my wife and daughter. I enjoy chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, Belgian ale, and my favorite color is purple.

Tell us a little about the background of your story.

As a child of the 80s, raised by parents who are devout horror fans themselves, I've been increasingly dismayed by the current trend to oversaturate the genre with zombies and torture-porn. I saw this anthology as an opportunity to reclaim horror for the genuinely creepy and disturbing tales that kept me awake at nights as a kid.

Are there any interesting anecdotes relating to its creation?

Well, my job is such that I spend about six hours a night listening to podcasts. Some of my favorite ear-candy is the old time radio dramas from the 40s and 50s. While pondering what to write about, I came across an old episode about a woman who transfers the souls of her enemies into marionettes, and in listening, I rediscovered a fundamental fact: Puppets are creepy. I was also annoyed by the Xmas decorations that were popping up like fungus all over town in mid-October, and suddenly Krampus decided he wanted in on the story. For those unfamiliar with Santa's demonic little helper, Google is your friend.

What do you like about horror as a genre?

In real life, the things that frighten us on a day-to-day basis are largely intangible. Unless presented with a direct threat, we tend to exist in a state of perpetual anxiety, unable to confront the things we fear. Not so in horror fiction. There, we always have the chance to face our fears. Even when the odds are stacked hopelessly against the victims, they can at least point to a tangible source and say, "There. That's the bad guy, right there. Overcome this, and we all get to live happily ever after, or at least until the sequel comes out."

What scares you?

Once, while in a veterinary waiting room, I saw an elderly woman with a rabbit on her lap. She was feeding the rabbit strips of bacon, and I found myself unaccountably unsettled by this. So. Yeah. Little old ladies who keep carnivorous bunny rabbits... Brr.

Where can people find you online?

Like most writers, I keep a trunk full of misshapen mutant brainbabies who have never seen the light of day. This trunk can be found at http://www.austinmalone.livejournal.com. I'm also on Facebook, if folks want to drop by and say hi there.