Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.
Rachel: Alex Grass is an independent horror author here to give you nightmares forever. Alex, tell us a little about your creative work.
Alex: Imagine David Cronenberg and Clive Barker smoking bath salts together and co- authoring a book of short stories. That’s what Infernal Tramps is all about. Phantasmagoric freakery, bizarrerie and body horror. I like the way one of my readers put it: “Think ‘Twilight Zone meets Hostel’.”
Rachel: Oooh, fun. If you could meet your characters, what would you say to them?
Alex: “You guys got to get it together. You can’t just be living out in the woods. And no more butt implants, or evil video games, or obese naked men fighting dogs. For Pete’s sake, maybe try therapy. People are starting to talk.”
Rachel: And how would they respond to that?
Alex: “You can’t tell me what to do. You’re not even my real dad.”
Rachel: Hah. Do you surprise your readers?
Alex: God, I hope so. I understand the safety and comfort of airport bestsellers, but I think if a writer’s not giving their readers whiplash, the writer’s doing something wrong.
Rachel: Why do you write? What drives you?
Alex: I want to affect someone the way my favorite writers affected me. I want to, pardon the cliché, reach the reader’s heart. Though, I’ll settle for making them very, very upset.
Rachel: I too enjoy upsetting readers, but it’s not a living. If you weren’t a writer, what do you think you’d do instead?
Alex: Nothing productive, I’m sure.
Rachel: Do you have any lines you’re particularly proud of?
Alex: “Do you think Jesus had pets?”
“I’m not really sure,” Rezazadeh answered. “Certainly, he would’ve come across a good many goats and donkeys. Agrarian culture and all that.”
“I bet Jesus was good with animals.”
“He certainly had a way with fish.”
It’s weird and idiotic, which is fun. But it’s also something you can imagine hearing in a
real conversation.
Rachel: Words do more than convey meaning—they’re a way to express feeling. How do you select the right words?
Alex: It’s not any single word that will convey powerful imagery or ideas, but a special combination of those single words. The words “ate” and “mother” are, on their own, nothing special. But have your character say: “I ate my mother”. Well, then that’s something else.
Rachel: On that lovely note, what’s your next writing project?
Alex: Hookem Kookem. More short stories. I’m also working on editing an anthology, and a novella, both by other writers.
Rachel: Tell us where the Night Beats community can find you and find your work!
Alex: You can find my work at:
Night Beats Extended Universe 