Book Talk with Kealan Patrick Burke discussion
Questions
Hi Kealan,
I don't know if you remember or not, but we exchanged some e-mails a couple of years ago about e-publishing. I was inquiring about how so many of your books were OOP and hard to find, and you had yet to fully enter to the e-arena.
Now I see that you have. Are you finding that people are interested? Have physical copies sold more because of the e-copies?
I'm interesting in this for a couple of reasons:
1. curiosity
2. I'm looking to start my own small, boutique publishing company in the near future.
Thanks.
BTW, I recently purchased a beautiful copy of Currency of Souls. Haven't read it yet, but I'm looking forward to it.
I don't know if you remember or not, but we exchanged some e-mails a couple of years ago about e-publishing. I was inquiring about how so many of your books were OOP and hard to find, and you had yet to fully enter to the e-arena.
Now I see that you have. Are you finding that people are interested? Have physical copies sold more because of the e-copies?
I'm interesting in this for a couple of reasons:
1. curiosity
2. I'm looking to start my own small, boutique publishing company in the near future.
Thanks.
BTW, I recently purchased a beautiful copy of Currency of Souls. Haven't read it yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

Not sure how much you'll be able to talk about this, but I was wondering about your work in relation to movies. I enjoyed the Peekers short, and I loved the screenplay for Mr. Goodnight that was in "The Number 121 to Pennsylvania" collection.
Do you have interest (or are there already things in the works) in taking any of your other stories to the big/small screen? Are there works you think would translate particularly well to film?
I'm not a filmmaker, so I'm not digging for leads--I've just thought that quite a bit of your work has a solid cinematic feel to it, and was wondering what your thoughts were.
Thanks for all of your books and stories, and thanks for doing the Q&A.

I recently ordered KIN from Cemetery Dance. I'm really curious as to how you tackled this particular brand of violent horror. I never really imagined that you would do..."
Very cool Kealan... this will really be interesting. Your approach to a leatherface type of character kind of reminds me of what Rex Miller did with his Chaingang character in SLOB. His hyper-kinetic prose and strong characterization really brought an incredibly terrifying character to life.


Thanks for responding, Kealan.
Your answer pretty much sums up my reason for reading horror. A fascination with fear, whether transient or persistent.


Is there any topic or subject matter that you would consider beyond the pale? Is there anything, even in the horror genre, that you simply would not want to address in your writing?

Do you feel there is a trend toward going over the line in horror, as it concerns taboo subjects, gratuitous violence and gore?
That horror fiction is following horror movies down the slippery slope of overkill to appease shorter attention spans and baser tastes instead of raising the standards?

Nothing left to shock us, or are we numb from the stimulation of our baser impulses, becoming drooling sociopaths?

I have more questions, but I can tell you're ready to throw something at me, so I'll hold off. :P

I was just involved in a discussion on another Forum, concerning Horror and it's attraction for people who feel like outsiders, or have suffered from traumatic events. Helping them deal with their fears. Escapist therapy, I guess.
Horror is all about facing fear. How do you feel about Horror being the voice of the victims, the lost and the broken? Perhaps even being the genre that takes the fight against certain "human" predators to the public, the way that "The Girl Next Door" or "Mr. Hands" did?

I'm gonna have that printed on a t-shirt for my next family get together!
The defense rests!

You recently mentioned your intention to write a noir book, which is why you chose to read Ellroy's BLACK DAHLIA. How much research will you be doing? Have you considered Chandler or his heir apparent, Andrew Vachss? Or Cornell Woolrich?
And what attracted you to noir?

The first DVD I ever bought was THE BIG SLEEP, featuring both the original and the re-release.

Now that you've decided to write a noir novel, and abandon your loyal fans for the bright lights of the mainstream, can you recommend a horror novelist we can switch our allegiance to? ;)

Well, naturally, that goes without saying. But, you do have to admit, when you say you write horror, people look at you like you molest shrubbery, or, God forbid, you vote Republican. ;)

What form of horror do you find is the most difficult to write, short stories or novels?
And, do you know if an idea will be a novel or short story from square one?

My question is: Don't you think it is unfair to the rest of us that you are blessed with so much talent?
*grinning*


Fair? I haven't seen him act, so I can't say.


I always thought that a short story, particularly a horror short story, would be the hardest to produce, given how little room you have to work with, to grab the reader's imagination and deliver a solid scare.
Americans have accents?
It's been so long since I've heard anyone speaking English...... :P

The last man on earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock at the door....

I read something similiar recently, it was about 3 lines. I guess the name for that is flash fiction?
I think it's awesome, but it seems to me that it must be very hard to write? Maybe not, I don't know.

I found Kealan's movie!
Slime City Massacre
I'm off to see if I can buy a copy."
Recluse, I think one of the ladies in it, played the old lady with the dog in Something About Mary.
I still laugh whenever I think about that movie...
Franks and Beans!!


Another question: I wrote a story for a contest a couple of months back and I am a little confused by the process. I was staring at the little blank box I was supposed to write in and then there were words filling it a half hour later. I don't remember writing it and I had to go read it after I sent it to find out what I wrote. Does this happen for you sometimes, or do I have to up my meds?

Okay, that explains why the washer is clanking. :P
Books mentioned in this topic
Ilium (other topics)Shadowland (other topics)
Mystic River (other topics)
Darkness, Take My Hand (other topics)
Shutter Island (other topics)
More...
I recently ordered KIN from Cemetery Dance. I'm really curious as to how you tackled this particular brand of violent horror. I never really imagined that you would do a chain saw massacre type of homage... =)
What possessed you to enter into the sadistic/gorefest arena? Looking for a new challenge...? ;)