![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cemeterydance.com\/extras\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/WIH_WebBanner.jpg?resize=830%2C120\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
In 2018 Alma Katsu took the world of horror fiction by storm with\u00a0The Hunger<\/em>, her re-imagining of the tragic story of the Donner Party.\u00a0The Hunger<\/em> was named to NPR’s list of 100 Best Horror Stories, and made the “Most Anticipated” lists of a number of media outlets, including\u00a0The Guardian\u00a0<\/em>and io9.<\/p>\n Katsu is currently working on a new novel centered around another historic tragedy—the Titanic<\/em>—as well as a spy novel and other projects. She was kind enough to take time out of her schedule to chat with Cemetery Dance.\u00a0<\/p>\n (Interview conducted by Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann<\/a>)<\/p>\n CEMETERY DANCE: Alma, thank you so much for agreeing to talk to me on behalf of Cemetery Dance and their spotlight on Women in Horror! As many of us in the industry know, February is Women in Horror Month which surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly) sparks some debate\/controversy. What are your thoughts on \u201cWomen in Horror Month\u201d and, perhaps as a sub-question, do you have anything to say about female fans of horror?<\/strong><\/p>\n ALMA KATSU: I\u2019m happy (relieved, grateful) that there is acknowledgement that women have a place in horror. It would be disingenuous for anyone to deny that horror hasn\u2019t always been welcoming to women, I think, or that women are \u201csupposed\u201d to be drawn to horror. WiHM makes you feel like you have a place at the table. That your views and experiences are valid, too.<\/p>\n The world is often a horrible place and women know this. We face many of the same horrors that men do, but we also face some that many men will probably never know. I say this based on my experience as one of the analysts in the intelligence community who followed the world\u2019s humanitarian crises, which included genocides and mass atrocities. Pretty grim stuff. I\u2019ve seen women face the worst nightmares you can imagine—I won\u2019t go into it here—and have seen that sometimes, often, the way they respond to these horrors is different from men. I wouldn\u2019t go so far as to say there\u2019s a gender difference, but I have come to appreciate the perspective women bring. For instance, did you know that the most successful reconciliation efforts post-genocide are the ones run by women? Again, not saying men don\u2019t have unique perspectives, too—I\u2019m just happy there\u2019s room for a multitude of perspectives.<\/p>\n Your book The Hunger<\/em>\u00a0has gotten great reviews, lots of press and has recently shown up on the preliminary ballot for the 2018 Bram Stoker Awards! Congratulations! I read The Hunger<\/em> last year and enjoyed it very much. You must be so proud of your book baby. How have you processed all of this publicity and accolades?<\/strong><\/p>\n Thank you very much. It’s been quite a surprise. All those months writing, rewriting, sweating out the days until release, you have no idea how a book is going to be received, if it\u2019s going to find its audience. I still haven\u2019t processed this great good luck. It feels unreal.<\/p>\n What was a favorite highlight or experience during the release of The Hunger<\/em>?<\/strong><\/p>\n Learning that Stephen King had tweeted about the book<\/a>. You never think something like that is going to happen to you. I was getting ready to do an event at Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale and I learned literally minutes before I was going on stage with Brad Meltzer (another crazy lucky break). I don\u2019t remember how I found my way to the bookstore, I was in such a daze.<\/p>\n What have you been working on lately and are there any Alma Katsu books slated for release soon?<\/strong><\/p>\n Not super soon, I\u2019m afraid. The next book is The Deep<\/em>, which is a ghost story set on the Titanic<\/em> and its sister ship, Britannic<\/em>, which also sank. The idea for the book came when I found out there was one woman who survived both sinkings. Like The Hunger<\/em>, it has lots and lots of history, and also draws on social themes with current relevance (in this case, women\u2019s rights and class disparity—it was the Gilded Age, after all). I\u2019ve always thought ghost stories are the hardest to pull off, so I am looking forward to learning what readers think. It\u2019s not scheduled to come out until spring 2020.<\/p>\n I also sold my first spy novel—after 30+ years in the business, you\u2019d think this would\u2019ve happened sooner but better late than never. It\u2019s tentatively titled Red Widow<\/em> and may come out very early in 2021.<\/p>\n Lastly, I\u2019m making my debut in comics with a serialized graphic novel for Porsche! There\u2019s a funny story behind how that happened, but I\u2019ll save it for another day. Think Atomic Blonde<\/em><\/a>\u00a0with lots and lots of Porsches. I\u2019m partnering with the extremely talented Victor Santos, creator of the Polar series (a live-action movie based on his books was recently released on Netflix<\/a>). We don\u2019t have a title for it yet. The first installment will be coming out in a few months.<\/p>\n Alma, what were some of your favorite horror books from 2018?<\/strong><\/p>\n With all the writing, I\u2019m woefully behind on reading this year. Nor can I say that I read a lot within any genre, let alone horror. I read Victor Lavalle\u2019s The Changeling<\/em>, which I enjoyed very much, though I don\u2019t know that I\u2019d call it horror; more like modern fairy tale. Unbury Carol<\/em> by Josh Malerman was a favorite, too; I was (still am) hoping for a weird Western wave with The Hunger<\/em>\u2026 Back to the question of what is horror? I enjoyed Tana French\u2019s The Witch Elm<\/em> and that makes me think of C.J. Tudor\u2019s The Hiding Place<\/em>, with its fabulous voice and twisty plot. I devoured the King\u2019s The Outsider<\/em>, both in print and audio, which might be a first for me.<\/p>\n What women in horror do you look up to?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anne Rice, first of all. She changed popular culture on so many fronts and especially how we think about “monsters”—how many writers are able to achieve that? I also admire authors who are able to transcend narrative norms, so authors like Carmen Maria Machado and Kelly Link, whose writing often has horrific elements (in addition to magical realism, fantasy, and science fiction). Speaking of unusual but successful ghost stories: Audrey Niffenegger (Her Fearful Symmetry<\/em>) and Sarah Waters (The Little Stranger<\/em>). Charlaine Harris because she might also be one of the nicest, most generous people on the planet. Shirley Jackson, of course\u2026 and I\u2019m sure I\u2019m forgetting someone, because you always do in moments like this.<\/p>\n Oh yes: Bride of Frankenstein<\/em>, because what woman can\u2019t relate? You wake up one day and look around and think, I didn\u2019t ask for this.<\/p>\n Is there anything about 2019 that you\u2019re particularly looking forward to? Could be books, movies, whatever you have on your calendar that we should know about so we can look forward to them too!<\/strong><\/p>\n Of the things I\u2019m aware of (which is a tiny, tiny universe): The Invited<\/em> by Jennifer McMahon (April) because GHOST STORY; and Josh Malerman\u2019s Inspection<\/em>, which I got to read early and man, as a piece of writing it\u2019s like a flying trapeze act. Who else can write like that?<\/p>\n In the style of Kill Creek<\/em> by Scott Thomas, if you had to spend the night in a haunted house with three other horror authors who are alive and working today, who would you choose?<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m going to take the easy way out and pick three amazing folks: Christopher Golden, whom I got to meet in person recently and, in addition to being a total sweetheart (not horrible in any way), is so generous with writerly advice; Josh Malerman, because I admire his storytelling virtuosity; and Jennifer McMahon, great storyteller, yes, but also because—as we found out when we interviewed each other for Entertainment Weekly<\/em><\/a>—we have many interests in common. We\u2019re both Yankees! We like cute little travel trailers! Tiny notebooks!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cemeterydance.com\/extras\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/almakatsu-350x350.jpg?resize=300%2C300\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cemeterydance.com\/extras\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/hungerhardcover-240x350.jpeg?resize=240%2C350\")