Confessions of my Past, Present and Future
by
Iain Rob Wright
The Past
Growing up, I first started reading the Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine (the Mask!) and the Point Horror book series. Later I went onto the work of Terry
Pratchett, The Colour of Magic being
my introduction to that great man. I loved the amazing cast of characters (Rincewind!) and the world-building. My
love of reading truly ignited then (when I was around 12) and I never looked
back.
As a kid, one of my favourite things would be visiting
the book seller at a weekly car boot in the next village. My dad would give me
some money and I would leaf through all of the tattered paperbacks with
excitement. I found James Herbert’s The
Rats amongst those second-hand tomes and read it in one night (it’s not the
longest of books). My mum went ahead and bought me The Lair and Domain
(books 2 and 3). Eventually I got a copy of Once,
when it first came out, but it disappointed me. I felt the book was more porn
than horror and I sadly went off James Herbert then.
Next I discovered Stephen King. I have read just about everything he has released by now, but along the way I discovered the books of Dean Koontz, Richard Laymon, Brian Keene, Jack Kilborn, Jeff Strand, and dozens more. I devoured horror for many, many years. That was my past.
The Present
My absolutely favourite books recently have been The Song of Ice and Fire series by
George R.R. Martin (release the Winds of
Winter already!) and the Masters of
Rome series by Colleen McCullough (the chick who wrote The Thorn Birds). You’re probably surprised by that – a horror
writer reading History and Fantasy – but I struggle to find new horror books I
enjoy, and I have come to enjoy more challenging reads that span the globe and thousands
of pages. One day I would like to expand the horror genre in the same way by writing
long, epic-as-all-hell doorstop novels. Once I am established enough that I can
take a whole year to write a book, then I may just do that.
I have also come to enjoy thrillers. I enjoy the Joe Ledger books by Jonathan Maberry,
the Jack Reacher books by Lee Child,
and have just discovered a series by Rebecca Cantrell, featuring an agoraphobic
protagonist named Joe Tesla, and his dog Edison. It’s set in the underground tunnels
beneath Manhattan, and it has a similar feel to the works of Douglas Preston
(whose books I also enjoy). I love urban legends about secret places (Like
Denver Airport) and Rebecca Cantrell delivers in spades. The first book is
called The World Beneath and I highly
suggest you check it out.
Horror-wise, I have just read 22/11/63 by King, which I really enjoyed, and I finished the Wayward Pines series by Blake Crouch
which was fantastic. My favourite horror authors at the moment are Jeff Strand
(who needs to write more!), Blake Crouch, and F. Paul Wilson (I have been
hurtling through the Repairman Jack
books and think there should be a movie). Then there are guys like Scott
Sigler, Brian Keene, Kim Paffenroth, Robert McCammon, and David Wellington who are
all amazing.
The Future
I hope that in the future all of the horror superstars
are amongst my friends. There are a lot of authors who are on the same journey as
me, and it would be great to see some of them become genre icons. Some guys
like Matt Shaw are probably already there, but there are a lot of
underappreciated guys like Craig Saunders, Jacob Raynes, and many, many more
who I don’t have time to name, and I would enjoy seeing them rise into
well-known names. I have cordial relationships with J.A. Konrath, Jeff Carlson,
David Moody, Hugh Howey, Jeff Strand, Russel Blake, Scott Nicholson, and
others, and it’s nice to see that they are all guys who are willing to help the
little guys coming up.
My only beef with the horror genre right now is that
there are not enough women at the top. Two-thirds of my readers are female, yet
it’s a complete sausage fest in the horror writer groups. I would love to see a
really successful female horror writer come along. Sarah Pinborough is waving
the flag highest at the moment I think, but there needs to be more.
And if I’m still selling books of my own in the future
then I would consider myself extremely lucky.
A message from Iain:
It’s hard to find new authors that you enjoy, but you can
take a chance on my books for free by signing up to my Mailing List. In
exchange for your email (I only send two newsletters a month, and no spam), you
get FIVE of my books for free (eBook versions).
Four are full length novels and the fifth is a short
story that was banned from sale everywhere. You can join up just by copying and
pasting this link into your browser: http://eepurl.com/baDkyT
You can also check out my latest novel, The Gates, which is my first steps
towards building an epic horror universe.
You can read my review of The Gates: An Apocalyptic Horror Novel here.
You can buy The
Gates here.
You can buy any of Iain’s other books here.
If you would like to help support Confessions of a Reviewer,
then please consider using the links below to buy any of the books
mentioned in this feature. This not only supports me but also lets me know
how many people actually like to buy books after reading my reviews.
Thanks.
The three most important things in his life are his wife, his son, and his fans.
His work is currently being adapted for graphic novels, audio books, and foreign audiences. He's an active member of the Horror Writer's Association and a massive animal lover. Join his mailing list and receive five FREE books, as well as all the latest news and releases.
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