Michael McBride lives in Westminster, Colorado in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, where he has spent his entire life. He can be found hammering on the keyboard night and day, always within arm's reach of both hot and cold caffeinated beverages. Aside from writing, Michael is an avid reader and hockey fanatic, hoping to one day live his dream of having season tickets on the glass at the Pepsi Center. Among his most notable successes are meeting his beautiful wife- who somehow manages to overlook his peculiar neuroses- and their three children, whom, through the miracle of genetics, managed to inherit their mother's looks and their father's idiosyncrasies. His alter-ego works with radiation, which should be at least somewhat mitigating. SPECIES, the first novel in his Apocalyptic trilogy from Black Death Books, will be released in April, 2004.
Questions and Answers
What are you currently working on?
At the moment I'm in the process of finishing the second volume of the SPECIES trilogy, tentatively titled THE HIVE. Between that and SECOND SIGHT - a horror of analogous human evolution and mutation- I'm keeping quite busy.
As a reader do you prefer Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror?
I love all types of speculative fiction, especially the rare few that draw you into the protagonist's world and make you feel like a part of the story. Growing up, I read almost exclusively Science Fiction (I loved the Piers Anthony Xanth novels!) until I found Stephen King and Dean Koontz on my parents' bookshelf, and that was it!
When did you first decide that you wanted to be an author?
I've enjoyed writing since I was old enough to hold a pen, but it wasn't until my freshman year at the University of Colorado that it became an imperative. I had a creative writing instructor named Tobin Van der Nuell, who went out of his way to encourage me to try "to be the next John Updike". So, it's really all his fault. Blame him if you must!
When did you first feel that you were an author?
With my first rejection letter. I'd just finished what I was sure was the greatest work of fiction ever written, and then I received the infamous, terribly impersonal form letter of rejection. I guess I knew I was an author when, instead of getting depressed and giving up, I grew enraged and vowed to prove them wrong. I look back at that novel now, and I think "Man... that was absolutely dreadful!"
Are you for or against e-books?
I'm a proponent of any medium that allows authors to bring the fruits of their labor - their sweat and passion - to the mass market. Maybe some of these books should never have seen the light of day, but that's no different than grabbing a book from any retailer's shelf. It's the same crap-shoot. Look at the success of Karen Koehler's SLAYER series... That started as an e-book. And J. Knight's RISEN, which is a masterful piece of fiction. It premiered in electronic format as well.
What is the scariest story you have read?
The novel adaptation of Halloween III, believe it or not. I snuck it from my mom's shelf when I was ten, and couldn't even get halfway through the book. It scared the living hell out of me!
What gives you nightmares?
I wish I could say that my dreams are full of demons and monsters, but they're far more banal. I fear the bills mounting, or, God forbid, something terrible happening to someone in my family. I miss the naiveté of youth... the creatures in the closet and the clawed hands under my bed. Fear is such a primal emotion. It's intrinsically innocent and magically simple. What I wouldn't give to trade the worries of adulthood for one last night quivering in my old bunk bed, covers pulled up over my head, breathless, scared to death of the crashing thunder and the shadow behind my bedroom door...
Have you ever used real life horrors for inspiration?
Much of my novel SPECIES is based on a particular blood disorder called a Prothrombin II mutation that affects one out of seven hundred thousand. It's a clotting factor malady for which there's no cure. Nearly my entire family bears this curse, which could potentially lead to throwing clots and deep venous thromboses, or worse yet, generating spontaneous brain emboli that could drop us dead in a heartbeat!
Given the high quality of horror fiction available, why do you think there are so few great horror movies?
The power of horror is in the imagination, not of the writer, but of the reader. Reading a frightening novel involves all of the senses. It's as much about the creaking floorboards in a silent house, and the rattle of the branches outside in the wind against the windowpane, as much as it is about the words. The readers' imagination allows them to combine their worst nightmares into a physical entity that's a conglomerate manifestation of all of their fears. Reading gives your mind full sway to bring the horrors to life in every darkened corner, while movies are the product of someone else's imagination and are limited by the technology of special effects. Even the most frightening monster from the page can be made to look disappointingly mundane by even the best make-up job.
Is there anything more that can be done with vampires, demons and zombies?
In my novel SPECIES, I believe I've developed an original and fresh perspective on zombies. The thing I've always found to be something of a let-down about zombie novels is that the majority never really explain why the zombies are what they are. They just kind of crawl out of their graves for no apparent reason. Addressing that issue was one of my primary focuses in writing SPECIES.
What's the most memorable thing said in a review of your work?
"McBride writes with a rare confidence, and his audacious story will thrill you to your reptilian care." - Tim Lebbon, author of Fears Unnamed.
Have you won any awards for your writing?
I'm currently a finalist for the first annual Draco Award in horror for my novel THE LEGACY. Cross your fingers for me.
Plug away - what do you have coming out?
My debut novel SPECIES, the first in the highly anticipated Apocalyptic trilogy from Black Death Books, will be released in April 2004.
Many Thanks, Michael!
Relevant LinksMichael McBride Main Bibliography
Michael McBride's Website
Black Death Books Website