As a fan of The Hungry Earth, I was ecstatic when I heard author Nicholas Kaufmann was joining us in our sporror anthology, because it was a topic he’d already written and done an excellent job on. But could he replicate that success? Could he write a short story that would have me gripping the page as well as The Hungry Earth did? I was hopeful, for sure! And my expectations were like a mushroom cloud, growing in shock and horror with every paragraph! This is one story you do not want to miss, so let’s hear more about it directly from Nicholas Kaufmann himself!
“It’s best not to bother spirits. You leave them alone, they’ll leave you alone.”
Dead and Forgotten in Manhattanville by Nicholas Kaufmann, featured in Dark Spores by Crone Girls Press.
Q (Crone Girls Press): What inspired your story in this anthology? Tell us the “story behind the story.”
A (Nicholas Kaufmann): Years ago, I read about the phenomenon of “lot line windows” being bricked up in people’s apartments, including one about how it affected an old woman in the apartment she’d lived in for decades. The memory of it stuck with me for years, and I’m glad I was finally able to draw upon it for this story.
Q: Why do you write horror? What about the genre appeals to you as an author?
A: I am drawn to its heightened reality and often intense, complicated emotions. Also, I’ve loved monsters since I was a child, and even though many of my stories don’t necessarily feature a monster, it’s that strong childhood love that keeps my fire burning.
Q: There are a number of different flavors of horror. Where does your story fit, and what drew you to this particular category?
A: I’d say my story fits in the category of psychological horror or weird fiction. For this story, I needed the horror element to be quiet, creepy, and in the corner of the reader’s eye, rather than front and center.
Q: What do you love about mushrooms? What drew you to this anthology?
A: I fell in love with fungus in 2020 when I read Merlin Sheldrake’s ENTANGLED LIFE. It inspired me to write my science-based horror-thriller THE HUNGRY EARTH, as well as its sequels THE STONE SERPENT and THE MIND WORMS. It ignited a love of strange science in me that led directly to the creation of my all-ages podcast SPOOKY SCIENCE LAB.
Q: When you’re not writing, what might we find you doing? (Free time or for a day job?)
A: I love reading, watching movies and TV (and increasingly, YouTube videos), and going for walks in my hometown of NYC, where there’s always something to see.
Q: What’s next in your writing journey?
A: I’m starting work on a novel called A GLEAM IN THE DARK. This one might be more thriller than horror, but since it’s me writing it, I’ll be drawing on a lot of my love of horror.
About The Author
Nicholas Kaufmann is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated, Thriller Award-nominated, Shirley Jackson Award-nominated, and Dragon Award-nominated author of numerous works of horror and suspense, including the bestsellers 100 Fathoms Below (written with Steven L. Kent) and The Hungry Earth. His short fiction has appeared in Cemetery Dance, Black Static, Nightmare Magazine, Interzone, Cosmic Horror Monthly, and others. In addition to his own original work, he has written for such properties as Zombies vs. Robots, The Rocketeer, and Warhammer. He is also the co-host, along with science-fiction/horror author David Wellington, of the strange-but-true science podcast Spooky Science Lab. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.
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Be sure to check out their story in Dark Spores
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