James Chambers story is one that made my skin crawl, it’s fantastic. A brilliant addition to our anthology, Dark Spores: Stories We Tell After Midnight Volume 4, and lets James truly show off why he has so many awards for his work. This story is one that really sticks with the reader. Let’s hear more from James about this story, his writing, and what he’s working on!
“The corpse-things’ shadows spider-legged across the grass and grave markers—and somehow, from somewhere, came the sound of my name.”
““It takes time for the dead to forget…’”
The Epigeous Dead by James Chambers, 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 (James Chambers): Mainly, the swiftness with which mushrooms can appear and the fact that when they do, they’re only the surface protrusion of an underground fungal network. I found the idea of these sprouts from below prodding up, primarily for the purpose of spreading their spores, engaging and full of potential for stories. It led me along some interesting idea paths until I finally settled on what became “The Epigeous Dead.”
Q: Why do you write horror? What about the genre appeals to you as an author?
A: Writing horror means not sweeping stuff under the rug. In horror, when bad things happen, there’s no ducking the consequences. Even when a horror story has a happy or upbeat ending, the world and the characters should have been inalterably changed. Horror is about awareness of the dark sides of life and how people can cope with them. It’s the genre where authors and readers can define and confront our monsters, share and explore awful truths, and come to grips with real-world evils.
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 describe it as a psychological/supernatural/fungal horror with a dash of apocalyptic horror just for fun. I can’t say why exactly I went in this direction except that when I researched fungi and started playing through ideas, several key images in the story leapt out to me, and began the process of stitching them into a narrative. The elements came together naturally for me, each complementing and enhancing the other.
Q: What do you love about mushrooms? What drew you to this anthology?
A: I’ve always been fascinated by how quickly mushrooms appear, literally overnight in the right conditions, and where they grow (in the ground, on trees, on rocks). That and their seemingly infinite variety made the theme of this anthology appealing. Some mushrooms are tasty and delicious while others are lethal, and it requires substantial knowledge to be sure which are which in some cases. Then there’s the folklore and mystique around mushrooms–bleeding tooth, cordyceps, and devil’s fingers–and all the elements are there for so many types of horror stories.
Q: When you’re not writing, what might we find you doing? (Free time or for a day job?)
A: Editing, reading, hanging out with my dogs, collecting vintage comic books, listening to music, kayaking, spending time with friends and family–and thinking about writing!
Q: What’s next in your writing journey?
A: Coming up for me is the all-new anthology, WHERE THE SILENT ONES WATCH, which I edited and Hippocampus Press will publish. It features stories and poems from 27 authors inspired by or set in the literary worlds of William Hope Hodgson, one of the foundational authors of the weird fiction and horror genres. Beyond that, I have another anthology in the works, as well as several short stories, novellas, and comic book projects all winding their way toward publication–but not yet far enough along to announce.
About The Author
James Chambers is the Bram Stoker Award® and Scribe Award-winning editor and author of A Bright and Beautiful Eternal World, On the Night Border, On the Hierophant Road, the original graphic novel, Kolchak the Night Stalker: The Forgotten Lore of Edgar Allan Poe, and editor of Under Twin Suns: Alternate Histories of the Yellow Sign, A New York State of Fright, and Where the Silent Ones Watch. His website is www.jameschambersonline.com.
You can also find him on his socials: Facebook and Instagram.
Be sure to check out their story in Dark Spores
Crone Girls Press 