Gabrielle Faust

What first attracted you to horror writing?

My first foray into the world of horror literature was around the age of ten when I started stealing my mother’s copies of Stephen King and Dean Koontz novels. I had already been raised on a diet of horror films and television shows, so the curiosity as to where movies such as The Shining came from was natural. I was instantly drawn into the suspense and thrill of the horror genre and the way it caused my imagination to run wild until I was unable to even sleep with the lights on, let alone off. Not only was the creativity superb but it evoked a primal human emotion, fear, which was exciting in a demented and grim way that other genres were simply unable to cultivate.

What is your most notable work?

Within the vampire genre, my notable work is the first in the Eternal Vigilance trilogy. Here, I was striving to craft the vampire tale I had yet to read myself, and to challenge the genre on a more metaphysical level. Recently, however, I do feel that my new novel, Revenge, is perhaps my strongest writing to date. It was an epic undertaking and the end result is a book that challenges every known perception of heaven, hell, angels, demons and everything in between. My co-author, Solomon Schneider, and I set out to not only write the most profound dark adventure story we could dream, but also poise deeply metaphysical and philosophical questions to our readers about the nature of the human spirit and our relevance in our perceived state of ‘existence’ be it physical or spiritual. It is dark and demented and brimming with bizarre new creatures. I am quite proud of our accomplishment, if I do say so myself.

What are you working on now?

I am currently working on several projects, including the fourth book in the Eternal Vigilance vampire series, which is actually the first book in the second trilogy, a new stand-alone vampire novel entitled Bloodlines, and a historical fiction novel based on the life of the illustrator of the Rider-Waite tarot deck, Pamela Colman Smith.

Who do you admire in the horror world?

There are so many people I admire in the horror world but those who have influenced me the most over the years in the literary world have been Clive Barker, Stephen King, Anne Rice, Michael Marano, Kim Paffenroth, Brian Lumley, Poppy Z. Brite, Barbara Hambley and Edgar Allen Poe. Artistically H.R.Giger, Steve Niles and Max Ernst. Cinematically, the filmmakers Neil Jordan, Glen Standring, David Slade, Ridley Scott, Roman Polanski and Len Wiseman. However, this is only a very short list of the people whom I admire in the horror industry.

Do you prefer all out gore or psychological chills?

Honestly, for me a psychological horror is far more terrifying than blood and guts. Psychological horror is more about what you can’t see, rather than what you can see, which leaves your imagination to run rampant.

Why should people read your work?

I would like to believe that the stories I contribute to the world are unlike anything else on the market. I do not write to a particular genre or trend. They are powerful and unique, and it is my hope that they will draw the reader into a very bizarre world, which they have not imagined before.

Recommend a book.