Vampires have been an abiding interest with me ever since I saw a local production of Dracula while in seventh grade. Since then I have enjoyed the spine-tingling terror of numerous vampire movies and a multitude of books where vampires are central figures; just look at all the books I've reviewed for Tomes of Shadowstalking! That's probably why I first picked up Necroscope. I'll admit, the handling of the vampires took me by surprise...but now I can hardly wait for the latest books in the Necroscope/E-Branch world to appear in paperback!
The author of these most excellent books, Brian Lumley, kindly consented to do an e-mail interview with me, and now you get to enjoy the results! However, there is more to Mr. Lumley than what appears here, so please be sure to follow the links at the end of the interview to visit a website that provides considerably more information on him.
The interview that follows comes from e-mail messages sent back and forth between myself and Mr. Lumley. I've filtered the interview down somewhat, but all with his approval. Enjoy!--XS
XS: I assume "Brian Lumley" is your real name.
BL: Yes.
XS: Have you ever considered using a pseudonym?
BL: No pseudos. My real name is good enough for me, so it's good enough to put on my books.
XS: I assume you live in England. Born and raised there?
BL: Yes, on the north-east coast of England.
XS: What was your family life like as you were growing up?
BL: Idyllic.
XS: Oh? Any fond memories of your childhood you'd be willing to share?
BL: The beach (white sands), swimming, hot summers that seemed to last forever which now have gone forever...
XS: Gee, that is idyllic. So...what is your family life like now?
BL: Just me, my wife Barbara Ann ("Silky"), and my cat, Jasper. And that's how we like it.
XS: Just the three of you?
BL: We can do what we want, go where we want, when we want, and we're only limited by my self-imposed conception of deadlines and the need for a cat-sitter.
XS: Yes, a cat-sitter would be a must, wouldn't it? Well, what educational level did you achieve?
BL: I left school at 15 before I had a chance to take any academic examinations.
XS: Why, may I ask?
BL: I was offered a job, and jobs were scarce. Hence I have no qualifications except things I picked up after leaving school. City & Guilds Masters, that is, and Military Qualifications.
XS: Er, I hate to sound like an ignoramus but...
BL: City and Guilds is a trade qualification, and I was a wood-cutting machinist before I entered the forces. Army qualifications: 2 eyes, a trigger finger, and a pair of healthy feet! (laughs)
XS: Oh! Now I understand. Thanks. So...what drew you into writing?
BL: I believed I had a talent for it.
XS: I'll say you do. How did you learn to write creatively? I mean, were you self-taught, did you take classes, or...?
BL: I just wrote. I don't think writing can be taught. If you're going to write, you'll do it.
XS: Who are the biggest influences on your craft? Or more specifically, if you choose, who are the biggest influences on your chosen writing genres?
BL: H.P. Lovecraft, H. Rider Haggard, Abraham Merritt.
XS: Is horror the only thing you write?
BL: Yes.
XS: Have you ever considered writing in other genres?
BL: No. Well, maybe a little SF. If I wrote anything else, it would be thriller or spy fiction.
XS: What do you find easiest and most difficult about writing?
BL: Plots and ideas come easy. Finding the time to write them up comes much harder.
XS: I sympathize and agree. Boy, do I agree! What do you feel to be your greatest strength?
BL: Plot and characterization.
XS: How about your greatest weakness?
BL: Purple prose.
XS: Er, sorry again...
BL: Eye-popping and perhaps too colorful descriptions. Someone once said purple was my best color. The one who said that--it should be specified--was entirely colorless! So maybe it's better to be bright than totally colorless. But I do tend to alliterate a bit too much. It's not deliberate; it just comes out of me.
XS: I think I understood that. What kinds of problems have you encountered over the years?
BL: Very few. Trivial stuff, really. Adverse comments from a handful of H.P. Lovecraft freaks. So like I said, really trivial.
XS: Do you believe in "writer's block"?
BL: No. It's just idleness. Working is far easier than pretending to have a condition that doesn't exist.
XS: Do you get a special feeling each time you see one of your books in print?
BL: Of course. Excitement...that wears off as soon as I begin to count the printer's errors.
XS: Ouch. Exactly how many books do you have in print, and what are their titles (if you don't mind)?
BL: I do mind. Time is my worst enemy, and you can find all my titles in the front of most of my books. There is also a bibliography on my website at http://www.brianlumley.com.
XS: Double ouch. My apologies. Let's move on. What's your definition of horror?
BL: Aberations in the natural order, bringing about a feeling or revulsion, terror of the unknown.
XS: What do you feel makes a horror novel a horror novel? Blood? Gore? Body count?
BL: Shivers up the spine. The feeling that you don't want to put the light out.
XS: Let me just say you've succeeded. I feel that way everytime I reread one of your books. The effect's abated a bit, but reading The Last Aerie especially gives me goosebumps.
BL: Thanks.
XS: If there were one author in history in your genre that you could go back and meet, who would it be?
BL: H.P. Lovecraft. He was one of very few originals.
XS: Well, that answers that, doesn't it? Now let's talk a little about the Necroscope books. How much research went into them?
BL: Lots.
XS: I can imagine, considering the depth of the detail involved. Would you describe them as horror, sci-fi, a little of both, or something else entirely?
BL: Something else entirely, but mainly horror.
XS: What drew you to vampires? Like I said above, for me it was seeing a stage production of Dracula.
BL: EC Comics, Bela Lugosi in Dracula, and Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend."
XS: "EC Comics"? I don't think I've ever heard of them.
BL: EC was found to be just too graphic. These "comics" were banned back in the fifties. But I especially loved "Tales From the Crypt".
XS: Okay, no wonder I never heard of them. What made you consider making vampires some sort of external, invasive parasite?
BL: Their nature is so alien...perhaps they were controlled by aliens. That is, maybe they were working to someone or something else's scheme.
XS: What gave you the idea of involving clashing ESP organizations?
BL: I tried it in the Psychomech books and wasn't satisfied. But then I got it right in Necroscope. The idea? Who can say where ideas come from? I'm a writer; I have ideas.
XS: I hope this doesn't offend you, but you seemed to make the Necroscopes almost all-powerful. Of course, they weren't, but it seemed that way at times.
BL: They're not all-powerful. If they were there would be no story. And these books are ALL story. Didn't you ever wonder why Superman can run so long as a story line when he's invincible? Same principle...
XS: I never thought about that. You're right, of course. So, what projects are you working on now?
BL: Two anthologies of short stories need putting together for publication by Tor. And I'm finishing the 2nd book in the new (final) Necroscope/E-Branch trilogy. The first was Invaders, the second is called Defilers, and the last will be Avengers.
XS: One last question. Will you ever revisit the worlds of the Necroscopes?
BL: After the current trilogy: probably not.
Well, there you have it. I hope you enjoyed learning more about this terrific author. I know I did. Please visit Mr. Lumley's website for more information about him, his already published works, and more updated info on what's forthcoming from his pen.
Don't forget to read the reviews I've done of some of his books. You can find links to all of them in the Starfire Reviews Archive--Authors under his name.
Comments? Suggestions? Just click here to send me e-mail.
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