Seven Questions with Matthew M. Bartlett

Question 1: What was the initial catalyst—whether that be a short story, a novel, a film, a video game, an event—that made you want to be a writer?

It’s hard to pinpoint. It was probably some time between when my paternal grandmother gave me her copy of King’s Christine and when I read the stories in Night Shift. But, to be clear, I did not at that point think I actually could be a writer. It was just a wish, something I considered utterly unattainable, like wanting to be a superhero or something. It wasn’t until I encountered Lovecraft that I thought maybe I could actually do it, and it wasn’t until I happened upon Thomas Ligotti (in a Borders Books, of all places) that I gained the confidence to try. Their work seemed more in line with what I wanted to do and to express—a step or two away from the realism that King uses to set the reader up for the horrific.

Question 2: An aspiring author has written a 70,000- to 100,000-word debut horror novel and doesn’t know what to do next; what advice would you give them? Should querying literary agents be the first choice of action, or is self-publishing becoming a viable option?

Keep in mind when reading my answer that I’ve never queried a literary agent myself. My debut, Gateways to Abomination, couldn’t have been anything other than a self-published book, as all of its contents had technically already been “published” on Livejournal.

Having said that, if someone has a finished work they don’t know what to do with, I think they should self-publish only if the piece is extraordinarily idiosyncratic, something that will generate buzz, and if they have a lot of writers and readers on their social media friends’ lists who are likely to read it and respond. Otherwise, self-publishing might better be considered as a backup plan.

When I was in poetry classes in college, it was emphasized that when submitting, if you want to be at all successful, your poetry must look an awfully lot like the contemporary poetry of the time. So I thought Gateways wouldn’t do well because it wasn’t at all like the contemporary horror I was reading. Fortunately, I was wrong. Don’t get me wrong, I’m strongly in favor of self-publishing. I grew up going to punk shows, hanging out with people, including my brother Jon, who released their own records. I believe strongly in that Do-It-Yourself spirit. I bristle when I see self-publishing disparaged. But it’s not for every writer, and it’s not for every book, and when a lot of books are competing for the attention of readers, a self-published title might easily get lost in the shuffle.

Question 3: With massively successful video game franchises like Resident Evil and The Last of Us, horror films consistently performing well at the box office (not to mention carving out their places in mainstream culture), and the sheer cultural popularity of iconic horror figures such as Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula, and the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King—why do you think that horror literature, from local bookstores to big 5 publishers, isn’t taken as seriously as other genres? Horror, as mentioned above, thrives in other mediums, so why not in literature? And is there anything writers and readers can do to change this? If so, then what?

I don’t think there’s a damned thing we can do about it. I think that working in an outsider genre is freeing. It’s back to that punk spirit—you can do what you like. You can take it seriously, as literature, or you can go for broke and get as weird and experimental you like with it. To my mind, the unspoken rules aren’t as stringent as they might be with mystery or crime or other genre writing.
 
Question 4: What are your general (or extensive) thoughts on AI in literature? 

(consults with lawyer) It’s bad.

Question 5: What are some novels or collections that deserve more exposure?

There’s a writer who goes by the pseudonym of J.R. Hamantaschen. I’d recommend any of his collections. There’s simply no one else like him. The stories are bleak, but slyly humorous, and you never know exactly where they’re going. Some of them don’t seem at the outset to be horror, but you know the horror is on its way, and that makes for some great tension. I evangelize for him when I can. I’d also strongly recommend Jonathan Raab and Max Booth III – both of them are forging unique paths in the genre. Lastly, and most importantly, seek out stories by Tom Breen. To my mind he’s the best out there, but he publishes far too rarely. Every so often I try to goad him into putting out a collection.

Question 6: What is one book that every aspiring horror writer should read?

If I had to pick just one, which I guess I technically do, I’d say Teatro Grottesco, the collection by Thomas Ligotti—for atmosphere, for unique surrealism, there’s nothing like it. And now I’ll cheat: For plot and character, I’d suggest King’s Pet Sematary or The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons.

Question 7: What’s next for you?

This summer will see the release of the 10th anniversary edition of Gateways to Abomination, with additional material, and a foreword and afterword by John Langan and Jon Padgett, respectively. In winter, I’ll be putting out paperback and ebook editions of a book consisting of most of the stories from my 2021 monthly chapbook subscription service. Those have been out only in limited editions so far, with illustrations and additional material such as real letters to the editor. I’m excited to get an edition with just the stories out to the general public. This way, subscribers will still have something rare and unique.

Matthew M. Bartlett is the author of the mosaic novels Gateways to Abomination and its sequel Creeping Waves, as well as several short story collections. His new novel is entitled The Obsecration. He has recorded several spoken word records and has stories published in a variety of anthologies and journals. In late 2020 he joined the Great Resignation, immediately launching his current ongoing project, now in its fourth year: a subscription service for monthly illustrated chapbooks, entitled the WXXT Program Guide. He lives in Western Massachusetts with his wife Katie Saulnier (whose art graces the cover of Gateways to Abomination) and their cats Peachpie and Larry.