Q&A: Nightmare Abbey horror magazine editor Tom English
“I wanted to produce a ‘horror’ magazine that, had I found it waiting for me on a bookstore rack in the mid-seventies, would have thrilled me to no end.”
Print magazine Nightmare Abbey, launched by Dead Letter Press, offers new terror tales by award-winning writers, illustrated articles devoted to horror in retro film and television, plus rare horror story classics, presented in an attractively produced book-style journal. We talked with the magazine’s editor, Tom English, who told us about the reasons for its origin, and their plans for the future.
Tom English, also the editor of Black Infinity, is an environmental chemist who enjoys writing stories both weird and wonderful. His fiction has appeared in magazines such as Weirdbook and All Hallows, plus several print anthologies, including Detective Thrillers Short Stories and Haunted House Short Stories (both from Flame Tree Publishing); Gaslight Arcanum: Uncanny Tales of Sherlock Holmes; Re-Haunt; and Challenger Unbound.
His nonfiction books include Spiritual Boot Camp for Creators and Dreamers; Diet for Dreamers (inspirational stories about inventors, writers, artists, actors, etc.); and Angel in the Kitchen (Wit & Wisdom Inspired by Food, Cooking, Kitchen Tools and Appliances). Tom also edited the mammoth Bound for Evil: Curious Tales of Books Gone Bad, which was a 2008 Shirley Jackson Award finalist for best anthology.
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Interview with Tom English
1) What inspired the creation of Nightmare Abbey?
Nostalgia, mixed with a love of subtle horror fiction. I was missing the great magazines and paperbacks I grew up with during the 70s. There were several paperback anthologies edited by “Alfred Hitchcock,” and even Scholastic Book Service produced a few, which were wonderful introductions to the kind of weird fiction I grew to love.
At the time, it seemed there were magazines devoted to fantastic literature just about everywhere: you could pick them up at the supermarket or the corner drugstore. These books and mags meant a lot to me.
At the time, there were no home computers, no tablets, no cell phones. Broadcast television was, for the most part, limited to three network-affiliate stations. No cable, and only one or two movie theaters in town. So, for me, reading was the great escape. And despite all the distractions today, it still is.
So I wanted to produce a “horror” magazine that, had I found it waiting for me on a bookstore rack in the mid-seventies, would have thrilled me to no end. I wanted to publish the kind of fiction I loved reading late nights, suspenseful and atmospheric stories that gave me the creeps, and a slowly mounting feeling of dread.
And, because I love physical books, I wanted an old-fashioned printed journal readers could get cozy with— I just feel we spend too much time with our phones and tablets.
2) What are the plans for the magazine? (What it might cover, where it might go, what it will offer to the horror fan community?)
I’ll continue to publish Nightmare Abbey as long as I can. I’ve been editing Black Infinity for a few years now. Both are a labor of love—a good thing, too—as such ventures by a small publisher are hardly profitable these days. But I’m having fun, and I plan to continue playing in this sandbox.
There are so many slightly obscure stories I want to reprint. So many great contemporary writers I want to host in the pages of these mags.
And because I do love old SF and Horror movies and TV, articles I want to feature. The sky really is the limit. And (maybe I’m wrong, but I think) if I’m having fun, if I can please myself by creating books I want to read and own, then maybe, just maybe, others will join me for the ride.
3) What is the relationship (similarities vs differences) between Nightmare Abbey and Black Infinity Magazine?
Nightmare Abbey is the weird/ horror/ gothic/ ghost counterpart of Black Infinity, which focuses on SF. Black Infinity, like Nightmare Abbey, pays homage to the old print magazines I read in my youth. It, too, features both new and classic stories, as well as articles on retro films and TV.
Both magazines take the same approach and share similar layouts. Editorially, B.I. tends to concentrate on SF that’s a bit creepy (think the literary equivalent of Alien) and it’s quite possible N.A. could someday include a SF/horror story.
4) How do fans connect with Nightmare Abbey? (Website, social media, etc)
Because we put so much time into the first volume of Nightmare Abbey, we’re running behind with our social media. But we’re constructing a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Nightmare-Abbey-115684584476767 and we’ll soon have a Nightmare Abbey page at DeadLetterPress.com.
5) Once they buy the issue, how can fans otherwise support Nightmare Abbey?
Well, if readers enjoy Nightmare Abbey then I hope they’ll tell their friends, leave reviews, etc. These things are so important to any new venture.
And even if they don’t like Nightmare Abbey, for whatever reason, I want to hear from them. Feedback is good, always. But here’s hoping our readers will love us and want to hang out in the Abbey every chance they get. Cheers!