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Horror Q&A: John A. Frochio (Something Wicked This Way Rides)

Chris Well

“I enjoy writing things that are different… I couldn't simply write a Western story without some kind of twist.”

The short story collection Something Wicked This Way Rides from Dark Owl Publishing is an anthology featuring some two-dozen authors exploring the Old West with a twisted view, showcasing the 1800s through stories featuring the wicked, supernatural, demonic and just plain weird.

Author John A. Frochio contributed the story "Sunset Cowboy." In this interview, John shares the inspiration for his story, and explains his favorite part about mashing up horror with the Old West…

More interviews in this series:

  1. Horror Q&A: Steve Gladwin

  2. Horror Q&A: Alistair Rey

  3. Horror Q&A: Jonathon Mast

  4. Horror Q&A: Matias Travieso-Diaz

  5. Horror Q&A: John B. Rosenman

  6. Horror Q&A: Kevin M. Folliard

  7. Horror Q&A: Gustavo Bondoni

  8. Horror Q&A: Jason J. McCuiston

  9. Horror Q&A: Andrea Thomas

Q1 What’s your favorite thing about mashing up horror with the Old West?

I enjoy writing things that are different, and mashups are definitely different. I couldn't simply write a Western story without some kind of twist. So naturally I added a science fictional horror twist to a familiar Old West trope.

Q2 Did you approach your story as a western story with elements of horror—or vice versa?

I approached it as a western story with elements of science fiction and horror. A stranger comes to town. Okay, that happens in a lot of Old West stories. But how strange could I make that stranger?

Q3 What inspired this particular story of yours?

I often write to a particular theme. Several years ago, another anthology had an open call for Weird Western stories. That's when I first attempted this story. I didn't get very far. So when this opportunity presented itself, I tried again, and this time it came together.

Q4 How does your story in this anthology compare/contrast with your usual fiction?

In one sense, it's quite different, since I've never written a Weird Western story before. In another sense, it follows my trend of trying different things. I usually write science fiction or fantasy and only occasionally write horror. However, I enjoy challenging myself by writing things I've never written before.

Q5 What do you want to tell Monster Complex readers about your latest or upcoming work?

Here's a brief summary of a few of my latest works: A space adventure among the asteroids. Mysterious alien creatures who may or may not be killing off the colonists. A futuristic war story. A story about someone caught up in an alien ritual. An evil twin who lives in a mirror. Some of these have already been accepted for publication and some are currently under construction.

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Something Wicked This Way Rides

(Dark Owl Publishing)

An anthology of weird westerns and genre fiction in the Wild West

Click here for the Goodreads page!

This book is appropriate for teenagers.

The anthology Something Wicked This Way Rides explores the Old West with a skewed view, showcasing the weird western genre through stories that explore the peculiar and fantastic, the wicked that was and could have been. Experience spiritual nightmares, mythical monsters, cosmic outlaws, discerning gods, and science run amok. Even the North Pole Security Division isn't immune to the supernatural strangeness that stalks the late 1800s. In the tradition of pulp and western stories of a bygone era, these are thirty tales to intrigue, amaze, and perhaps downright spook readers out of their boots.

Includes stories from:

MORE HORROR AUTHORS