Q&A: Rob Weldon on his Omnist books and scheduling creative events
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In our interview, the author talks about his novels—and why he uses his promo events to build a creative community.
Weldone created the Omnist series because he couldn’t find enough books about the Valley in L.A. that combined modern fantasy, magic, and dark comedy.
Rob Weldon is the author of The Omnist Series, with books that feature a mix of horror comedy, magical realism, and modern LA noire. “My Venn diagram of favorite authors,” Weldon says, “includes Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Jonathan Franzen, David Foster Wallace, Douglas Adams, and Jonathan Lethem.”
But he isn’t just raising the profile for his own books—Weldon has also been working to build culture and community for artists. Instead of simple in-store book signings, Weldon schedules something more like a “happy hour symposia” with guests who speak or bring other creative endeavors to the place.
In our interview with Weldon, the author tells Monster Complex about the mainspring of his particular writing style, what inspired him to create events that bring together different creative people, and what these events are like.
In fact, they just recently held Lodge III in October 2023: Omniscians (what speakers are called at the Emporium) included Jane Asher, author and host of the podcast, The Next Room; Burton Bell, an author, photographer, and former lead singer of the band Fear Factory; and author William Shunn, whose Inclination: A Netherview Station Novella was nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, and Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Awards. The event featured free tarot and an Omniscian of spooky haiku.
(I’d also like to share that Weldon told me, “I’d love to be part of Monster Complex.” Not really important to this conversation, I guess, but it made me really happy.)
Q&A: Rob Weldon on his Omnist books and scheduling creative events
Q: Your The Omnist series features a fun mix of styles—including horror comedy, magical realism, and modern LA noire. What were the inspirations for this blend for your particular writing style?
I’m a fan of Neil Gaiman (especially Good Omens and American Gods, both as novels and streaming series), What We Do in the Shadows, Tim Burton, Donnie Darko, Terry Pratchett, and Douglas Adams, with some literary elements of postmodern, latter-day existentialism found in Davis Foster Wallace, Jonathan Franzen, or Jonathan Lethem. It sounds like a hoghedge until you read it. There is a definite tone.
I wasn’t seeing many books about the Valley in L.A. that combined those elements with modern fantasy, magic, dark comedy. The director Paul Thomas Anderson bases his movies there and nails much of the noir tone (and, at times, magical realism, such as in Magnolia), but not so much the magic and fantasy.
I want to write what I want to read (and eventually watch in a series), not merely write to genre.
In the Omnist Series, the geographical center of the universe is Consumia’s Spiritual Emporium, a brick-and-mortar apothecary superstore in North Hollywood.
The spiritual center is the Omnist app, which, after a user answering a series of questions (the more the better), recommends gods to follow, prayers to recite, merch to buy at the Emporium, Omniscians to see speak at Lodges.
By definition, then, each Consumerian has a unique Personal God Package, so no two are alike. At least so far. And a Consumerian can be anyone: a soul-searcher, a witch, the undead, a vampire, etc.
Q: Instead of traditional in-store signings, you have been creating events that bring together different creative people. What inspired you to go in this direction?
My books are sold in an apothecary in Burbank called The Crooked Path. They offered me the opportunity to do an in-store signing, and since I’m not a towering literary figure like Neil Gaiman, my fear was that few people would show up.
But in the Omnist Series, events at the Emporium are called Lodges, and an Omniscian may encourage Consumerians to pray to the God of Sleep (Ambroise) or the Goddess of FOMO (Fomotalia). People share free tea, have their tarot read, and generally hang out like a happy hour with other open-minded people. That was what I realized I needed to do.
So, I host Lodges with free beverages, tarot, an Omniscian of Haiku (from Halloween Horror Haiku, some of which inspired by the book series), and I read from a couple of my books. Plus, there are two or three other Omniscians who may read from their own books, or talk about the spirituality of bathrooms, etc. It’s fun.
Q: Can you talk about what these events are like? (How often do they happen?)
I’ve done three so far. For the first, I told myself if at least a dozen people show up, I’d feel it wasn’t a waste of time. (I want my Omniscians, too, to be happy with the turnout!) There were 40-45. The room was stuffy. Unfortunately, the owners of The Crooked Path were out of town that evening, and were unable to attend.
For the second, the turnout was a bit more, probably 45-50 overall. This time one of the owners saw how crowded it was and suggested a bigger room. It was like a black box actors studio with air conditioning.
So for the third, which just happened in October, I also sold t-shirts and coffee mugs bearing a Wide-Eyed Wyatt’s Liquid Nap logo (the quad-shot espresso beverage the characters drink in the book of the same name). My Omniscians were Burton C Bell (author, artist, and former lead singer of the band Fear Factory), William Shunn (Hugo and Nebula Award-nominated author), and Jane Asher Reaney (author and podcast host of The Next Room).
The idea is that I host a Lodge with publication of each book in the Omnist Series, and so far they’ve only happened in LA. I would love to do these in other cities, as well.
Q: What are the best ways for fans to keep track of what you’re writing (and related author news about you)?
Follow me on IG or Threads at blood.wren (It’s an anagram of my name).
Website: https://www.theomnist.com
Amazon: The Omnist books
Photos from the most recent Lodge event (October 2023)
Partial view of Lodge III’s Consumerians from the front.
(L-R) Burton C Bell, Rob Weldon, William Shunn
Jane Asher Reaney speaking about The Next Room
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Horror and comedy both make us jump—which is why these elements work together so well together. Looking at books from authors like Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Tanya Huff, Kelley Armstrong, John Scalzi, Diana Rowland, and Kevin J. Anderson, plus many authors you should meet.