Fans of apocalyptic dystopian novels (like me!) should be very excited about this interview. Erik J. Brown’s upcoming All That’s Left in the World combines the best of things: dystopian books and gays. If you are not excited about this one, what are you doing? Take a read of this interview and get ready to change your mind!
But before we start, don’t forget you can also follow Erik on twitter!
Have you always known you wanted to be a writer? How old were you when you wrote your first story?
I always wanted to write, I just never thought it was something I would actually be able to do. I’m very lucky to have a super supportive family and I think I was maybe eight years old and I wrote this story for class which my teacher loved it and told my mom she should read it. It was a silly story about burying money in my backyard and it eventually sprouts into a money tree. I don’t remember what happened in the story or if I ever touched on the evils of capitalism, but whatever it was about, my mom loved it. And since then she has always supported my dream of becoming a writer. She gave me a book called “Discovering the Writer Within” when I was maybe ten and inscribed a message on the inside cover telling me not to let my gift go to waste. I still have that book, too!
What are your favourite genres to read and write, and are there any genres or tropes you wouldn’t write?
I love reading anything that isn’t super hard sci-fi or hard fantasy. I can’t usually get my mind into that fantasy sci-fi space or it’s hard for me to connect with those worlds. I will read a few here and there—The Skybound Saga by Alex London and A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown are two recent favorites—but for the most part I like contemporary stories with genre elements. I LOVE something that blends sci-fi, fantasy, horror, thriller etc. into what would otherwise be a contemporary story. I try to write in that vein. Where even if there’s fantasy elements, it takes place in our world. I feel like it helps ground the story into something more tangible and exciting.
I’ll never say never on any genres or tropes. But I will say I won’t go in half-assed. It’s important for writers to understand the genre and the tropes they’re writing and why. I can tell when a writer doesn’t read or write in a genre and releases a book in that genre. There’s a subtle disingenuousness to it. I read a horror novel once that was written by someone who had never written horror before and it even seemed like they hadn’t read many horror novels. Horror novels and horror movies are different creatures. You can get away with jump scares and gore in a horror movie and please your core audience, but you can’t do that in a novel. Horror novels need suspense, dread, and all those moments before the jump scare. There’s a horror novel called Fever Dream by Samanata Schweblin that’s a short 180 page novel that’s all dread and fear from beginning to end. It’s horrific and wonderful and terrifying. And not everyone can pull that off. But I think she did because she understood the conventions of writing a horror novel.
When you close your eyes and imagine an apple, what do you see? An actual apple, a sketch of one, a blackness? Do you think that impacts your writing process?
So, this blew my mind when I found out some people don’t see things in their head. For me it’s a green granny smith apple and it’s sitting on top of a marble counter top and it’s the late afternoon. I have very specific visuals when I write and sometimes I may overdo it and other times I underdo it? During the editing process I remember my UK editor leaving me a note on a scene when a character is gathering wood. My editor highlighted three or four sentences and said “I think perhaps we don’t need this much detail on the wood gathering.” And he’s right. I overwrite because I want to describe exactly what I’m seeing in my head as I write, but I also need to let the audience dictate how they see it on their own. Lately I’ve been trying to catch myself if I’m putting in too many details. But also, I think it’s easier to remove details than to add them back in later!
Which three authors would you say influenced your writing the most?
R. L. Stine – Like a lot of late-80’s/90’s kids, Goosebumps and Fear Street were what first introduced me to reading for fun. And of course it brought me to the natural progression of the next author who influenced me…
Stephen King—I started reading him when I was eight years old. He’s a wonderful storyteller. He’s also the kind of storyteller who maybe gives you too many details as he’s telling the story, but I still can’t help but enjoy them. I’ve read almost every book he’s written and there are only a few I didn’t like. People who don’t like horror or sci-fi can still pick up one of his quieter books and find so much to love.
And not an author, but a group of writers. The Writers Room from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy was such an important show to me growing up, and it really influenced every aspect of my writing—from blending genres to the comedy to the emotional storytelling. Jane Espenson, who wrote some of my favorite episodes and was executive story editor for ALL of Season 3 (frequently rated one of the best seasons) is one of my favorite writers from the show; but there were so many people involved with that show, other than the creator, that made it what it was and that made me the writer I am.
When you’re building your world, what do you focus on? How do you try to make it come to life?
Again, this comes back to my difficulties with high-fantasy or high-sci-fi. I need it to be somehow grounded in real life. I need something that my mind can grasp onto and say “Okay that’s how this world works.” I think basing most of my writing in our world—or slightly off version of our world—helps a lot with that. I try to focus on realism even when that includes blending a supernatural genre.
What projects are you currently working on? Can you share any details yet?
I’m not sure how much I’m allowed to share so I will be as ambiguous as possible! It’s also completely different from my first book! Where All That’s Left in the World is a post-apocalyptic adventure with romance elements, my second book is a coming-of-age workplace comedy with romance elements. I loved the movie Empire Records growing up, so I wanted to do something like that where it’s a diverse group of kids who normally might not be friends. But they’re all bonded together because they work at this weird job that outsiders wouldn’t understand. It’s also a quirky location that I haven’t seen done in YA before (I could be wrong… but we’ll see!).
Three images that capture the aesthetic of your book?
A quiet, empty highway, a cabin in the woods, and canned food with the label missing.
Three songs you would put in your book’s soundtrack?
Do I Move You? by Nina Simone (I don’t mention it by name but it’s in a pretty important scene between Andrew and Jamie)
What would be your dream project?
I was trying to think of something big and extravagant, but honestly I would love to be able to write random episodes of TV shows I enjoy. Like to be known for just popping in to write one single episode, every once in a while, on a variety of different shows.
Which of your characters would you most want to fight a zombie apocalypse with?
Nooooo! How can I choose between the two of them!? Andrew would be great because he can bring some levity and he has a never-ending catalogue of movies in his mind he can recite on a dime. But then Jamie would bring his humanity to the apocalypse, which is absolutely needed after societal collapse. But no, it’s not fair to bring one without the other. Besides, I’ve put them through far too much with this book!
You’re stuck on a desert island and you’re allowed only three (LGBT) books. What are you taking?
The Loophole by Naz Kutub, A Little Bit Country by Brian D. Kennedy, and Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith.
You can collaborate on anything with anyone in the LGBT community: who would it be and why?
SO MANY THINGS!
A horror movie starring Kate McKinnon.
An adult, unapologetically queer, body-swap dramedy show with an entirely queer writers’ room that can also bring in special queer guest writers and actors for some episodes.
In an ideal world I’d also love if there existed a mentorship program that matches up-and-coming talent with queer folks who have reached a certain stage in their careers. In every kind of career, whether that be arts, politics, public service, or tech. Just a way to hold the door open for the queer people trying to make a living doing something they love.
I’d also love to bake a dessert with Kristen Stewart, for no other reason than I love Kristen Stewart and want to be her friend.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Erik J. Brown (he/him) is a writer based in Philadelphia, PA.
He graduated from Temple University with a degree in Film and Media Arts with an emphasis in Writing for Media. When not writing, he enjoys traveling (pre-pandemic), collecting disco compilations on vinyl, remodeling his haunted house with his husband, and embarking on the relentless quest of appeasing his Shiba Inu, Charlie.
In 2021 he was selected as a Lambda Literary Emerging Writers Fellow.
His debut Young Adult novel, All That’s Left in the World will be published in early 2022 by HarperColllins/Balzer+Bray in the US and Hachette Children’s Group in the UK Commonwealth.
You can find him on Twitter @WriterikJB, and Instagram @ErikJB
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