THE FIRST HORROR BOOK I REMEMBER READING
As a kid and then a teenager, I wasn’t an avid reader. My parents were and still are, and encouraged me with the old ‘if you don’t enjoy reading then you’re reading the wrong book’ adage. I remember my mom giving me The Shining to check out. I have to admit, though, younger me got a bit bored and never finished it. I did try but was obviously too young at the time to really appreciate it. But that was then. I have read it since, of course, and loved it.
THE FIRST HORROR FILM I REMEMBER WATCHING
My parents rented Ghostbusters back in the day, but only let me watch the opening scene, which really creeped me out. But my first full-on horror experience was when my cousin showed me Evil Dead 2. I didn’t get the humour back then, but loved the blood. I think that moment was the making of me.
THE GREATEST BOOK OF ALL TIME
It will probably not be a surprise to learn my favourite horror writer is a certain Mr King, and my favourite of his is Pet Sematary. Of all his books this is the one that resonated with me the most. The terrors seemed to reach out from the pages, and I was so engrossed I sometimes forgot it was just a made-up story.
I have to mention House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski, too. I took the plunge, expecting it to either be pretentious nonsense, or a work of genius. And yeah, it was the latter. It was certainly an experience.
THE GREATEST FILM OF ALL TIME
I can’t be anything but cliche here, I’ve got to say The Shining. Not only is everything about it utterly terrifying, but it just looks awesome. I do enjoy Kubrick’s work anyway, and it’s shame he never did another horror film, but he didn’t have to did he?
THE GREATEST WRITER OF ALL TIME
It’s got to be Stephen King. I know I’m giving all the standard answers here, but my favourite genre is horror (obviously) and out of all the horror authors out there, he’s written my favourite books, so who else can I say?
I also love Clive Barker, Chuck Palahniuk, and HP Lovecraft, but Stevie K wins hands down.
THE BEST BOOK COVER OF ALL TIME
This is a tough one. I do enjoy the more extreme book covers; splatterpunk titles with covers like death metal albums. But as a kid I remember my mom’s copy of It, the one with the eyes in the drain. I just found that so captivating and scary, yet couldn’t look away. I was at the age when the words on the pages were just a blur to me, though, but that cover. Even now I still think it stands out.
THE BEST FILM POSTER OFF ALL TIME
You know when an album cover looks even better when the music behind it is great? I feel the same about film posters. If I love the film then I feel more engrossed and attached to the artwork accompanying it. So for that reason I would have to go for either The Exorcist or The Wicker Man. Back in my single days, I had these two posters framed in my living room (along with Master of Puppets). Now my living room is more ‘family’— boooo!!!
THE BEST BOOK I HAVE WRITTEN
I am most proud of my debut novella, An Army of Skin. I tried to make it horrific and gross, but told with a sense of humour. I don’t take myself too seriously, so I look at it like I’m trying to tell a scary story but can’t be serious for the entire time so end up throwing in boob and nob gags. I suppose it’s like Christopher Lee being all scary and saying ‘that’s what she said’.
THE WORST BOOK I HAVE WRITTEN
Well hopefully it’s not this latest one! I don’t have a worst book, but I have plenty of stories that would fit into this category. Thankfully for the world, these are safely rotting away on my hard drive. Maybe they will see the light of day at some stage, but they are going to have to go through some major backstreet surgery first.
THE MOST UNDERRATED FILM OF ALL TIME
I don’t want this to sound contrived and fitting in nicely with my upcoming novella, but The Void was great. The isolation unnerves, the strange cult that appears hints at a slasher-type vibe, then things go full-on Lovecraft messed up weird. It is lovely stuff.
I also need to shout out Samurai Cop, which is unintentionally a work of absolute genius. If you haven’t seen this then I recommend it above anything else.
THE MOST UNDERRATED BOOK OF ALL TIME
All of mine, of course! One book I absolutely loved was Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs by Irvine Welsh. It is technically not a horror novel but is much nastier than many in the genre. When you hear about Welsh’s work, this is a title that never comes up that much. Well, I haven’t heard it mentioned anyway. He writes horrible characters that you shouldn’t stick up for, but kind of end up doing just that. I don’t know how he does it.
THE MOST UNDERRATED AUTHOR OF ALL TIME
I am a big fan of Chris Kelso’s work. He writes transgressive, dystopian horror and there’s just something about his words that gets under your skin. The Dregs Trilogy would be my suggestion for where to start. No breaking you in gently here, just immerse yourself in the horrors and messed up-ness of this weird kind of novel/kind of short story collection.
THE BOOK / FILM THAT SACRED ME THE MOST
OK, this happened to me when I was well into my thirties. I was reading The Dark Half, and enjoying it, obviously. One night I dreamed George Stark was after me. I still remember it. I leapt out of bed and ran into the hallway where my mom was waiting for me. I grabbed her and sobbed into her shoulder, but I was still dreaming. George then emerged from my bedroom, screaming at me. Thankfully I woke up then, but apparently I was still crying for my mommy.
The most frightening film I’ve ever seen is Fire Walk With Me. I watched it after having only watched the first season of Twin Peaks, so I was in the wrong order and therefore not expecting it to be as frighteningly weird and disturbing as it was. But wow, what an experience. I have recommended this to friends and colleagues, telling them no, you don’t have to have watched the series to get it, then rubbing my hands at their imminent suffering.
THE BOOK I AM WORKING ON NEXT
I’ve got about three or four completed short stories looking for homes, but have recently started my next full length opus. It will be either a novel or novella, depending on where the story takes me. It has no title yet, but is about a metal band heading into the middle of nowhere to record an album. There be strange locals and ancient practices aplenty. Plus it gives me an excuse to namedrop many of my favourite bands.
Feeding the Void by Morgan K Tanner
The void is hungry. It must be satiated. With flesh.
The pulsating abyss in Jeffrey’s basement has been offered sacrifices for generations. The responsibility of being its loyal servant is precious. Or is it a curse?
As a child all Jeffrey wanted was his father’s love. But the rumbling, ravenous void was always the most important thing.
Jeffrey eventually learns the truth of this magical and malevolent force beneath the floorboards of his family home. When the power is passed down to him he struggles with the burden of this monumental undertaking.
Is he willing to continue the family tradition, or will his new-found responsibility be his undoing?
Morgan K Tanner
Morgan K Tanner is a writer, drummer, and golfist currently residing in the English countryside. The idyllic surroundings make it an ideal place to write, drum, and hide the bodies. The busy sound of the typewriter is perfect to drown out the hum of the antiquated torture equipment.
When not writing, or inflicting pain and suffering upon his numerous victims, he indulges himself in all things horror and metal. He is the author of An Army of Skin, The Mind’s Plague and Other Bites of Brutality, The Unbeliever & The Intruder, and The Snuggle Zombies, his attempt at a horror book for kids.
WEBSITE LINKS
Amazon; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Morgan-K-Tanner/e/B07N1X84M4/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Goodreads; https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18260569.Morgan_K_Tanner
Twitter @morgantanner666
Instagram @morganktanner
TikTiok @morganktanner
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