Vampiric Author Dr. Seward

Dr. Seward, a.k.a. Gordon Linzner, is the mastermind behind the Vampire Tour of New York and also a master of horror … in literature, that is. He has published three books and has penned several short stories. Mr. Linzner was nice enough to drop by for a brief interview and discuss such things as the vampire band wagon and the like…

As an author, how do you feel about young adult series such as The Vampire Diaries and Twilight being turned into major blockbusters and the like?

I might quibble with the quality of the work, but I'm all in favor of authors getting big bucks … especially me.

How did you get into the horror genre as a writer?

I actually started out in my teens doing more fantasy than horror ... but there was little market for fantasy and a lot more for horror. One of my writing heroes is Fritz Leiber, who wrote science fiction, fantasy, horror, and did it all well; he had ultimately convinced me I didn't have to limit myself to one genre (or even one genre within a story)! I also particularly like the idea of hitting people on a visceral level, disturbing complacency.

What can we expect from you in the near future ... let's say the next 2 to 5 years?

I'll be as surprised as you. When the bottom fell out of the horror market in the late 80s, I had to concentrate on paying the bills. I have a few works in progress though, that deserve my attention again – a take on werewolves, a ghost story, a shape-shifter tale set in Japan, and a couple of non-supernatural thrillers. The real question will be if any publishers think they're worth attention…

- Bryce