Episode 103 of Sonitotum with Matthew Wayne Selznick, the podcast about making stuff (mostly writing), finding success as we each define it for ourselves, and staying healthy and sane in the process… features a conversation with the horror and horrific fantasy author Thom Carnell.
“Thom Carnell is a writer whose fiction has been featured in Swank magazine (adult content), Carpe Noctem magazine, and in the horror anthology Bloody Carnival from Pill Hill Press. He is best known for his insightful interviews and profiles in Carpe Noctem, Fangoria magazine, and on Dread Central & Twitchfilm.com. His novels (No Flesh Shall Be Spared, No Flesh Shall Be Spared: Don’t Look Back, and the upcoming Monolith Records) and short story collections (Moonlight Serenades, A String of Pearls, Tuxedo Junction, Horror Book, Tales from the Lazaretto, and the upcoming Open Late) are available through Amazon.com and Crossroad Press. Carnell is a graduate of the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science and worked as a certified eye enucleist and a Registered Polysomnographic Technologist. He lives in Bellingham, WA.” — adapted from Thom’s website at https://www.thomcarnell.com.
Our extensive talk explores the connection between horror and humor, the lingering creative influence of early trauma and exposure to mortality, marketing cross-genre work, building a community of readers, the perspective and experience that comes with age, and lots, lots more.
Also, your host tries to run a giveaway, and makes an offer.
This episode was recorded on June 24, 2024. The interview portion was recorded on January 24, 2024.
Links and Topics Mentioned in This Episode
- My latest work of fiction is “Reggie vs Kaiju Storm Dragon Squidbat.”
- Who was Esther Williams? What’s all this about bathing beauties?
- Fantasist Clive Barker is mentioned a few times in this episode.
- Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder comes up.
- Who is Jeffery Combs?
- Ike Quebec and Buddy Collette were American jazz saxophonists.
- Jazz big band composer Duke Ellington on keeping a band together (video clip).
- The Stoker Awards.
- Rodney Dangerfield was a well-loved genius among comedians.
- Horror author Jack Ketchum.
- Big thanks to my Multiversalists patron community, including J. C. Hutchins, Zoë Kohen Ley, Jim Lewinson, Amelia Bowen, Ted Leonhardt, and Charles Anderson! I’m incredibly grateful for the support of my patrons. If Sonitotum with Matthew Wayne Selznick brings you joy, become a patron!
- One of the perks of being a patron Multiversalist is receiving the uncut, unedited edition of every podcast episode. This time around, patrons get to hear almost forty minutes of additional conversation between Thom Carnell and myself. There’s a lot of good stuff I had to “cut for time” for the public episode! Become a patron and hear the rest!
- Every month net earnings from my Multiversalist patron memberships is at least $100, I will donate 10% to 826 National in support of literacy and creative writing advocacy for children. Let’s go!