Interview with Australian Horror Author R. Frederick Hamilton
Written by Elaine Lamkin
When one thinks of hot beds of horror, Australia is not the first place that will probably pop into one’s head. Oh, there is Wolf Creek (review), Picnic at Hanging Rock (which some might debate [incorrectly - watch it again] is NOT horror) and Rogue (review), off the top of my head (and before you start sending nasty messages about Peter Jackson, he is from New Zealand. BIG difference and the Aussie and Kiwis are a bit touchy about being confused. Much like we would be if people kept confusing American and Canadians). But these are all films. What about Australian horror literature?
During my three visits to Melbourne, I discovered that while Aussie bookstores are chock full of Stephen King, Anne Rice and Dean Koontz, one had to REALLY hunt for home-bred horror. I found only a very few: Kim Wilkins (whose earliest books are horror – now she writes more fantasy), Will Elliott (whose The Pilo Family Circus IS now available at Amazon
Fatally-Yours.com recently conducted an interview with the heir apparent to extreme horror, Down Under-style.
Elaine Lamkin: Hello Robert (or should I drive you crazy and say, G’day?). Sorry for the delay in getting you interviewed – I appreciate your patience. Now, here we are and here we go. I have been to Australia three times but never managed to find a prolific Australian horror writer during my many trips to the bookstores in Melbourne. Kim Wilkins started out writing horror but seems to have switched to fantasy. Catherine Jinks wrote one or two adult horror novels before switching to Young Adult “horror”. And Will Elliott has given us The Pilo Family Circus which HAS been released here in the States. What, in your opinion, is the state of horror fiction in Australia? The country that gave us Wolf Creek and Picnic at Hanging Rock.
R. Frederick Hamilton: Hello/G’day Elaine. Not a problem with the delay. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me (and for knowing I even exist). It’s very much appreciated.
The current state of Horror in Australia strikes me as a little strange. It seems to me that Horror films are pretty popular at the moment (thanks in no small part to Wolf Creek) but that the market for books, etc. is relatively quite small. Of course there are some really, really talented and enthusiastic people out there who have done – and continue to do – their utmost to rectify that but sadly, at the moment, being a horror writer in Australia is not a particularly rewarding enterprise (money wise anyway). Even so there are a lot of brilliant writers currently turning out a lot of exciting work over here: Steve Gerlach, Brett McBean, Shane Jiraiya Cummings, Felicity Dowker, Will Elliott as you mentioned. And that’s just to name a few. Unfortunately there are just not a lot of outlets for said work. I think that’s why you’ll find that a lot of Australian authors tend to work across genres. If anyone’s interested though, they should check the Australian Horror Writers Association and scroll through the member pages. It gives you a pretty damn good overview of who’s doing what down this way.
Although I should probably add at this point that all of the above comes with the caveat that I’m pretty much a complete newcomer to the scene and could possibly have absolutely no idea what I am talking about.
EL: How about a little background on you, Robert? Where you are from, where you attended school, have you always been a horror fan, etc?
RFH: There’s not much to tell really. I’ve lead a pretty uninteresting life up to this point. I was born in our capital, Canberra, but have spent most of life in various locales around Victoria, at various arms of our public school system. I didn’t go to University although in my non-writing time I have ended up working at one which amuses me a little. My path into the world of horror mirrors about a billion before me. Basically started reading Stephen King in my early teens and never looked back.
EL: Your novel, Spare Key (LegumeMan Books), is SO disturbing because it is something we hear or read some version of nearly every day in the papers or on TV. Where did the idea for Spare Key come from?
RFH: Although influenced a lot by those very newspapers you mention, two main ideas triggered the writing of Spare Key.
The first idea for the story was based on something rather strange that happened to a friend of mine. In the townhouse where he’d lived for about a year and a half, there was a stump in the front garden. For whatever reason, he finally decided to get rid of it and dug it up. Buried about a foot underground he stumbled across a jar (along with a whole swag of other odd things). Inside was a key wrapped in paper. As a laugh he decided to try it on his front door and was a little alarmed to discover that it actually worked and opened it. Originally a lot of the book was based around this incident but I changed the story somewhat after certain feedback suggested it was a little too implausible a situation for the world of fiction.
After that, the second idea came about when I was sitting in the rear courtyard of the flat where I live (one that is not dissimilar to Ben’s in the story). I was sitting having a smoke and looking at the high wooden fences that surrounded me. It got me thinking that even though I was in the middle of a densely populated area, I was really quite cut off from everything that happened around me. I had no idea who my neighbours were or what they did. I didn’t even know what most of them looked like. Living in packed together flats you hear all kinds of weird noises, all of which you tend to just ignore. You know, turn the TV up, start to play louder music, cover your ears and commence Tibetan chanting etc, etc. Then of course I promptly started to freak myself out with the idea of how easily someone could prowl around such a built up area where no one really knew anyone or cared what anyone else was doing. All it would take was a quick hop over the fence and no one would be any wiser. It was an idea that stayed with me every time I went out into the courtyard.
So I suppose, to put it more succinctly, essentially a series of stock-standard, urban paranoia moments inspired me to write the story.
EL: You have created two vivid characters in Spare Key – Ben and Rachel. At first, they seem to be complete opposites but as the story progresses, it becomes apparent that Rachel is one tough woman. And Ben is just horrifying. Any real-life inspirations for these characters?
RFH: Ha! One tough woman is certainly one way to describe Rachel. As far as real-life inspiration goes, the characters weren’t really based on any one person I know. Rachel was pretty much an amalgam of several people I’ve met who just stress about everything. I’m pretty sure most people know someone like that. A person who lets all the small annoyances build and build and leaves you thinking, why the hell are you worrying about this? Usually (well I’ve found) they are the type of person who see the world through a haze of self-obsession and any new input must be screened through the “how does this affect me” filter.
As for Ben, I’m not too sure where he came from. Possibly a life time of sitting next to loonies on public transport and wondering exactly who thought it was a good idea for that particular person to be wandering the streets. I certainly hope I don’t know anyone like that. That said, although I didn’t intend it at the time, his physical description is remarkably similar to a friend of mine and as he also shares the same surname as said friend, it made his first reading of the book mildly awkward for everyone.
EL: You deal with some very controversial subjects in Spare Key: child abuse, voyeurism, domestic abuse, stalking and, of course, murder. Did you have much trouble finding a publisher who would take on such subject matter? And what has been the response by Australian readers?
RFH: It is kind of baffling to me that such things are labeled “controversial”, considering their heavy prevalence in society today. But still I don’t have my head wedged too far up my arse and I knew the subject matter of Spare Key would have issues. From the start I sort of accepted it would be pointless submitting the story to any of the large publishers (although if any of those large publishers are reading, feel free to correct me on this point). Fortunately Melbourne has a very good micro and small press scene. Even more fortunately I had the privilege of running across the mysterious Brothers Gunther who run LegumeMan Books, very early in the piece. Back when they were first setting up the press. Really I was very lucky in that regard.
As for the response by Australian readers: It has been reasonably positive (so far). No lynch mobs formed as yet. But that might just be because 98% of Australia is unaware that the book even exists. At this point, most of the sales have been overseas (that and non-existent.).
EL: Have you done the dreaded author’s tour, signing your book at various bookstores, libraries (doubtful), etc.?
RFH: Not as yet. I know it’s a good way to drum up publicity and all but I’m really not too keen on the concept. I’m often described by people I meet as “not a particularly sociable person”.
EL: What is next for R. Frederick Hamilton?
RFH: My second book Alleys has been finished and will be hopefully available sometime early next year (look out for it March-ish). A couple of more are in the pipeline. I have also somehow managed to convince the Brothers that I know what I am doing and have been enlisted to help with the running of LegumeMan Books so that will be no doubt taking up a lot of my time. We’ll see how it goes. A lot of work and finger crossing are probably next for me.
EL: Who are some of your favorite horror writers? And horror films?
RFH: Unsurprisingly, I tend toward the more extreme side of horror fiction (although I do enjoy all varieties). Without a doubt Edward Lee and Jack Ketchum are at the top of my favourites list (they pretty much swap between each other with each new book they release). Apart from that there are just too many to list really. Stephen King, Clive Barker, Richard Laymon, Wrath James White, (Douglas) Clegg, Straub, Lovecraft, Poe, MR James, Masterton, Bradbury, Ramsey Campbell, Poppy Z Brite, Brett McBean, (Thomas) Tessier, Simon Clark, (JR) Gonzalez… It just goes on and on and on. As for Horror Films, once again it runs the gamut. Off the top of my head possibly my fave at the moment would be Cube. The concept behind that one is absolutely terrifying.
EL: What scares R. Frederick Hamilton?
RFH: A lot of things but more than anything else probably people. We have a tendency to be not very pleasant. Particularly when congregated in big crowds and/or cities.
EL: Who would you say was your biggest inspiration when writing Spare Key? Horror writer? Aussie criminal? Something else disturbing and weird?
RFH: There was a lot of inspiration from a lot of horror writers (see the above list) and as you mentioned in an earlier question you only have to flip through a newspaper or watch the news for new ideas of the horrible things we can do to each other.
Still probably the biggest inspiration when I was writing wasn’t particularly disturbing or weird. My good friend and fellow Melbourne author Matthew Revert read a spectacularly turgid first draft of the story and provided some very necessary encouragement and feedback and is probably the only reason the book even exists today. So either thank or blame him.
There was also my girlfriend too but she has made it explicitly clear that her name and the word “inspiration” are not to appear in tandem regarding this book.
EL: My experience in Melbourne was that the city is VERY literate. There are bookstores on practically every corner – bookstores or news stands. And Melbourne is home to a healthy Goth subculture as well as the VERY fun Haunted Bookshop (www.haunted.com.au – check it out!). Of all the bookstores in Melbourne, which would you say has been the biggest support/seller of Spare Key?
RFH: Without a doubt that would have to be the mighty Polyester Books in Fitzroy. An independent book store that is a bit of a Melbourne institution really. The owner is a very nice guy who has been very nice about keeping the book in stock despite only a trickle of sales. If you’re on the hunt for bizarre/underground/extreme/perverse books and literature, Polyester is the store for you.
EL: Several reviewers have described Spare Key as “nasty” and “over-the-top” with “graphic (often sexualized) violence”, although they don’t go as far as comparing you to OUR “nasty” horror writer, Edward Lee (are you familiar with Lee?). There are two short stories after Spare Key - The Filmmakers and Writer’s Block – both of which ARE very nasty bits of horror. For people who cannot understand why someone would write about such horrible, disgusting things, what would you tell them?
RFH: I’m very familiar with Mr Lee’s work. Without too much soppy gushing, Lee is pretty much the author who inspired me to write in the first place and brilliance personified. Everyone on the planet should own and treasure his books. Statues should be erected in most major cities. People should be setting aside time nightly to rub each tome across their genitals in the hope they’ll create little human-Edward Lee book amalgams to spread the word across the globe… It’s probably for the best no comparison has been drawn as I am pretty sure I would have imploded out of sheer happiness. Still, I’ve a long way to go before I am even close to creeping up to the fence and peering across into the ball park he’s playing in.
As for the people who cannot understand why someone would write such things… well I suppose I could leap right up onto my soapbox and waffle on about holding a mirror up to society, casting a reflection of the increasingly insane and violent world that I see growing around me everyday (filmmakers being a particular example of this). That or go the flippant option and tell them to toughen the fuck up and quit whining. But really most people who don’t understand, can’t and won’t allow themselves to understand no matter what argument is presented.
Probably I’d just say: if it bothers you, don’t read it.
EL: Is there anything you would like to add that I haven’t asked you?
RFH: No, not really…Only that you are remarkably persistent and skillful in the art of obtaining author photos.
EL: Everyone gets this last question from me so… What is one thing no one knows about R. Frederick Hamilton that you think they should?
RFH: That I really dislike having my photo taken…
EL: Thank you SO much for your time, Robert, and we will be looking forward to more from you.
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