Aric Sundquist

Horror from the High Desert

Scotty talks to author, editor, and publisher Aric Sundquist about growing up a "Yooper" in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and how his mother's love of Stephen King and Dean Koontz, sparked his early interest in dark fiction. Aric discusses the influence of Koontz, King (especially his 1978 collection "Night Shift" and the subsequent 1985 anthology film adaptation "Cat's Eye"), Lovecraft, and fantasy writers like Tolkien, Jordan, and Tad Williams on his work, and how Aric's rediscovery of Ray Bradbury's more macabre tales as an MFA candidate in Creative Writing informed his decision to move specifically into writing horror.

Aric also talks about the lessons he learned in his creative writing program, and how he applies them to his work as an editor and publisher at Dark Peninsula Press, the independent publishing company he founded in 2019. He and Scotty talk about the anthologies Dark Peninsula Press has produced (spoiler alert: Scotty's stories have appeared in just about all of them), and Aric outlines his vision for the company's future.

And, of course, they talk about Aric's own writing, from his absurdist comic take on cosmic horror with his novella "Serious Applicants Only" (2021, Dark Peninsula Press) to his terrifying, Joyce Carol Oates-inspired short story "The Run" (2014, "Night Terrors III").

You can find Aric online at https://aricsundquist.weebly.com

You can find Dark Peninsula Press online at https://www.darkpeninsulapress.com

You can read Aric's story "The Way We Are Lifted" in the anthology "Fearful Fathoms, Vol. 1: Tales of Aquatic Terror" (2017, Scarlet Galleon Publications): https://www.amazon.com/Fearful-Fathoms-Collected-Aquatic-Terror/dp/1974213021/

You can read Aric's story "Rise of the Corpse Eaters" in the anthology "More Bizarro Than Bizarro" (2017, Bizarro Pulp Press): https://www.amazon.com/More-Bizarro-than-Leza-Cantoral/dp/1947654039/

You can read Aric's story "Conditioned Apocalypse" in the anthology "Year's Best Body Horror 2017" (2017, Gehenna & Hinnom): https://www.amazon.com/Years-Best-Body-Horror-Anthology/dp/0997280344/

You can read Aric's story "The Run" in the anthology "Night Terrors III" (2014, Blood Bound Books): https://www.amazon.com/Night-Terrors-III-Horror-Anthology/dp/1940250145/

You can read Aric's story "The End of Autumn" in "Evil Jester Digest, Vol. 1" (2012): https://www.amazon.com/Evil-Jester-Digest-Volume-One/dp/0615613241/

You can read Aric's story "Butcher's Block" in "If I Die Before I Wake #7: Tales of Savagery & Slaughter" (2022, Sinister Smile Press, also featuring Scotty's story "Monkey Cage"): https://www.amazon.com/If-Die-Before-Wake-Slaughter/dp/1953112323/

All Dark Peninsula Press anthologies can be found on Amazon, or at: https://www.darkpeninsulapress.com/store.html These include: • "Negative Space: An Anthology of Survival Horror" (2020, featuring Scotty's story "Luminescence") • "Violent Vixens: An Homage to Grindhouse Horror" (2021, featuring Scotty's story "The Whole Price of Blood") • "Negative Space 2: A Return to Survival Horror" (2023, featuring Scotty's story "Brown Bear, Brown Bear") • "The Cellar Door, Issue 1: Woodland Terrors" (2022, featuring Scotty's story "Blisters") • "The Cellar Door, Issue 2: Forbidden Magic" (2023, featuring Scotty's story "My Church is Black") • "The Cellar Door, Issue 3: Dark Highways" (2023, featuring Scotty's story "Twelve Miles. Two Hours.")

Be sure to put the next episode of Daniel Braum's "Night Time Logic" into your calendar! Daniel is the author of "The Night Marchers and Other Strange Tales" and "The Serpent's Shadow" (Cemetary Dance). His YouTube series "Night Time Logic" focuses on the strange, weird, and wonderful side of dark fiction through readings and discussions with diverse authors from around the world. You can tune in on Daniel's YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/@danielbraum7838

Daniel's next episode will be LIVE on August 29 at 7 p.m. EST, and will feature author Paul Tremblay. Follow the event on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/797113355174358

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