Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Tucson, Arizona-based author of science fiction and horror. As of 2021, I’ve published one novel and one short story collection. My stories have been featured in numerous books, magazines, and podcasts. Prior to publishing my first novel, I fronted numerous bands and held a career in visual art. My writing, informed by an interest in a variety of emerging technologies and mediums, often pushes the boundaries of traditional written narratives while remaining cohesive and accessible. My influences include literary giants like Kurt Vonnegut, Margaret Atwood, and Kazuo Ishiguro, genre-specific authors like William Gibson, as well as manga author Junji Ito and game designer Yoko Taro.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Dead Heart, Living Vein is a collection of dark science fiction stories. After publishing my first novel, Caligatha, readers told me that they wanted to spend more time in that universe, that there seemed to be so many more stories waiting to be told. My goal was to create a series of short stories that took place in that universe but didn’t require reading the novel. And while expanding on the lore of Caligatha, these stories aren’t designed to explain anything. Rather, they simmer with as much mystery, and beg more questions. They’re also a lot darker and more horror-oriented.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really. I listen to instrumental music, often videogame soundtracks, which I find to be some of the most beautiful compositions ever made, especially anything from Nobuo Umetsu. Perhaps the strangest thing is that I tend to write a lot of fragments on my phone, sometimes whole chapters.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Kurt Vonnegut, Margaret Atwood, Kazuo Ishiguro, William Gibson, Sylvia Plath, Jeff Vandermeer, Octavia E. Butler. I’m also heavily influenced by narratives that exist outside of typical literature, such as manga author Junji Ito and game designer Yoko Taro.
What are you working on now?
I have about five novels that range from half-complete to just a page of ideas and plot points. I find it hard to sit down and work on one thing from beginning to end. Usually, I’ll hit a wall in the narrative, and rather than force it, I focus on something else. But the two novels that will be first out of queue include a horror novel set in an abandoned prison, and a cyberpunk novel that I like to call Neuromancer-meets-Trainspotting.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ll let you know when I figure it out. My strategy so far has been to make my work as accessible to everyone as possible, usually giving out thousands of copies or posting short stories somewhere free to read, like Reddit.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t worry about not knowing enough to write. This was a big stumbling block for me for many years, especially when writing science fiction. I came to realize that most readers don’t want technical explanations for all of your inventions. And guess what? Your characters probably don’t know how they work, either. They just know what they do, and what they do is what’s most important.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
This isn’t original advice, but it’s the best advice: write. Just write. If it’s garbage the first time, that’s okay: that’s why you edit. No one’s first draft is anything like their completed manuscript.
What are you reading now?
Clara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro, and the complete works of Junji Ito.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing. Hopefully better and faster.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’d like it to be a surprise, actually. If I’m going to be stranded from civilization, might as well have something unexpected.
Author Websites and Profiles
Matt Spire Website
Matt Spire Amazon Profile
Matt Spire’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
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