TIME TO GET SCI-FI & SCARY IN THE MADHOUSE: AN INTERVIEW WITH LILYN GEORGE

Hello and Good Morning, Friends and Fiends,

We're another week into Women in Horror Month, and today in the Madhouse we're hosting Lilyn George, the owner and co-host of Sci-Fi & Scary, which is a site that provides book and movie reviews in the science fiction and horror genres, as well as guest posts, interviews, and original articles. Before we get started on the interview, give Lilyn a follow on Twitter @scifiandscary and Instagram  @scifiandscary, and if you want to check out the other interviews so far, you can find Mother Horror here, and Emily here!

With snake oil and sage,

Stephanie M. Wytovich

What (or who!) got you into horror? 

Nightmare on Elm Street movies, and parents who had skewed ideas as to what was appropriate viewing for a youngling. For books specifically, it’d be Dean Koontz.

How do you, as a reader, define horror? And what is your favorite kind of horror to read? 

Horror is something written or filmed with the intention to horrify and/or disgust. My favorite kind of horror is paranormal (specifically demonic possession and ghosts), closely followed by creature features. 

You are the owner and co-host at Sci-Fi & Scary. Can you tell us a little about the site and what you do/promote there? 

Sci-Fi & Scary does book and movie reviews in primarily the science fiction and horror genres. We review works aimed anywhere from middle-grade to adult. There are also interviews, guest posts, and original articles. My favorite part of the site, though, is my ‘Coolthulhu Crew.’ I read Mira Grant’s Feed long before I ever considered becoming a blogger. It made a big impression on me. So, pretty much as soon as I started the site, I knew that I wanted it to grow. I didn’t want it to be a one-person show. I also knew that I wanted it to be more than just a team of people that occasionally contributed stuff. I wanted it to be more like a family. I’ve been lucky in finding the right people to make that happen.

So, a shout out to Graciekat, Nico, Jason, Olly, Tracy, Sam, and Sarrah. Also J.B. Rockwell, V. Castro, and Mike Justman. Without the group I’m working with, the site probably wouldn’t have lasted as long as it did. Chatting with them and supporting each other on a daily basis keeps things going.

In a glorious effect to further support women in horror, the hashtag (and website) #LadiesofHorrorFiction was born! How did you get involved in this project and what can readers/writers look forward to this year from the team?

Jen, Toni, Laurie and I had an opportunity to realize we worked well together. We each had acknowledged that women were often overlooked and underrepresented in the horror genre at different times. We decided to band together and use our skills in a way that gave back to the community. Thus, Ladies of Horror Fiction was born. 

As to what to expect this year:  We’ll be continuing to bring you the Ladies of Horror Fiction podcast, keeping you up-to-date on new releases, as well as more interviews and guest posts with women horror authors.

We plan on having quarterly read-alongs. In February we’ll be reading Tananarive Due’s The Between. We invite everyone to grab a copy of the book and read with us! We also have some fun Instagram things planned. 

Along with that, Jen’s just started running several writing groups for female horror writers. We’re going to do more to keep you up to date on news in the horror fiction industry. We are also looking to expand a bit and spend some time on horror artists that operate outside the written word. 

Who are some of your favorite female characters (monsters, scream queens, final girls, etc.) in literature/film? 

Shannon Moss from The Gone World, Georgia Mason from The Newsflesh trilogy, Angela Touissaint from the Good House.

I know I certainly have my own habits when it comes to reading, but I’m curious what yours are? 

This question actually stumped me. I don’t know that I have any reading habits, other than always having a book on me. I read on my phone, on my Kindle Paperwhite, and on my computer. I listen to audiobooks during my commute. My downtime is spent either reading or watching bad movies.

Who are some of your favorite small presses? 

Grey Matter Press is a stand-out to me for quality reads. Crystal Lake Publishing as well. Gracie puts her vote in for Cemetery Gates Media here. There are others that do a good job, but these are the ‘best of’ to us.

Honestly, though, I like any of them that value quality over quantity. See my ‘Small Press Publishing’ article on the site for more information.

What are a few books sitting in your TBR pile? 

The Lake by R. Karl Largent, At the End of the Day I Burst into Flames by Nicholas Day, Vessel by Lisa Nichols, The Invited by Jennifer McMahon, Light by M. John Harrison, and The Enceladus Mission by Brandon Q. Morris

What books are you looking forward to reading most this year?

I don’t have specific books, but I have specific subgenres. This year I want to explore more of what horror has to offer outside my normal paranormal and creature features. I plan on reading some bizarro, splatterpunk, body horror, and more. I know I’m not going to like it all, but at least at the end of the year I’ll be able to say I gave them a good shot. 

How can people work to support female writers in the future? 

Bookmark www.ladiesofhorrorfiction.com. Remember it whenever you have some money to spend on books. People often say, “It’s so hard to find horror books written by women.” Yeah, it used to be, but that’s not the case anymore. 

Read women horror author’s works. Talk about them. Review them. Nominate them for awards! If you run a review site and do interviews, reach out to them. There is quality work being put out by men and women right now, but men get the majority of our attention. That is by choice, especially once you know we exist, and you can make the choice to change that.

You mentioned awards. Could you tell us more about the Ladies of Horror Fiction Awards?

Sure! These awards are open to anything published Jan 1, 2019 to December 31^st, 2019. Authors and publishers are welcome to submit for any of our categories. Women horror writers are doing some phenomenal work, and we want a chance to recognize it! You can find out more on our website.