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An Interview With Steve Rasnic Tem

Steve Rasnic Tem has collected a small portion of his over 250 published short stories in the collections City Fishing (Silver Salamander) and The Far Side of the Lake (Ash-Tree Press). Next year Subterranean Press will be bringing out his experimental fantasy novel The Book of Days. He is a past winner of the British Fantasy, Bram Stoker, and International Horror Guild awards.

Steve Rasnic Tem is the author of Wormhole chapbook In These Final Days of Sales.

Wormhole Books: As one of the most prolific authors of dark fantasy and short suspense fiction, what are your feelings about the long form? You obviously seem to prefer short stories. Is there a particular reason?

Steve Rasnic Tem: I like the reward you get after a day, or a week, or several weeks of writing. That sense of having completed something. I'm a child that way-I want quick gratification. Working on novels is like remodeling your house: it goes on forever, living conditions in the meantime are lousy, and by the time you're finished you've already changed your mind about what you really wanted.

And still, there are stories that can only be told as novels. And that's reason enough to write them.

WB: Do you have any plans to do another novel?

SRT: Oh yeah, but I don't really want to promise anything specifically-that almost guarantees I won't finish them.

WB: We've been told that your upcoming work from Subterranean Press, The Book of Days , is surreal to an extreme. What are your views as to what degree authors have to make their work accessible?

SRT: Speaking of which, The Book of Days is a novel, my second. So there you go.

New writers tend not to worry enough about making their work accessible.

But I think many established writers tend to worry too much. At some point I think you have to trust that you've learned your craft and honed your "voice" (that nebulous thing which is at the heart of accessibility, I think) to the point where you should write according to where your imagination leads you, and trust that accessibility (with a tweak here and there) will take care of itself.

WB: Can you tell us about any other upcoming projects you have in the works?

SRT: I'm putting together another short story collection for Silver Salamander. And Melanie and I are doing a collaborative multimedia CD project for Lone Wolf. And our high fantasy novel Daughters is out now from iPublish, ebook and print-on-demand.

WB: Could you also tell us about your experiences in multi-media with your Shape-shifter poem? Would you like to do more of this type of project?

SRT: I spend 80 hours filming and editing a 4 minute poetry video, and it was enormous fun. It'll be on the Rough Beasts CD from Lone Wolf. I have a lot of expensive video and animation equipment and software, so I certainly want to do more of this sort of thing-as I have the time. I have a life-long interest in film, animation, puppetry, etc. Strategically, in terms of career, this is sheer stupidity of course. I should be concentrating on books books books. But it keeps things interesting-I hope I never stop getting interested in new art forms. Even if I'm mediocre at it-there's such pleasure in the making.

WB: You're a prolific author, but we know from experience that doesn't mean that all your stories come easily to you. Your new Wormhole chapbook, In These Final Days of Sales , took you a long time to write. Can you tell us what made this story so difficult to write?

SRT: Some story problems can only be solved by what happens in your life. I knew I wanted to write this story 20 years ago. But I had to be older in order to write it correctly. And even then, during the draft it had to pass from the 31 year old writer's consciousness into the 51 year old writer's consciousness. And that meant a lot of rewrites, and writing long and cutting. It happens to me a lot these days.

WB: As a native Virginian, to what degree do you see yourself influenced by Southern literary tradition?

SRT: Heavily. These are the story-telling rhythms I grew up with.

WB: Do you feel your Southern background influences the way you see the world?

SRT: Not so much Southern as it is small town. The world is a big and scary place, and about the best we can do is carve out a small sanctuary for ourselves and our families that we will strive to keep safe. That's small town thinking, I think, but that's me.

WB: Your collaborative chapbook, The Man On The Ceiling , co-authored with your wife, Melanie, has captured a lot of attention and several major awards. What chord do you feel this story touched in its readers?

SRT: Actually, this is one time Melanie and I have decided we're going to let the work speak for itself.

WB: Do you have any advice for either new or established writers that you would care to pass along? Knowing what you know now, is there anything (or many things) you would do differently?

SRT: I would have written more novels, earlier. The best advice I could give is to build up a repertoire of fictional structures and solutions from reading and practice. Make sure you have a very broad view of what constitutes a story.

WB: In view of the number of books and stories you have recently sold, to what do you attribute this acceleration in your career?

SRT: I'm more focused now than I ever have been. I think turning 50, and having the last of my children ready to go out and make their own ways through the world-it changes you.

WB: You also have an ebook collaboration with Melanie coming out soon. What are your views of the new media types?

SRT: I think they bring up fascinating possibilities, and I've been experimenting with various forms of electronic presentation-html, hypertext, multimedia, etc.-but I also think they are NEW in every basic formal way, and not a replacement for the printed book. If I want to read prose, I still prefer the printed word.

WB: With two successful writers in a marriage, what sort of dynamic do these dual careers give to each other?

SRT: We eat, drink, and breathe writing and family. It makes it difficult sometimes to squeeze other things in-like social obligations, the outside world, etc. We really have to make an effort. But at the end of the day it makes for a very full life.

WB: On behalf of our readers and staff, we would like to thank you for participating in this interview.

SRT: Thank you.

In These Final Days of Sales Steve Rasnic Tem "Tem has proven his unique imagination over the years. His stories create deep fear from the most mundane circumstances. " Garrett Peck Learn more...

Steve Rasnic Tem's flash fiction, "Merry X", is featured in our 2003 Christmas Card. A second flash fiction piece, "Origami Bird", is featured in our 2002 Independence Day Card. Learn more...