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Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you contribute to the horror genre.
I’m a freelance artist, author, and researcher based in Eastern Washington state. As a trans guy, I feel at home in the horror genre because it tends to focus on the transgressive, progressive, and boundary-pushing. And yet, so often in books and film, queer and disabled bodies function as the horror itself, metaphorically or literally. Growing up, I wanted to see someone like me as the protagonist rather than the evil force the protagonists are trying to defeat. I like to think I contribute to the genre by subverting and altering those stereotypes, adding my unique voice to the writing community and exploring horror, both body and cosmic, through a distinctly queer and disabled lens. What drew you to the horror genre? I’ve always been intrigued by all things gross and weird. I’m drawn to the horror genre because it gives me leeway to allow my characters and worlds to be gross and weird, while still being sympathetic, funny, cool, even desirable. I find that the genre is oddly freeing in that capacity where other genres are restrictive. If you could recommend one creation of horror that everyone should consume that features either disabled creators or characters, whether that be a book, podcast, movie, art, etc., what would you recommend? My favorite book of all time, Perdido Street Station by China Mièville, has a disabled POV character. His arc is both fascinating and horrific, as is the novel as a whole. It’s a masterclass in worldbuilding, characterization, and stamina. It is extremely gross and bizarre, and not at all an easy read, but it’s also enthralling. What do you find scary within the horror genre? If a story can make me imagine the sound of something horrifying, it will almost certainly scare the crap out of me. Soundscapes in movies are what always gets me, as well. The bear in Annihilation is grueling to look at, sure, but the agonized “help…me…” is what ultimately makes me have to skip that scene every time. So if a novel creates such a lush atmosphere that I can almost hear what the characters hear, that’s guaranteed to make me turn on the light. What advice would you give to the next generation of disabled horror content creators coming into the horror genre? Just trust yourself to be as weird as possible. Where can folks find you these days? I’m pretty much exclusively on Instagram and Threads, as @Martennwrites. You can find my debut novel, Demon Engine, listed on the tRaum Books website.
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 Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you contribute to the horror genre.
My name is Nick Aucoin (he/him). I’m a disabled/chronically ill horror author, screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. I’ve had short stories featured in varied publications and co-founded an indie horror production company, The Murder Associates Productions, in 2024 with A Wheeler. I’ve worked on anthologies, literary magazines, short films, audio dramas & podcasts, a video game, and a web series. I’ve also worked with journalism and have done some advocacy work around disabilities. I love the community. There’s so many creative people out there with important and entertaining stories to tell. I’ve been blessed to connect with many of those creatives through social media and shared projects. What drew you to the horror genre? While I’ve enjoyed horror media for most of my life, I really got into the genre when my health worsened as a teenager. It felt cathartic to watch characters face awful situations and rise above. The horror genre provided an escape and a place to put my anxiety that wasn’t focused on myself. Horror writing then allowed me to process a lot of my own feelings on the page. It also has long been a genre that places focus on the “outsider”, which appealed to me on multiple levels. If you could recommend one creation of horror that everyone should consume that features either disabled creators or characters, whether that be a book, podcast, movie, art, etc., what would you recommend? I really love Take All of Us by Natalie Leif. It’s a YA zombie horror novel that follows a group of young people with disabilities and chronic illnesses who were left behind during a government evacuation. The story does a lot to illustrate what it can feel like to live with those conditions, how society treats disabled individuals, and it challenges some common narratives around disability. Plus there’s queer rep too! What positive changes have you seen happening in the horror community regarding disabled creators and content and what are some areas the community can still improve? People have become increasingly aware of the varied ways that the horror genre has at times historically (or more currently) demonized disabled people and those with health conditions through media portrayals, which has sparked some great discussions. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve also seen some more awareness around accessibility, including having an increase in virtual events and masking. We have a ways to go. The horror community, overall, is a fairly supportive and progressive one though. I look forward to seeing these conversations continue. What do you find scary within the horror genre? Home invasion horror and medical horror are two categories that tend to unsettle me the most. It’s that loss of control and security in what was supposed to be a safe space that hits hard with me. Who are some disabled content creators in horror you think more people should discover? Ariel Baska is the festival director for Access: Horror, which is a film festival that focuses on disability and horror. They’ve done some great work when it comes to advocacy and highlighting disabled horror creators in that industry. What advice would you give to the next generation of disabled horror content creators coming into the horror genre? Don’t let people try to convince you to make yourself smaller. Accommodations are not wrong to ask for and it’s okay to take things at your own pace. Tell the stories you want to tell. Where can folks find you these days? I’m @aucoinhorror on Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, etc. Instagram is where I'm most active. BIO: Nick Aucoin is an author, screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. His love of the horror genre began with his father showing him Jaws at a young age (yes, he considers it to be a horror film). Horror has always appealed to him as a way of both exploring the nature of humanity and exploring the ‘other’ - something he especially could relate to as a disabled queer person. His writing has been featured in varied anthologies, zines, and literary magazines, along with having been a staff writer on three publications. As a script writer and filmmaker/producer, he's worked on a variety of short films, podcasts, a video game, an audio book, and created the Fangs & Flowers web series. He co-founded The Murder Associates Productions with A Wheeler in 2024. Links: https://linktr.ee/aucoinhorror https://www.instagram.com/aucoinhorror/ Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you contribute to the horror genre.
Hey!! Thank you so much for the opportunity! My name is Mal and I’m a 34 year old author currently living in Southwestern Ontario. I’m passionate about animals, music, tattoos and my family. I’ve been writing professionally since 2017. My first published work of horror is The Exchange & Other Calamities through Anuci Press. The novel is interconnected short stories and I poured navigating the healthcare system as a young woman trying to know why I was sick, getting diagnosed and the isolation, grief, anger and the constant fear of living with different chronic illnesses. Horror was my creative outlet when I was at my rock bottom. What drew you to the horror genre? I fell in love with horror when I first fell ill in 2018. I was being treated for chronic lyme disease, and had mono and all I wanted to do was watch horror movies. It brought me comfort not shying away from things that had once scared me, especially during a time when my world was turned upside down. Then years later my naivety about how the healthcare system and some professionals navigate diagnosing and managing symptoms of chronic illness made me feel I needed to share my story. Millions of people have similar stories to my own and I wasn’t seeing it talked about much in fiction. I think its important to not douse toxic positivity when it comes to living with chronic illnesses, so I penned a novel that is raw, vulnerable and doesn’t shy away from the harder emotions that come with living with chronic pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety and a myriad of other symptoms. If you could recommend one creation of horror that everyone should consume that features either disabled creators or characters, whether that be a book, podcast, movie, art, etc., what would you recommend? I love the movie Hush by Mike Flannagan. The main character Maddie Young, is deaf and lost her ability to speak due to bacterial meningitis at age thirteen. The movie follows Maddie in her adult life, working on her next novel when a killer targets her in her home. If you haven’t watched it- GO NOW lol! Its fantastic and Maddie is my favorite final girl, and is so badass. What do you find scary within the horror genre? Personally, I find paranormal horror scares to me the most! Think Paranormal Activity, The Conjuring or in books Incidents around the House by Josh Malerman, Last Days by Adam Nevill. What advice would you give to the next generation of disabled horror content creators coming into the horror genre? I would say to remember to be authentically you, and never be afraid to be honest about your experiences. No one else can write your story, and it’s so important to continue to share and lift disabled creators. Stigmas and ableism unfortunately are still prevalent today but I hope in the future they will continue to be less. Where can folks find you these days? I am active on Instagram, Facebook and threads at @authormalmccartney Bio: Mallory McCartney currently lives in Sarnia, Ontario with her husband, their dachshunds Link, and Leonard and their sphynx cats Luna, Legolas, Ivy and Lily. When she isn’t working on her next novel or reading, she can be found day dreaming about fantasy worlds or bingeing her favorite horror movies. Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/authormalmccartney Instagram Link: https://www.instagram.com/authormalmccartney/?hl=en  Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you contribute to the horror genre.
Hello! I’m Corinne Pollard and I’m a UK horror writer of short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. I’ve been published in indie horror for a few years now in over forty anthologies such as with Black Hare Press, Carnage House Publishing, Inky Bones Press, Graveside Press, Three Cousins Publishing, The Ravens Quoth Press and Raven Tale Publishing. I’m a member of the British Fantasy Society which is a great society for the speculative genres and not just fantasy. I write book reviews, articles, and the weekly newsletter for The Horror Tree website. Also I run a creative writing group in my neighborhood, promoting horror as much as possible. What drew you to the horror genre? My writing naturally goes to the dark side of fantasy. I was brought up on fantasy such as Narnia and Lord of the Rings and while I do love my folklore and fairy tales, I love it more when things creep, bump in the night, make you flinch, scream, and disgust you with terrifying gore. I love the paranormal, monsters, gothic, vampires, werewolves, evil witches, ghosts, supernatural, and body horror. You can thank Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, Susan Hill and Angela Carter for inspiring and enticing me to the horror. What do you find scary within the horror genre? I’m a scaredy cat so everything in horror scares me haha. My work explores the fantastical that turns into a nightmare, but it’s through this process that the reader can identify their fears. I write cos I too am afraid and I draw upon what I’m scared of. Sometimes this has been my disability, other times the impact by other people. No other genre has such a physical reaction that lingers with you even when you’re stopped reading, and I've always been drawn to that with the desire to achieve it with my writing. What advice would you give to the next generation of disabled horror content creators coming into the horror genre? Stay true to the horror you wish to portray. There’s a pressure to conform, to depict characters without disability when you wish to portray disability as well as characters with disability to conform to hurtful stereotypes. Produce your content when you can and not when anyone else says so. Your health comes first no matter what. Lastly, be proud of yourself and your accomplishments. Your voice, mind and creativity matters and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Where can folks find you these days? You can find me (Corinne Pollard) lurking on Bluesky @corinnepwriter.bsky.social, Instagram & Threads @Corinnepwriter, and my website, corinnepollard.wordpress.com. Also if you wish to keep updated on any horror writing advice, fiction, or what I’m up to on a weekly occurrence, check out The Horror Tree newsletter. Bio: Corinne Pollard is a disabled UK horror writer and poet, published with Black Hare Press, Carnage House Publishing, Inky Bones Press, Graveside Press, Three Cousins Publishing, The Ravens Quoth Press, Raven Tale Publishing, A Coup of Owls Press, and The Stygian Lepus. Corinne writes reviews and the weekly newsletter for The Horror Tree. Aside from writing, Corinne enjoys metal music, visiting graveyards, and shopping for books to read. Follow her dark world on https://linktr.ee/corinnepollard  Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you contribute to the horror genre.
My name is Hannah Graves. I am a disabled, chronically ill, nonbinary lesbian. I am married to the most wonderful woman who puts up with an awful lot of me quoting Longlegs and we have several animals, including my cockatiel, Bananakin. I’ve been into horror for as long as I can remember; my mom used to read me Clive Barker books when I was too young to read on my own. As to how I contribute, there are various ways. I help run a dark fiction indie press called Dead Fox Publishing. I write, from short stories to novellas to collections. I review books and films. I try to uplift and spread the word of any indie creator that I run across. I want to get a podcast running with my wife, but we're still trying to find time for it. What drew you to the horror genre? I can’t remember life before horror, so… I’m not really sure how to answer this one. I guess perhaps because I had a horrible upbringing, which wasn’t fun at all, I found interest in horror, which was also horrible but in a fun way. Does that sound weird? It was escapism for me and that never ending quest to try to find something that genuinely scares me. (I’ve only found two things so far. You have to guess.) If you could recommend one creation of horror that everyone should consume that features either disabled creators or characters, whether that be a book, podcast, movie, art, etc., what would you recommend? For characters - Rotten Tommy by David Sodergren. The main character is a late diagnosed Autistic woman, and I have never felt more seen or heard. I know some people don’t consider Autism a disability, but it is for me, and so I count that here. Also, it has a cursed children’s program and it’s David Sodergren—what more do I need to say? For authors – Kylie Lee Baker. Autistic with chronic illnesses/invisible disabilities. I have never had a miss with this author and I will literally follow Kylie to the end of the world and back. What do you find scary within the horror genre? The psychological aspect of it. The way it messes with your mind. When it’s quiet and it creeps up on you and you’re left sitting there afterward, dwelling on every moment like you’re seeing a painting for the first time. A good example of this is Penpal by Dathan Auerbach. There’s no jump scares in that and it’s slow build and unease, so I think some people don’t give it the chance it deserves. I’d rather face a killer or a supernatural creature any day of the week than that book. What advice would you give to the next generation of disabled horror content creators coming into the horror genre? Don’t let anyone stop you. That includes yourself. It doesn’t matter how slow you may have to create, how many times your brain or body may not cooperate, just… keep going. Late is better than never, right? And never, EVER feel the need to be someone else’s inspiration. Create because you want to. Create because you love it. Create because you have to. But always do it for yourself first and foremost because you’re going to get burnt out if you’re trying to live as an inspiration constantly. Where can folks find you these days? I am spooks.hannah on Threads and Instagram and my website is http://www.hannah-graves.com ! |
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