Pride Month Interviews: Meet David-Jack Fletcher

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you contribute to the horror genre.

I’m an Australian author, editor, and publisher. I pretty much only contribute to the horror genre as I published queer horror through my press, Slashic Horror. I also write gay horror, and when I had my own editing business, I was specifically a horror editor. About me, personally, though? My pug is my best non-human friend, and tbh, he’s pretty high up the list when I count my human friends too 😂. I’m married to a gorgeous bear; probably the kindest person in existence, who has pushed me and supported me when I didn’t believe in myself. I love a good horror film, an avid reader when I get the chance, and an obsessive pug-cuddler.

What drew you to the horror genre?

I was such a fraidy cat when I was younger; a bed-wetter, nervous, terribly afraid of so many things I can’t even give examples. I grew up in an abusive household, though, so I think that had a lot to do with my perpetual sense of fear. So, when I was a teenager, I watched Scream—my first foray into horror. I had to sleep with the lights on. For me, that was not acceptable. I didn’t want to be so scared of a film that I was concerned Ghostface was real. So I began testing my limits, watching more and more horror, and I grew to absolutely love it. I also appreciate the gay coding that appears in horror, and how the history of horror has always been queer. I’ve found my place!  

What are some areas of queer horror you think are under-explored?

With greater recognition of our non-binary and trans siblings, I have always thought there is still a lack of representation or exploration of bisexuality. I’ve seen the category of bi continue to be erased by people within our own community, which I find really strange and quite counterproductive. I would love to see more bi awareness and more of an acceptance that bisexual people exist—and that they belong, just as we all do. 

What do you find scary within the horror genre?

This is a tricky one for me. I don’t find the typical tropes of ghosts, vamps, werewolves etc. to be overly scary. So I think for me it’s the themes that resonate with me on that really fearful level. At the moment, in my own writing, I am quite concerned with the nature of existence and reality, and the psychological elements of storytelling that come with that. So I guess for me, queering existence and notions of identity can be scary.

Who are some queer content creators in horror you think more people should discover?

There are so many. I will start with all of my Slashic family. If you don’t know who they are, just look at the Our Authors page on the website: https://www.slashichorrorpress.com/our-authors. There are so many wonderful, talented authors emerging every day and, admittedly, it is hard to keep up. But that page is a good start. I can really only speak to authors and book content, as that’s where I am the most comfortable in terms of queer creators. 

What advice would you give to the next generation of queer horror content creators coming into the horror genre?

The world today is so toxic and can be so dangerous for an incredible amount of people in our community. Horror is one space where we can all belong and where we can draw on each other for support. I guess my main point of advice would be to stay authentic to yourself and write what you want to write. I’ve had friends and family tell me to “write straight” to get my foot in the door with trad publishers and agents—my response is to never compromise on what’s important to you. We are queer and our stories matter; writing those stories is one of the most valuable, meaningful things I have done in my writing career.

Where can folks find you these days?

I’m on almost every platform, but my LinkTree is probably the easiest way to find me: https://linktr.ee/djfletcher.

Bio:

David-Jack Fletcher is a gay Australian horror author, publisher, and editor, specialising in work that emphasises the everydayness of LGBTQI+ individuals. He is the Aurealis-nominated author of The Count, a vampiric novel centred on the evil that lurks within the earth itself. His other titles include the award-winning Raven’s Creek (Slashic), The Haunting of Harry Peck (Lethe Press), Hell is Other People: Stories (Lethe Press), Indentured (Truborn), He Will Have the World(Slashic) and the forthcoming Umbilical (Horrorsmith Publishing). 
David-Jack is also the founder of Slashic Horror Press, an emerging queer indie press focused on promoting under-represented voices—and stories—in horror and dark fiction. Since beginning in June 2023, Slashic Horror Press has released over 25 titles. For more details, visit the website here: https://www.slashichorrorpress.com/titles