Pride Month Interviews: Meet LB Waltz

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

I have gone by many names in my life, but the one I presently write under is LB Waltz. I
enjoy flowers and bones and demons and biblically accurate angels. And while the bit
would suggest adding “walks along the beach” to this list, I don’t actually care much for
the beach at all. Not big on sand, me. Or being wet. “Sand” and “wet” are textural
nightmares. Speaking of nightmares, my contributions to the horror genre include
SUNNY DAYS, a novella ostensibly about Aztec gods, and UNDERNEATH THE
PERSIMMON TREE, a short story collection featuring weird fruit, a surprising number of
birds, and a sapphic poltergeist/witch romance.
 
What drew you to the horror genre?

I am a deeply anxious person who yearns for control. I’m sure many can relate. Being
able to work through the worst “what-if” scenarios my brain can conjure while
maintaining godlike control of the outcome can be quite therapeutic.
 
If you could recommend one creation of horror that everyone should consume
that is queer or queer coded, whether that be a book, podcast, movie, art, etc.,
what would you recommend?

The Magnus Archives. I live for deeply complex, interconnected stories featuring casual
queer representation.
 
What positive changes have you seen happening in the horror community
regarding LGBTQIA+ creators and content and what are some areas the
community can still improve?

I can’t say with any authority if there’s been an uptick in queer stories being published,
but I do think queer stories are being more loudly promoted. For ages, it felt like the only
place one could reliably find queer stories was in manga or in fanfiction forums; nowadays, there are lists and dedicated imprints that are helping readers discover things that were once released much more quietly. It’s an improvement, for sure! In my mind, the next step is encouraging people to read more diverse queer stories. More is more, when it comes to representation. And personally, I’d like to see more than the same two or three authors on the shelves when I go to the bookstore and library.

What do you find scary within the horror genre?

Audience inability to separate fiction from reality. The death of media literacy. Pervasive
puritanical values, and the bizarre belief held by some that authors and readers
condone/approve of atrocious acts or horrible behaviors simply because they appear in
a story.
 
Where can folks find you these days?

If you give the ol’ LinkTree a shake, I might fall out of its branches.

Bio:

LB Waltz has been publishing creative works for over 20 years under various pseudonyms. They enjoy taking walks, studying mythologies, and reading about botanical folklore. Find them enjoying SUNNY DAYS while UNDERNEATH THE PERSIMMON TREE, or on bluesky @balmroomdance.