Ask the Author: Ian Rogers
Answered Questions (8)
Ian Rogers
Thanks for the kind words!
Unfortunately, SYCAMORE is not yet available for sale. But you can be sure I will be posting about it here when it is.
In the meantime, I continue to write and sell Felix Renn/Black Lands short stories and novellas. A new story recently appeared in the latest issue of Space & Time magazine.
Unfortunately, SYCAMORE is not yet available for sale. But you can be sure I will be posting about it here when it is.
In the meantime, I continue to write and sell Felix Renn/Black Lands short stories and novellas. A new story recently appeared in the latest issue of Space & Time magazine.
Ian Rogers
Nick and Nora Charles from Dashiell Hammett's THIN MAN books.
In addition to being one of the first husband and wife detective duos, Nick and Nora changed the entire paradigm of detective fiction for years to come.
In addition to being one of the first husband and wife detective duos, Nick and Nora changed the entire paradigm of detective fiction for years to come.
Ian Rogers
Drinking coffee and answering e-mail. :)
Ian Rogers
Hmm.... how about "Private Dick: How Writing Supernatural Detective Stories Kept Me in Horror and Humour."
Ian Rogers
Whoa. That's a good question. And a big one. Can I pick two characters?
Off the top of my head, meaning if you asked me tomorrow I might give you different answer, I would go with Elizabeth Bennet from PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. I've read the book several times and I think that's mostly because Lizzy is such a fresh, original, and complex character who truly steps off the page and becomes something almost like a real person.
I'd also pick Lew Archer, the private detective protagonist from the series of novels written by Ross Macdonald. Archer was one of the first, if not THE first, of the detective characters in fiction who was more than just a cipher. Archer had an emotional depth that really hadn't been seen before. Chandler's PI character Marlowe had a bit of it, but it was never explored to the degree that Macdonald did with Archer.
Off the top of my head, meaning if you asked me tomorrow I might give you different answer, I would go with Elizabeth Bennet from PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. I've read the book several times and I think that's mostly because Lizzy is such a fresh, original, and complex character who truly steps off the page and becomes something almost like a real person.
I'd also pick Lew Archer, the private detective protagonist from the series of novels written by Ross Macdonald. Archer was one of the first, if not THE first, of the detective characters in fiction who was more than just a cipher. Archer had an emotional depth that really hadn't been seen before. Chandler's PI character Marlowe had a bit of it, but it was never explored to the degree that Macdonald did with Archer.
Ian Rogers
Hi Cheral,
Thank you for the question. Since both of my books are collections, and very different ones at that, I thought I'd tell you my favourite stories in each one.
In my book EVERY HOUSE IS HAUNTED, my favourite story would probably be "The Candle." I feel it hits the right note of quiet horror that I enjoy most of all. I also like "Aces" because it's so weird and it marks a special time in my writing life.
In my other book, SUPERNOIRTURAL TALES, I would say "The Brick" is my favourite. It's the longest story in the book, and I think it's one of the best things I've ever written. It's also full of Easter Eggs for the Felix Renn novel series which will appear one of these days, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Thanks again for the question!
Thank you for the question. Since both of my books are collections, and very different ones at that, I thought I'd tell you my favourite stories in each one.
In my book EVERY HOUSE IS HAUNTED, my favourite story would probably be "The Candle." I feel it hits the right note of quiet horror that I enjoy most of all. I also like "Aces" because it's so weird and it marks a special time in my writing life.
In my other book, SUPERNOIRTURAL TALES, I would say "The Brick" is my favourite. It's the longest story in the book, and I think it's one of the best things I've ever written. It's also full of Easter Eggs for the Felix Renn novel series which will appear one of these days, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Thanks again for the question!
Ian Rogers
Hi Mike,
First of all, thank you for the very kind words about my book. I'm really glad you enjoyed it.
Btw, I love "A Christmas Carol," and I've got to tell you, that scene you mentioned, with the door knocker, scared the hell out of me as a little kid -- even in the Muppet version. For years I had visions of knocking on my friends' doors and the knocker (if their door had one) turning into something nasty.
As for my first ghost... well, my whole family is from the East Coast of Canada -- Nova Scotia, to be exact -- which is an area rich in ghost stories and folklore. I have very vivid memories of going to Cape Breton one year when I was quite young to visit my mother's family, and being told ghost stories by virtually everyone in the family. I think everyone in Nova Scotia must have a ghost story -- and they all swear that they're real. There is an entertainment value to their storytelling, but they're also telling these stories because they believe them to be true. Mysterious cats wandering through houses (of people who don't own cats), phantom people wandering the roadside, strange lights coming out of ponds.
In my case, my cousins told stories about an old military tower on my family's property. It was an old barracks built during WWII, part of a whole bunch of miltary buildings construct to defend against a possible German invasion. It was a pretty spook place. My wife and I went to Nova Scotia for our honeymoon, and I showed her the old tower, which was still standing. She refused to go inside, and I must admit I was more than a little hestiant myself.
The stories my cousins told about the tower involved something red they saw on the roof. The really creepy thing is that there were multiple witnesses to the event and they all saw something different. One cousin said it was an orb that floated around the roof before disappearing down the side of the tower. But when I asked another cousin about it, he said, "Oh, you mean the bloody head that fell off the tower?" It made the story even more believable to me... and more terrifying. It really seemed like they saw something, even though they couldn't agree exactly what it was.
It wasn't my own personal encounter, but it was one that definitely left an impression on me at an early age.
And through the wonders of the internet I can show you the tower. Follow the link and scroll down to the comment section for links to pictures of the barracks.
https://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...
Thanks for the excellent question and Happy Holidays!
Ian
First of all, thank you for the very kind words about my book. I'm really glad you enjoyed it.
Btw, I love "A Christmas Carol," and I've got to tell you, that scene you mentioned, with the door knocker, scared the hell out of me as a little kid -- even in the Muppet version. For years I had visions of knocking on my friends' doors and the knocker (if their door had one) turning into something nasty.
As for my first ghost... well, my whole family is from the East Coast of Canada -- Nova Scotia, to be exact -- which is an area rich in ghost stories and folklore. I have very vivid memories of going to Cape Breton one year when I was quite young to visit my mother's family, and being told ghost stories by virtually everyone in the family. I think everyone in Nova Scotia must have a ghost story -- and they all swear that they're real. There is an entertainment value to their storytelling, but they're also telling these stories because they believe them to be true. Mysterious cats wandering through houses (of people who don't own cats), phantom people wandering the roadside, strange lights coming out of ponds.
In my case, my cousins told stories about an old military tower on my family's property. It was an old barracks built during WWII, part of a whole bunch of miltary buildings construct to defend against a possible German invasion. It was a pretty spook place. My wife and I went to Nova Scotia for our honeymoon, and I showed her the old tower, which was still standing. She refused to go inside, and I must admit I was more than a little hestiant myself.
The stories my cousins told about the tower involved something red they saw on the roof. The really creepy thing is that there were multiple witnesses to the event and they all saw something different. One cousin said it was an orb that floated around the roof before disappearing down the side of the tower. But when I asked another cousin about it, he said, "Oh, you mean the bloody head that fell off the tower?" It made the story even more believable to me... and more terrifying. It really seemed like they saw something, even though they couldn't agree exactly what it was.
It wasn't my own personal encounter, but it was one that definitely left an impression on me at an early age.
And through the wonders of the internet I can show you the tower. Follow the link and scroll down to the comment section for links to pictures of the barracks.
https://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache...
Thanks for the excellent question and Happy Holidays!
Ian
Ian Rogers
Hi Mark,
Yes, there will be more stories featuring Dryden and Raisy (and August Finch). First up is a prequel titled ZERO FILL, which tells the story of how Dryden got his gun, how he met Raisy, and where that damn cat fits into it all. After that will be a direct follow-up to DEADSTOCK called LAND OF THE NEVER-RISING SUN. ZERO FILL will be longer than DEADSTOCK, but still novella-length, while LAND OF THE NEVER-RISING SUN will be a full-on novel. I've got some notes for further stories in the series, but Weird Westerns are... well, weird, and the market for them is fickle. Basically, if the demand is there, I'll keep writing them. No publication date yet for ZERO FILL or LAND, but I post updates on my Facebook page and on Twitter.
http://www.facebook/felixrenn
http://twitter.com/onemoreshadow
Thanks for getting in touch!
Ian
Yes, there will be more stories featuring Dryden and Raisy (and August Finch). First up is a prequel titled ZERO FILL, which tells the story of how Dryden got his gun, how he met Raisy, and where that damn cat fits into it all. After that will be a direct follow-up to DEADSTOCK called LAND OF THE NEVER-RISING SUN. ZERO FILL will be longer than DEADSTOCK, but still novella-length, while LAND OF THE NEVER-RISING SUN will be a full-on novel. I've got some notes for further stories in the series, but Weird Westerns are... well, weird, and the market for them is fickle. Basically, if the demand is there, I'll keep writing them. No publication date yet for ZERO FILL or LAND, but I post updates on my Facebook page and on Twitter.
http://www.facebook/felixrenn
http://twitter.com/onemoreshadow
Thanks for getting in touch!
Ian
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