Modern Mythmakers: 35 Interviews with Horror & Science Fiction Writers and FIlmmakers by Michael McCarty
Crystal Lake Publishing (February 2015)
424 pages; $15.99 paperback; $3.99 e-book
Reviewed by David Simms
Books of interviews tend to be fascinating reads for hardcore movie fans, writers, and super fans, but they serve a small niche audience. Reaching out to a larger audience is often a tougher task. Mike McCarty nails it with a fun, insightful, and educational read that should entertain all of the demographics it targets.
McCarty has a great voice and style that elicits deep answers from those interviewed, going beyond the expected as readers will find great anecdotes about these celebrities which is pure gold. Highlights include the late Forrest Ackerman, Ray Bradbury (of course, who always had something wonderful to share about humanity), Richard Matheson, George Clayton Johnson, and Ingrid Pitt. Conversations with luminaries such as John Carpenter, William F. Nolan, Ramsey Campbell, and Dean Koontz shed fascinating advice on their writing inspirations and insights into their creative worlds.
And then there’s Neil Gaiman, Peter Straub, Jack Ketchum, and the elusive pair of Thomas Ligotti and Bentley Little. All open windows into their worlds which can shift a reader’s perception of creativity—both appreciating it and awakening it within themselves. This is far beyond a fan’s book; it’s a volume of journeys into some of the most interesting minds in horror and science fiction artists in the world.
Here’s to hoping that McCarty is already working on a second volume.
