Interview with an Industrial Gothic Guru: Karen Koehler

Karen Koehler is the author of eight novels and several short stories. This year two of her titles will be published; The Ace of Spades, the first book in the Black Jack Derringer series, will be released through Skullvines Press in late 2009; and Black Death Books will publish Guardian Devils, the next book in her Slayer series of Industrial Gothic vampire novels, also in the latter half of 2009.

Frequently found online in promotion of her books, comics, and cover artwork, Karen is prolifically creative and socially adept. She's as quick to crack a joke as she is to offer sound advice to new writers.

Like most writers I know, I met Karen online in a horror forum, and after becoming a regular reader of her forum posts and her blog, I decided to check out Karen's book, Slayer. I found it complex and challenging, and since then, I've followed her around the Internet, hoping that some of her charisma and talent might rub off on me. When that didn't happen, I bought cover artwork from her instead. Hey, I can't be as cool as Karen, but I can have a cool cover made by her. And that ain't too shabby either.

Being a highly accomplished beggar, I was able to get an advanced reading copy of The Ace of Spades, and to say I was impressed would be an understatement. I turned in my glowing five star review of the book just hours after finishing the book, and then I immediately asked if I could conduct an interview. Yielding to my amazing mastery of Beg-Fu, Karen capitulated almost immediately.

ZW: Karen, thanks for granting me this interview. For the benefits of readers not familiar with your work, can you please talk a little bit about your books and artwork?

KK: When I was younger I started out writing what eventually came to be referred to in the urban underground as Industrial Gothic, a slightly different breed of urban fantasy that's a little shorter on romance and a little longer on gore and violence. As far as I am aware, I'm the only one writing in this particular sub-sub-genre. (I'm lonely!)

Most of my books fit in well with this categorization, though I do tend to wander into other genres, randomly and not often willfully. I've also written straight-up horror, science fiction, young adult, and most recently...I guess you could call it steampunk, after a fashion, or weird western, at least. Most of my art follows suit. I'm presently working on a comic counterpoint to Slayer, but you never know when I might run off to explore a different genre.

ZW: This is going to be a busy year, between the book releases, the Slayer comic and your cover artwork. Doesn't that get to be a bit much for you?

KK: If it wasn't all a challenge, I probably wouldn't do it. I don't operate well in a mundane, pedantic or easily predictable world. If I don't have random projects tumbling downhill at me, with various challenges attached, I tend to get myself in all kinds of trouble.

ZW: Okay, so let's talk about Black Jack Derringer. It's not really possible to pigeonhole the series into any genre, so I was settling for calling it a post-apocalyptic sci-fi western. I believe you had a longer title for it. Could you refresh my memory, and then maybe explain some of the influences behind this fusion of genres back into a larger piece of weird fiction?

KK: Until someone comes up with a subgenre just for me, I'm calling it a post-apocalyptic, string-bean western, science-fiction, steampunk, action-adventure, romantic suspense, sexy pirate series. I think I covered it all...yep, looks covered!

I've always had a deep appreciation for the world-building involved in post-apocalyptic stories, and you have to admit the wild west was pretty damned cool all on its own. On top of all this, I have an abiding love affair with anachronistic technology and am a huge fan of such weird western films as Six String Samurai and Curse of the Undead, plus books like Stephen King's The Gunslinger and Vampire Hunter D. All of these works have hybrid western themes strung throughout-of course, it can't be normal westerns I like, but their terrible mutant offspring.

ZW: I'd disagree to the mutant offspring of westerns being terrible. After all, you've got a mutant novella that certainly isn't terrible. Oh, except in your world, mutants are called mutos. And speaking of mutos, I wanted to ask about Goliath, Wild Alice West's trusty, bulletproof stallion in Black Jack Derringer. I'm getting a slight vibe of Thirty/Thirty, the shotgun-toting horse from BraveStarr. Granted, Goliath doesn't talk, and he never packs a gun. But there is a reference made to New Texas in relation to Goliath, which is where BraveStarr served as a Galactic Marshal. Is that just a coincidence, or some kind of homage?

KK: Ha! I never made the connection, but maybe my subconscious did. Now I'm all teary and nostalgic!

ZW: The narrator in Black Jack Derringer has a vastly different voice from the one in Slayer, your vampire series. Is this a radical departure for you, or do you always try to experiment with your narrative styles?

KK: I really want to show readers I can write in a variety of different genres and voices, that I'm not a one-act wonder that can only operate various gothic literary tropes-not that I have any intention of giving up my past styles. But I wouldn't mind nuzzling up to, say, a Ray Bradbury-type career, where the readers don't know from one year to the next what I'll come up with. I have a lot of stories I want to tell, some horror, some pretty far out there-some you wouldn't believe if I described them to you!-and I'm lucky in that my voice easily changes to accommodate each story.

In the end I hope to have a good go-round with just about every genre out there at least once. Yeah, it's true, I'm a genre-slut. You never know which one I'm fooling around with.

ZW: Haha! That's really great, the kind of goal I'd want for myself too. So now that your post-apocalyptic western series has found a home with Skullvines Press, where do you go from here? I know you have plans for a YA Raiju series, and for a YA offshoot in the Slayer-verse. Is YA your whole agenda for this year, or do you have another genre that your flirting with behind YA's back?

KK: My main goal this year, beyond the YA material, is just to get another Slayer story out-or two. I'm not picky. I write them when the right scenario comes to me. With regards to Raiju, it's very much a "tween"-type novel anyway, with a protagonist already well into his late teens and teetering on adulthood, so I can see the series "growing up" along with the character. I've already had an editor citing it as somewhat "Harry Potter-ish" in that way. Hopefully, it'll have a home by year's end. Stay tuned! I also wouldn't mind having a fling with a straight action/adventure or disaster novel. I've had one hanging around for a number of many years ago. Who knows, I may go back to it and see if it's done cooking.

ZW: I know you don't want to give too much away, but maybe you can say whether this first series will lead to further (mis)adventures for Alice and Mr. Treen? (crossing fingers)

KK: The secret behind the Black Jack Derringer series is that the chronology can go any ol' way, as readers will soon learn. The story is massive. I mean, on a cosmic level, it is absolutely huge. I'll be feeding the readers bits and pieces, but they won't get the whole picture until they've read the final volume. As for further adventures...you never know. I've certainly been told I never know when to shut up when it comes to my books.

ZW: Ah, good, there's a chance to see more of Alice and Mr. Treen. And then...that's when you'll introduce the ninjas, right? Or, perhaps even-steady, heart-ninja-pirates?

KK: Is this the part where I have to choose between being a ninja or being a pirate? The ninja wins, doesn't he? Ninja-pirates have possibilities, though...yes indeed...I think I'd like to make a new genre out of that.

ZW: Alright, enough kidding around. I can has serious question now! Ahem. Theoretically, let's say you've just discovered that you have only one year of productive life ahead of you, and then after that, kerplop. That being the case, what's the one series that you would rush to try and finish? Which of your worlds would receive the greatest degree of your devotion?

KK: My readers seem to be most devoted to Slayer. So, assuming your scenario came true, I guess I would try to leave behind enough material for the possibility of other authors picking up the series one day. But since I'm undead-or feel that way most of the time, anyway-let's hope that isn't an issue!

ZW: Okay, that just about wraps this interview up. Can you briefly tell readers about any other upcoming stories that I missed bringing up?

KK: Yes. The one about the Ninja Pirates. ;-)

Karen, thank you again. Release dates are not yet available on Karen's newest titles, so keep an eye on the Black Death Books and Skullvines Press web sites for updates.