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For all things fantasy, horror, and speculative fiction
Announcement:
Meet John Houlihan
Every Friday, we meet a member of the BFS and peer deep into their soul (or, at least, a form they filled out). Want to be featured? Email us: online@britishfantasysociety.org
Name:
John Houlihan (he/him)
Which region are you based in?
Watford, Hertfordshire
If you write, which genre:
Sci-fi, Fantasy and Horror— I do all three, sometimes in the same book!
Are you drawn to any specific SFFH sub-genres?
Historical and military fantasy seem to draw me like a gravitational well.
Your influences
Tell us about the book/film/thing that got you into SFFH: What was it? How old were you? What impact did it have on you?
Like a lot of writers my age I guess, it was Tolkien and Lord of the Rings. I can’t quite remember the exact age, but I was in junior school and the teacher started reading The Hobbit. I was already deep into The Fellowship of the Ring.
How does that early influence show up in your work now?
Tolkien is the great granddaddy of British fantasy literature, and The Lord of the Rings is kind of like the Ur myth. I’m sure he shows up in all sorts of unknowable subconscious ways I couldn’t even begin to list.
Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?
Hehe, that’s an intriguing question. I think it comes from all kinds of stimuli. You can hear something on the radio or the TV, or be chatting away to someone and it sparks the imagination. I was listening to a report the other day on how difficult it is to mark buried radioactive waste so that future generations won’t disturb it. What if you transferred that to an outer space setting and a secret so terrible it has to be marked for the future for someone who might not understand the warning. There it goes again: inspiration strikes!
Who do you look to as a genre hero? Why?
Oh, there’s so many. I grew up on a diet of great sci-fi, the likes of Harry Harrison, Philip K Dick, Brian Aldiss, Robert Silverberg, Robert Sheckley, such great stories and journeys to other worlds. I’d have to list Robert E Howard, HP Lovecraft, Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, Tolkien of course. But one of my great heroes is Iain M Banks; The Culture novels are just superb.
Your work
You’re stuck in an elevator for 60 seconds with that hero, and they want you to describe your work. Give us the pitch.
My current series is Mon Dieu Cthulhu! It’s historical fantasy mixed up with cosmic horror, humour and even a touch of romance. “Swashbuckling supernatural adventure during the age of Napoleon” is my way of summarising it.
What are you working on right now?
I’ve just released the third book in the Mon Dieu Cthulhu series, Shadow of the Serpent, and once that’s done, I’m straight back onto the sequel Keeper of the Hidden Flame (about 60% done). I’m also beginning to develop a tabletop roleplaying game based on the series.
Thinking about all the stories/work you’ve done, what sticks out most in your mind? Why?
I think it’s the characters that always stick with me most. If you create someone memorable, they start living inside you, almost. Part of what keeps me writing is wanting to find out what happens to them. I don’t always know and want to discover as part of the process.
Where and when do you create/are you at your most creative?
Mornings in my home office. My lazy younger self would be horribly offended to discover I’m a morning person now, but I try to be at my desk by 7.45am and working on something. The mind is fresh (or as fresh as it gets) and I definitely find mornings to be the most productive time. As the day goes on my brain generally turns to mush.
What’s the best advice you’ve received about creativity?
That writing is 10% inspiration, 90% perspiration, and writing is rewriting. You have to learn patience being a writer too. You’re constructing a world brick by brick from the darker recesses of your brain and that takes time. Also, if a problem seems insoluble, sleep on it. A new day usually provides the answer (your unconscious brain does the homework while you’re asleep—thanks brain!)
What’s your writing soundtrack?
Oh, I can’t listen to any music while I work, it’d be way too distracting. Music is a whole other journey in itself; I get too caught up in it to focus on other things when I’m listening, playing or DJ-ing.
The quickfire round
Sci-fi, fantasy or horror?
Fantasy, sci-fi and horror in that order!
Quiet or loud?
Quiet. I like things pretty low key.
Dark or light?
There is no one without the other.
Strict lines or genre blend?
Haha, definitely genre blend.
Awards or bestseller?
Bestseller—more than anything, we writers want to be read.
Fiction or non-fiction?
Fiction.
Poetry or prose?
Prose.
Plotter or pantser?
Plotter, with enough leeway for some pantsing.
Reading or listening?
Reading.
Notebook or computer?
Computer.
Favourite SFFH book of all time?
The Player of Games – Iain M Banks
Last book you read?
The Burrowers Beneath by Brian Lumley.
Any SFFH author on auto-buy?
It was Iain M Banks, sadly, no longer.
Favourite podcast?
The Innsmouth Book Club.
The home stretch
What’s the best thing about being part of the SFFH community?
The people. I think it’s just a very welcoming and inclusive place. Folks from the sci-fi, fantasy and horror community are some of the nicest and friendliest people you could imagine and have always been very welcoming and accepting. That goes for fellow writers, fans, people in the industry, the whole lot, and it’s great to be able to share that interest in the strange, weird, unusual and speculative.
(Pictured: John “festivaling”)
Time to plug your stuff! Where can we find you and your work? What have you got coming up? Consider this your advertising space.
Awesome, thanks! I’ve got a new book, Shadow of the Serpent, debuting in October; it’s the third book in my Mon Dieu Cthulhu! series. These are swashbuckling supernatural adventures set during Napoleonic times which blend history, fantasy, action and adventure, supernatural darkness, humour and even a touch of romance.
I’ve also got a World War II cosmic horror series called the Seraph Chronicles, which is a weird war crossover, and my collected sci-fi stories were released in the BSFA Award nominated The Constellation of Alarion. Away from books, I’ve also written for several videogames as well as tabletop RPGs like Achtung! Cthulhu, Cohors Cthulhu, Conan, and quite a few others.
As to the future? Well, I’m a game designer as well as a writer, so I’m developing a Mon Dieu Cthulhu! TTRPG, working on Serpent’s sequel, Keeper of the Hidden Flame, and compiling a compilation volume of my shorter fantasy and cosmic horror work.
I think 2025 is going to be a busy year!
Please do drop by my personal site and socials and say hello. I love chatting with fellow SFF fans, and I’m happy to talk about any and all aspects of my work writing or game design. My newsletter has all kinds of extras like news, bonus features, competitions and even a little slice of what I’m currently getting up to away from my writing desk.
