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:
Lyndsey Croal (she/her)
Which region are you based in?
Edinburgh, Scotland
If you write, which genre:
Sci-fi, fantasy, horror
Are you drawn to any specific SFFH sub-genres?
Sci-fi horror, folklore, eco-fiction, and genre-mash-ups!
(Pictured: Lyndsey at the launch of her collection, Limelight, last year)
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?
My mum and older brother were both book devourers, so I grew up mostly reading a lot of what was on their shelves. For my brother, that was a lot of fantasy like Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit (still an obsession), Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, Sabriel, and Beyond the Deepwoods. My mum also introduced me to Margaret Atwood and Doris Lessing, including their dystopian and speculative-leaning fiction. I of course then had my dystopian teen phase, and I loved Hunger Games and Divergent. Overall, I mostly enjoyed exploring expansive worlds, particularly those with a dark edge. I was also obsessed with Jane Austen, which maybe has had some impact on my character writing!
I’m a bit ashamed to admit I fell out of the habit of reading fiction when I was at uni, possibly as I was reading a lot of very heavy academic books. But then I rediscovered my love for it in my fourth year, and especially sci-fi when I came across Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series. This made me seek out more sci-fi and space operas, which I now love reading and writing. My university flatmate at the time was also obsessed with horror, particularly Guillermo del Toro movies. I always thought I had too active an imagination for horror, but was gradually brought into the horror-loving fold by her, and became obsessed with horror movies and then books. Some more recent favourites: Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach series, CJ Cooke’s gothic delights, Premee Mohamed’s beautiful strangeness, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s haunting genre-blends.
(Pictured: Lyndsey’s cosy writing nook)
How does that early influence show up for you (in life / writing / agenting / publishing / editing / reading / etc) now?
For fantasy, I loved stories with a found family, a cast of misfits, as well as beautiful worldbuilding which I definitely try to incorporate into some of my sci-fi and folklore-inspired tales. While I was a relative latecomer to sci-fi and horror compared to fantasy, those are the genres I ended up loving to write the most. For horror, I often seek out locked-room and isolated settings, which is very much what I’m writing at the moment.
I have also always loved folklore, myth retellings and fairytales, and particularly the weirdness of Scottish folklore—which led to my latest book, Dark Crescent, which is out on 3 June through Luna Press.
For short fiction, I’m very much influenced or aspire to write the quality of genre-bending (and often weird) fiction from authors like Aliya Whiteley, Kirsty Logan, N.K. Jemisin, AC Wise, CL Hellisen, Eugenia Triantafyllou, Suzan Palumbo, Renan Bernardo (to name a few!), and of course, Shirley Jackson.
Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?
Scottish landscapes and folk tales. Ghost stories. Nature, especially when it’s being weird. Politics and tech advancements (for the darker stuff!) Movies, TV shows, video games. Everyday interactions or random facts I come across sometimes spark something too!
(Pictured: the sea, one of the things that inspires Lyndsey, who took this photo)
Who do you look to as a genre hero? Why?
Becky Chambers! Wayfarers first got me reading and then writing in the SF genre I love, and I can only aspire to write such rich worlds and interesting and engaging characters.
Also Martha Wells—I absolutely love the Murderbot series, and how she brings the character to life with so much heart and wit.
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.
Dark and strange tales often with a speculative bend! Limelight and Other Stories (pictured) gathers dark near and far future tales and would appeal to fans of Black Mirror and The Twilight Zone. Dark Crescent explores dark and seasonal tales inspired by Scottish folklore, landscapes, omens, and superstitions—with strange creatures and nautical horrors galore.
What are you working on right now?
I’m currently editing a new novel which is a genre mashup of near-future deep sea eco-thriller with a locked room setting and conspiracies. It’s about an ocean microbiologist who finds herself trapped in a secret deep-sea research station, with a group of scientists that shouldn’t be there, worshipping strange jellyfish that definitely shouldn’t be there. Hoping this will be going on submission soon!
I’m also working on a novella (possibly novel…) of a dystopia set in an undying city I’m describing as Gotham meets Panem. It has eight POVs which I promise makes sense, and has a lot of dark-tech and healthcare themes.
Thinking about all the stories/work you’ve done, what sticks out most in your mind? Why?
It’s not actually published, and likely won’t be without significant rewrite, but the first novel I properly finished and edited, In Search of Mercury, taught me so much about the process of writing a novel. It also won be the Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award which was a huge spark in my writing career.
It was a fun space romp adventure, with pirates, galactic war, alien artifact hunting, and a deity disguised as a cat (a big ginger and white one so I manifested my cat Pippin, pictured, into existence!) I was able to really experiment with worldbuilding with the book and learn how to write a cast of characters and how to plot. Maybe one day I’ll revisit it!
Where and when do you create/are you at your most creative?
I’m definitely most creative and productive at night (I’m not a morning person). I also enjoy getting away to write when I can and find being out in coffee shops instead of my flat definitely helps me focus!
What’s the best advice you’ve received about creativity?
Writing doesn’t have to be a solitary endeavour! Finding a writing community has been so important to me, both in Edinburgh and online.
What’s your writing soundtrack?
Depends on the book, but I have a playlist of movie and game soundtracks, mostly instrumental that I use a lot—like music from Lord of the Rings, The Witcher, Skyrim, Interstellar, Last of Us, Dune, that kind of thing!
(Pictured: Lyndsey with Francesca T Barbini of Luna Press, who she nominates as a genre hero: “It has been a privilege to work with her over the last year, and she does so much for the SFF community in Scotland and beyond!)
The Quick-Fire Round
Sci-fi, fantasy or horror?
Sci-fi (especially when horror tinged, sorry I cheated)
Quiet or loud?
Quiet
Dark or light?
Dark
Strict lines or genre blend?
Genre blend
Awards or bestseller?
Awards
Fiction or non-fiction?
Fiction
Poetry or prose?
Prose
Plotter or pantser?
Pantser
(Lyndsey’s own caption to this photo: “My slightly untidy bookshelves! The shelf above the oak bookcase drawers is my author shelf – my books and the anthologies my stories have appeared in!”)
Reading or listening?
Reading
Notebook or computer?
Computer
Favourite SFFH book of all time?
A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers.
Last book you read?
The Stardust Grail by Yume Katasei
Any SFFH author on auto-buy?
Aliya Whiteley, Lorraine Wilson, CJ Cooke
Favourite podcast?
Alternative Stories & Fake Realities, and The Folklore Podcast
The Home Stretch
What’s the best thing about being part of the SFFH community?
Everyone is so welcoming, supportive, and lovely, and also enthusiastic about books and writing SFFH—I feel very lucky to be a part of it! There are always loads of events to go along to or take part in—for example, I really love attending Cymera Fest in Edinburgh every year and seeing writer pals from Scotland and beyond. It’s such a nice celebration of the books, writing, readers, and other SFFH fun, and always with the best company.
Time to plug your stuff! Where can we find you and your work? What have you got coming up? Consider this your advertising space.
My books Have You Decided on Your Question, Limelight and Other Stories, and Dark Crescent (out on 3 June!) can be found in all the usual places. You can find events, short stories, and more on www.lyndseycroal.co.uk and everything else including shop links via https://linktr.ee/lyndseycroal.
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