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A Quiet Apocalypse by Dave Jeffery is an exceptional piece of work. A dystopian nightmare for sure. Dean and Dave recently sat down and talked about the novella, prior to publication (27th September).
DEMAIN PUBLISHING: Dave – great to speak to you again. It’s been a while since you and Dean have worked together but welcome to the Demain family. Can you tell us a little about yourself (for those that don’t know you) and how you became a writer. DAVE JEFFERY: Hi. I’m going to open with the cliché that I have been making up stories for as long as I can remember, but I didn’t settle on the medium of novelist until I was around 16 or 17 years old. Before then I used various means to tell tales, including drawing comic strips, short stories, and poetry. The reason I moved on to longer pieces or work, and pretty much dumped the illustration/comics side of things was because I wasn’t too hot an illustrator and the creation of character and plotlines seemed a more natural fit. Saying that, I was invited to go to DC THOMPSON STUDIOS (Beano, Dandy, Hotspur) in Dundee, after sending in my artwork portfolio, but when I saw the drawing offices were like a classroom, with rows of desks and artists working in silence, the reality of drawing full time kind of hit home and I have to admit, something died inside of me that day. I feel so much more at home creating stories and leaving the imagination to the reader. Maybe I’m just bloody lazy! DP: Ah, that sounds a bit of a disappointment. I guess the old adage is true then, you should never meet your heroes or in this case studios. Okay, so tell us about A Quiet Apocalypse. DJ: A mutant strain of meningitis has left most of the world population either dead or profoundly deaf. Those who are immune to the virus can still hear and are enslaved by the deaf populous to replace the sense they have lost. DP: And your protagonist? DJ: The novella is told from the perspective ex-schoolteacher Chris, a hearing survivor. He has lost everything, including his freedom, and through his eyes we learn of what it is like to live as a slave in this terrible new world of fear and loss. DP: Can I ask, did you have to do much research... DJ: In the story, those who were culturally Deaf before the virus came have survived and are now seen by those deafened by the illness as The Harbingers of the strain of meningitis that has left them incapacitated. The Harbingers are not brought back to the city, instead they are executed as a statement. I was able to draw upon both work and life experiences as I was keen to write a piece that preyed upon people’s traditional misconceptions of deafness as an illness, and the imposition of ‘hearing’ norms. DP: With that in mind then, did you find any of the scenes particularly difficult to write? DJ: There is one scene that demonstrates the maligned perspective the afflicted have towards Harbingers. I was crying when I wrote it, and part of me wondered if I was somehow perpetuating the bias towards the Culturally Deaf in writing such a terrible scene. Going through the edits later, I’m glad its in there, the levels of persecution of Deaf people through the years is a story that has poignancy in any understanding of the struggles of minority groups. DP: Leaving A Quiet Apocalypse aside for the moment, what is your biggest success in respect of creativity... DJ: In a fiscal sense it is Necropolis Rising given that since its publication over 10 years ago has sold over 35,000 copies. From a person sense, I’m very proud of A Quiet Apocalypse as it is a social statement on fear and loss, and when people are prepared to do in order to survive such things. It was also a challenge to write and as any writer will tell you, it is these kinds of things that drive us. DP: Let’s hope then that A Quiet Apocalypse is very successful for you then, we certainly wish you all the best...let’s talk about what books (or authors) you read and whether they influence you or your work. DJ: I’ve always read widely, from classical literature to genre fiction, YA to mainstream adult horror. These days I also read lots of independent authors. I have been influenced more by contemporary writers than those in the horror genre. Steinbeck and Banks are masters of punchy narrative and I owe a lot to them when it comes to my novella work. DP: If someone said the word ‘horror’ (particularly in the creative industries) – what does that word mean to you? DJ: What people do to each other. This was one of the things that stayed with me from James Herbert’s The Fog. There are scenes in that book that leave scars, and the main reason is because it is entirely possible it could happen, that some people are so very capable of such atrocities given the right motivation. That’s scares me. And then some. DP: I find that a lot with Herbert’s work and that’s why I’m a fan – The Dark I think is very much like The Fog in that respect. So, right now what horror book (or film) are you looking forward to... DJ: Not horror, but socially horrific, is Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments. The Handmaid’s Tale is a masterclass in brutality and beauty. DP: Oh it is, I saw the original The Handmaid’s Tale film a few years back. I really enjoyed it. If enjoyed is the right word! What is Dave Jeffery afraid of? DJ: I have a fear of being decapitated and still being able to see what is going on about me. This found its way into the short story Witch’s Brew in my Campfire Chillers collection. DP: Creatively is there anything you’d like to do which you haven’t yet? DJ: I’d like to write a graphic novel, with an awesome artist attached to it. I think it would be a bit of a nostalgia trip, going back to my creative roots. DP: Nearly finished, nearly finished. A bit of fun (hopefully!): Marvel or DC? DJ: Neither. Give me 2000AD, Warlord, Action and Battle comics any day of the week! They were grittier and more grounded. DP: Good call. Final question then sir, can you tell us something your readers might be surprised to discover about you? DJ: I prefer classic contemporary literature but not always classic horror literature. For the latter Mary Shelly, Wells and Stoker are my go-to authors. I can take or leave Lovecraft, I get on better with Poe, but much prefer to read what I consider ‘classic horror’ from the 70s, like James Herbert or Guy N Smith. Dave thank you so much for your time. And truly the best of luck with A Quiet Apocalypse! IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONNECT WITH DAVE JEFFERY DIRECT: Website: https://davejeffery.webs.com/ Twitter: @davebjeffery Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaveJefferyAuthor
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CategoriesArchives
November 2023
AuthorDean M. Drinkel |