NECROSPEAK:

AN INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN LUMLEY

Brian Lumley served 22 years as a military policeman and reached the rank of Sergeant Major before retiring from service in 1981. Arkham House published his first works over thirty years ago. Long an acknowledged master of the "Cthulhu Mythos", Brian Lumley is a prolific author who has published nearly fifty books, among them the highly successful NECROSCOPE and Vampire World series. Forthcoming works include a reissue of HOUSE OF THE TEMPLE from Endeavor Press and the collections SIXTEEN SUCKING STORIES (Delirium Books) and BRIAN LUMLEY’S FREAKS (Subterranean Press).

SP: You’ve had some health problems of late. How are you feeling now, and how has it affected your daily schedule?

BL: Yes, my ticker was a bit wobbly. But that was some time ago and all seems well right now. Daily schedule? What’s a daily schedule? Daily administration – such as answering questionnaires, emails, general enquiries, and like that – doesn’t leave a hell of a lot of time for a schedule. But if I can get a couple hours in each day I’m happy.

SP: With the NECROSCOPE series finally put to rest, have you any plans for

another series?

BL: The actual Necroscope series is done now, true, but there’s one final spin-off I’m working on right now. Don’t ask me about it – I don’t know myself! If it flies it flies. As for another series: no, not really. I would prefer to get back to writing some short stories and novelettes; in fact that’s what I was doing for a year before starting this new one for TOR.

SP: The Bob Eggleton covers for your books are certainly distinctive and immediately recognizable. How important do you think cover art is for the sale of a book?

BL: Eggleton’s art suits my style precisely ... Bob’s one hell of an artist, and I’m sure his jackets have sold an awful lot of my books. Readers have told me they see an Eggleton jacket ... and then they look to see if my name is on the book: in other words if they want to find me, they first look for Bob’s artwork on the jacket. That’s how important these wonderful pictures are to me. The ones he doesn’t do are the ones that lose out on big returns.

SP: This year will see the release of some of your work from the small press. As an author who has decades of experience with the New York publishers, how do the experiences differ and do you have more small press editions planned for the future?

BL: Well, I started out with “small press” – Arkham House – went on to DAW, Jove, Berkley back in the late ‘70s; back to Paul Ganley’s Weirdbook Press for a while before TOR; and so it looks like we’re going full circle. But not really. TOR still have three or four backlist books of mine to do, and I’m writing this new one ... and TOR are talking about a revamp of Necroscope, which has been selling well for 16 years now in its original format. But – at the same time – it could be that Subterranean (Bill Schafer) will do a limited, signed in blood, slip-cased and bound in leather (human), printed on stretched bat-wing sheets ... I mean, kidding aside, you know the beautiful, totally fantastic production values of the books this bloke does; and this time we’re talking about an edition of Necroscope, me and Bob Eggleton again. Oh yeah!

As for the future: yes, I have some other small press stuff coming up. But until things are finalized it’s probably best not to go there...

SP: The first time I sent you an e-mail, I received a reply from your wife “Silky” – At the time I didn’t know enough about you and thought it was some strange nickname for you! How big a role does Mrs. Lumley play in your writing?

BL: Actually Silky is Barbara Ann, but her hair is so silky the nickname stuck. You ask what’s her role? Well, I write and fool around, and she does just about everything else. I’m the kind of bloke who needs time to think of what’s next; so sometimes I sit and think, and sometimes I just sit ... and maybe enjoy a glass of brandy-and-coke and a smoke ... then sit some more. (See what I mean about a schedule? Ain’t no sech thang.) So while I’m keeping busy doing all this sitting and thinking, Silky is doing the rest. Couldn’t do without her.

SP: What can you tell us about your forthcoming Subterranean Press collection BRIAN LUMLEY’S FREAKS?

BL: Freaks is a little collection of post-apocalyptic, “after-the-bomb and other excuses” things I’ve done over the span of years. Mutants, abnormalities, and “freaks” in general. Of the five tales there’s one very rarely published (only once, in fact, and then only in UK); one that was done in an American fanzine fifteen years ago; and the longest of the bunch is brand new to this little book. Art by Allen Koszowski; Allen does excellent black and whites and is a personal friend. I think it’ll be a nice collector’s item.

SP: What can we look forward to seeing from you in 2004/2005?

BL: Hopefully this new novel, and in 2005 definitely some new short stories and novelettes.

SP: Thanks for taking the time out to speak with us, Brian!

BL: My pleasure.

This interview originally appeared in Subterranean Press Newsletter