Issue 4: Jamie Ryan Anderson
“Born from the old tree in the bottom of the garden, Naoise Quinn finally met her sister who had died.”
~ Sister by Jamie Ryan Anderson
Your short story “Sister” is a truly unsettling story of a young girl who is visited by her dead sister, which also explores themes of family, grief and loss. Can you tell us a bit more about the inspiration for this piece?
Doubling and imagery of ’spirit doubles’ were a strong inspiration for this piece. The Ancient Egyptians, for example, believe in the ‘ka’, a tangible spirit double who shares the same thoughts, feelings and memories as its counterpart. In a sense, Naoise and her demonic double share this belief. However, the major difference in my tale is that the double turns out to be a false, an intruder in the Quinn home, who disguises itself as a doppelgänger in order to prey upon their collective grief.
I have some personal inspiration for the story, too. My own brother passed away before I was born, and the story embodies, somewhat, the horrors of my own grief. Grief for someone you never got to meet, and therefore never fully get to know, is horrifying - Naoise and her double is my attempt to represent that horror.
What draws you to horror and gothic fiction? What makes something ‘scary’?
Horror has always interested me, even as a child. Countless sleepless nights were spent in my youth, watching horror films, or being enamoured with my collection of R.L. Stine. One early memory I have of being exposed to horror is when my mum and I watched Jaws. I think I was seven or so. I remember the feeling I had watching that opening scene to this day; the way the darkness drew you in to murky depths that could only conceal something terrifying, as the girl swam above, unaware of what was lying in wait. I think I have to thank Jaws a lot for inspiring in me that curiosity to mimic that feeling, of being truly scared. Even at seven, I knew I wanted to create something terrifying.
As for what makes something ’scary’, it’s different for every person. Someone might find an ancient eldritch vampire the most terrifying thing they’ve ever seen, while another might take it for what it truly is: something imaginary. I think what makes horror fiction so enjoyable is because it takes that fine line between the ’scary’ and the ’stupid’ and decides to make its own line entirely. Sometimes something can be entirely goofy, while being wholly horrifying. Me personally, however? I think fear lies in the silence between relative peace and chaos. Those gaps between where you know something is wrong, but it’s not quite at your doorstep, and when it finally knocks on your door. I find that most of my scariest fictions are when I take characters and place them into precarious situations, where I know the havoc I’m about to throw at them, but they don’t, and just see goes through their mind - that’s where true horror lies, the gentle rumble just before the storm.
What creative projects are you currently working on?
I’m juggling a million things at once at the minute, and it’s great. I’m trying to pen a few short stories, while also adapting a longer piece I wrote while in university a few years ago in an attempt give it some legs and a mouth for it to scream, which I’m very excited about it. It’s about a woman who must travel through different circles of hell in order to face her horrific past in a Mother and Baby Home in Ireland. It’s a very heavy piece, so I imagine it will take most of the focus for the start of the year, but at some point in 2023, I plan to sit down and think more seriously about my first novel. What would it be about? You’ll have to stay tuned - but no doubt, it’ll be something scary.
What are you reading at the moment? Are there any Irish authors we should be looking out for?
I’m currently reading ‘i’m thinking of ending things’ by Iain Reid, which is great. It’s a bit of a healthy change, as most of last year I spent reading some of my fellow Irish writers. They’re all a wonderful bunch, but I’ve been especially amazed by the recent works of Wendy Erskine and Lucy Caldwell, who are both shining examples of the writing scene in Belfast in all its beauty. A special mention also goes out to Louise Kennedy, whose recent novel, ’Trespasses’, is possibly one of the best books I’ve ever read. It is a painful, heartfelt and yet strikingly realised tale of love during the Northern Irish Troubles. I wish I could go back into blind again, because experiencing it for the first time was an experience like no other. It’s a powerful novel which sings, and at points screams, about the true wonder, and yet the true pain, of what it is to be Irish. I would recommend Kennedy to anyone and everyone - she’s pure class!
Jamie Ryan Anderson is a writer from Co. Down, Ireland, who specialises in horror and gothic fiction. He has recently graduated from a MA in Creative Writing from Queens University, Belfast.