The San Pinto Times welcomes author David Gaughran. Gaughran brings the weird and quirky to life and his works are always entertaining.
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Author Name: David Gaughran
Book Title(s): If You Go Into The Woods & Transfection
Book Category/Genre: Short Stories – Literary/Quirky & Science Fiction
Link to book(s): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YTI01Y & http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0051ZG7AG/
Any other links you would like to share:
Blog: http://davidgaughran.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Gaughran/208695969152516
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DavidGaughran
Tell us what the book is about:
If You Go Into The Woods is a two-story collection of creepy tales. The title story is about a small boy who gets more than he bargained for when he is drawn off the forest path, and the second story The Reset Button is about a man with a memory problem, but instead of him not being able to remember anyone, nobody can remember him. Both have a Twilight Zone feel.
Transfection is another short – this time with an old-school science fiction vibe. It starts Dr. Carl Peters, a molecular biologist whose dangerous obsession with his research threatens to ruin his life, and bring him into conflict with some very powerful people.
What would you say the theme of the book is?
Both stories in If You Go Into The Woods are, in one sense, about people who aren’t in control of their lives. They both want to be, but have no idea how to get to that point.
Transfection touches on a very basic fear – how safe is the food that we put into our bodies every day. Will genetically modified food have consequence down the line that we can’t even imagine. What could those be?
Do you have a favorite character from your novel(s)?
Because I am in a sadistic mood this morning, I have to say Linus Eriksson from The Reset Button. He’s such a loser. Everything he touches turns to crap. It would be comical if it weren’t so tragic.
What motivates you to write? Do you write everyday?
I think all writers have a kind of madness flowing in their veins, and writing acts as a kind of outlet. Without being able to vent this craziness on the page, our lives would probably spin out of control. I try and write something every day. I think that’s important. I know from taking breaks before that it’s hard to get back into the swing of things again, so keeping it up on some level is important.
Who would be most interested in this novel?
I think anyone that likes weird, quirky stories will love If You Go Into The Woods. They are a little bit creepy, a little bit unsettling, something is off, something is not quite right.
Fans of old-school idea-driven science fiction (now there’s an unwieldy label) like Ray Bradbury or Philip K. Dick should get a kick out of Transfection. There are no spaceships, no aliens, no alternate planets, just a guy who you can’t decide if he has discovered something crazy or is going crazy himself.
In both cases, I think my stories will appeal to people who like to be left with more questions than answers at the end.
What prompted you to write the book?
Most of my ideas come from conversations with friends. We sit around wondering “what if”. Some come from things I want to do in real life but they are too crazy or expensive or dangerous. Fiction lets you live vicariously through your characters, which is better for all concerned!
Who are your favorite authors?
I could name 20, and name a different 20 tomorrow, but off the top of my head, Kurt Vonnegut, Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Haruki Murakami, Roddy Doyle, John McGahern, Louis de Bernieres, AM Homes, HP Lovecraft, Juan Pedro Gutierrez, Patrick McCabe, Jeffrey Eugenides, and Gary Shteyngart.
Would one of your books be a good movie?
Transfection would be a GREAT movie. I could see it as a taut psychological thriller with science fiction elements - camera up close - tracking one man’s descent into the abyss.
What is your dream job?
There’s a million things I would like to do. Writing is #1 though. I would do that for free.
What projects do you have planned for the future?
I’m just sending a new book off to my editor today actually. Hope to have that out in a couple of weeks. It’s called Let’s Get Digital: not just how to self-publish, why to self-publish. It’s going to have 60,000 words of essays, articles, and how-to guides, with contributions from 33 bestselling indie authors. It’s going to be $2.99 on Amazon, but the PDF version will be free on my blog, so keep an eye out for that.
At the end of the summer, I will release my real baby - A Storm Hits Valparaíso – a historical adventure starring San Martín and his army of thieves, rogues, mercenaries, slaves, and prostitutes as they fight to free Argentina from the Spanish Empire.
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