Interview with Josh Shiben

Published 2015-09-03.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in the Shenandoah valley, which runs along the Eastern edge of the Appalachian mountains from Maryland all the way down to Southwestern, VA. I essentially spent my whole life there, periodically moving further South along I-81. I almost always set my stories in this area (assuming it makes sense), I guess since I feel like I know it well enough to describe it to a stranger.
When did you first start writing?
I've always been a story-teller, even as a little kid. I'd be the one telling the scary story late at night, or fabricating some elaborate tall-tale. I've really only recently begun writing in the last couple of years.
What's the story behind your latest book?
My latest book - Dreams of Eschaton - is, at least on the surface, a horror story about prophecies, cults and evil entities from beyond space and time. In it, detective David Burfict, a man plagued by nightmares, finds himself drawn into a conspiracy stretching back to the fourth crusade which threatens existence as we know it. More so than that, though, the novella is an exploration of the unknowable nature of being, and the startling and frankly unsettling possibilities that lie beyond our perceptions and awareness. Written as a sort of homage to H.P. Lovecraft's cosmic horror, it sort of took on a life of its own.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
I just enjoy writing - the act of telling a story, making the characters, and shaping the plot is so rewarding. I have a friend who I would sit with for hours "fixing" the plots of flawed movies - it's just something I can't help but do.
How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
Smashwords helps reach a larger audience. I'm really lucky to be writing now, because a large amount of the material I write is sort of a niche material, and I'm not sure there'd be enough market to really attract a large publisher. Independent publishers like Smashwords allow writers like me to write about what they want and still reach readers - something that would have been impossible a decade or so ago.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
I most enjoy that moment when an idea takes root - when you've been mulling a scene or a plot you like around in your head for days or weeks, and you finally realize how it's going to work... It's extremely gratifying.
What do your fans mean to you?
I'm not sure I have any, at this juncture, but if I did, they'd mean a whole lot. A written page is worthless unless someone comes along to read it - the entire thrill of telling a story is the hope of captivating an audience, or communicating a point.
What are you working on next?
I'm bouncing around on a couple of short stories, and I also have a larger science-fiction piece on the back-burner that I keep coming to now and again. I'd like to eventually package Dreams of Eschaton with a collection of short stories that all sort of relate to it, although given how slowly I write, that might take a while.
Who are your favorite authors?
Stephen King (always a good choice for horror), Richard Matheson (if you haven't read I Am Legend... do it. Like, right now), and Dan Simmons (Carrion Comfort and Hyperion are both masterpieces) are always great. Recently I've been reading a lot of Peter Watts, who is excellent (if somewhat difficult).
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
Work? I guess if you mean free-time, I'm probably watching college football (go Hokies!), or movies with my wife.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
I think so - we had to write a scary story in 5th grade... Mine ended up being a sort of slasher/alone in the house with a maniac type story.
What is your writing process?
I generally start with an ending I want, or key scene I want to hit and then try to reach that point. I'm slow, and tedious, and it sometimes takes me hours to make any real progress at all. Thank god I don't try to write to pay my bills. I'd starve.
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Books by This Author

A Face at the Window
Price: Free! Words: 3,600. Language: English. Published: August 7, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Horror » General
(5.00 from 1 review)
A mother begins to worry that something is coming to her son's window each night.
Prey
Price: Free! Words: 4,570. Language: English. Published: May 20, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Horror » Undead
(4.00 from 2 reviews)
Greg is searching for the perfect woman. Beautiful. Smart. And vulnerable.
The Unmasked
Price: Free! Words: 2,980. Language: English. Published: February 9, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Horror » General, Fiction » Horror » Weird fiction
(4.33 from 3 reviews)
A man searching for shelter from a storm finds instead, a nightmare
No Strings
Price: Free! Words: 1,820. Language: English. Published: February 3, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Horror » General
(4.00 from 2 reviews)
There's something inside Evan, digging through his skin, boring a trail of tunnels through him. Can he find a cure to his suffering?
The Day the Dying Stopped
Price: Free! Words: 1,210. Language: English. Published: October 21, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Horror » Undead, Fiction » Horror » General
(4.00 from 1 review)
An ancient man recounts what happened when things mysteriously stopped dying.
Dreams of Eschaton
Price: Free! Words: 26,960. Language: English. Published: September 4, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Horror » Weird fiction, Fiction » Horror » Occult
Death. Despair. Madness. When a terrifying nightmare predicts the apocalypse, Detective David Burfict finds himself drawn into an ancient conspiracy to bring about an end to the age of man. Can he stop the machinations of madmen, or is he merely an unwitting link in the chain of our destruction?
The Lake of Glass
Price: Free! Words: 2,910. Language: English. Published: September 3, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Horror » Weird fiction
(5.00 from 1 review)
When two archeologists investigate an ancient sheet of glass found buried in the Libyan Desert, they unwittingly awaken something buried for millennia.