D.W. Jones: How did you get into writing?
Damir Salkovic: I wrote stories as a child, but at some point stopped completely. Even then, I never dreamed of being a writer, or artist: it was just a way to sneak away into my own world and spend some time there. A decade or so ago, I found myself with a long stretch of spare time on my hands. So I read as much as I could, and somewhere along the way started thinking about creating my own works. Two novels and forty-something short stories later, I’m still at it, honing my craft.
DWJ: Did you always want to write in the horror genre? Do you have a favorite sub-genre of horror?
DS: My reading tastes are fairly eclectic, but as soon as I started writing, I knew I wanted to write horror. Along the way, I’ve dabbled in science fiction and fantasy. Kill Zone, my first published novel, is a cyberpunk thriller, and I have contributed a few sci-fi and fantasy stories to various anthologies. Right now, however, most of my ideas fall strictly in the horror category.
Psychological and cosmic horror are my favorite sub-genres, but I’ll read anything as long as it’s scary and well-written. Zombies, vampires, and haunted houses appeal less to me, although I rarely pass them up. Writing-wise, it’s hard for me to neatly assign my stories to this or that basket. Everyday humans facing the unknowable and incomprehensible is a recurring theme, as is adding a touch of the uncanny to familiar settings. Horror fiction is a way for me to address concerns and anxieties we all deal with in our day-to-day. My goal is to come up with either something groundbreaking (almost impossible, with scores of talented horror writers out there cranking out terrific and terrifying stories daily), or a unique take on a well-established trope. I don’t think I’m there yet, but I’m working on it.
DWJ: Who were your inspirations in horror, whether writers, filmmakers etc.?
DS: Clive Barker was my gateway into horror and remains one of my favorites to this day. Stephen King and Richard Matheson are both major influences. I read and loved their stories before it even occurred to me that I was reading “horror”. H. P. Lovecraft is another shadowy presence in my writing – the tentacles of his cosmic beasties crawl out in the most unexpected of places. Among filmmakers, David Cronenberg never fails to mess with my mind with his blend of science fiction and body horror. I’ll watch anything Guillermo del Toro puts his signature on, Ari Aster is a genius, and Jordan Peele is simply on another level. John Carpenter’s movies have been very instructive to me when it comes to pacing and scene-setting.
DWJ: Tell our readers about your novel 'Always Beside You'
DS: Always Beside You is the story of a man on the fringe of existence who suddenly finds something to live for. When strange dreams intrude into his closed-off, dreary world, he sets off to rescue his old college girlfriend, unaware that some doors were not meant to be opened. His path crosses that of a police detective investigating a murder with echoes of a past case, triggering a chase across state borders and the limits of sanity.
DWJ: How did you come up with the topic of the novel
DS: It started out with the notion of turning a trope upside down. Possessed/evil children have become a horror staple since King’s Children of the Corn set off a slew of more or less successful imitators. Other themes that I wanted to explore are grief, redemption, and of darkness gradually eroding humanity. Elaborating further would give away the premise, so I’ll leave it there.
DWJ I like the theme going through the story that everyone is susceptible to darkness but depending on the reaction to it (like Thomas Elbert, Nate Carver and Detective Palmer) depends how they deal with it. Have you ever given in to dark impulses or felt dark urges and fought through it?
DS: Dark impulses and fears are an inseparable part of life. Many of my fears and worries come out in my stories. Fiction is a safe space to indulge in thoughts and urges that could have disastrous real-world consequences. The phrase “exorcising my inner darkness onto the page” may be corny and trite, but I think there’s something to it.
DWJ: Is there a possibility of Detective Palmer having a sequel to this book?
DS: I would love to write another Detective Palmer story. Maybe something closer to a novella in length. Writing police procedurals doesn’t come naturally to me – unless it’s a short story, I have to do a lot of background research. There are a few ideas I’m working on right now, so once I’ve gotten those projects out of the way, it might just be time for Palmer to make another appearance.
DWJ: What do you have coming up in the future?
DS: A few of my short stories are scheduled to be published in various anthologies, and I’m trying to find a good home for another novel-length manuscript. I’m also working on a collection of short stories set in the world of my novel Kill Zone, which I’m planning to shop around in the fall.
DWJ: What piece to advice do you have for writing who are just getting started?
DS: Try to write the kind of story you would enjoy reading. Also, forget the hoary adage “write what you know”. You’re committing a chunk of your time to churning out those words, time that you’re not getting back. So make sure you’re getting some enjoyment out of it. Unless you’re making a decent living from writing, in which case write whatever keeps making you money.
