Rachel Harrison is one of the most prolific authors currently working in horror fiction. Having established a niche all her own in the genre, she is one creator who never fails to pair big ideas and beloved tropes with fresh approaches informed by character and the realities of modern life. The accolades and her catalog almost speak for themselves.

She is the USA Today Bestselling author of So Thirsty, Black Sheep, Such Sharp Teeth, Cackle, and The Return, the latter of which was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel. Her short fiction has appeared in Guernica, Electric Literature's Recommended Reading, as an Audible Original, and in her debut story collection Bad Dolls. Her next novel, Play Nice, is out in September from Berkley.

I was delighted to chat with Rachel about another prolific contemporary horror author, one who’s forged his own space in the genre and who never shies away from creating works that engage with horror from a unique and uncompromising position…

Who is your favorite author and why?

Of course, it’s impossible to choose favorites, but an author who consistently inspires me and breaks my heart and melts my brain and tells me truths about the world I haven’t been able to articulate for myself, is—for sure—Mr. Paul G. Tremblay.

When were you first made aware of this author and when were you first drawn to their work?

My younger sister recommended Head Full of Ghosts to me back in 2019, I want to say? That’s when I first became aware of him. But I didn’t read him until 2020, when I picked up Survivor Song. Then, I blew through his entire backlist. Immediate superfan.

Doing those deep dives into the back catalog when you connect with a new-to-you author is really something, huh? Thank goodness for prolific authors. When you’re mainlining an author’s work like that, going back to the beginning of their backlist and covering all points in-between to the present, what sort—if any—patterns or other elements do you notice that might not emerge from a more casual reading?

I intentionally keep a very casual approach to reading. It’s supposed to be fun! You sit through enough classes at a liberal arts college, and you get pretty wary of overanalysis. Some smug trust fund kid who’s like, “The mosquitoes in this scene actually represent mortality.” It can be a buzzkill, to approach books like puzzles to be solved. When I was reading Cabin at the End of the World, I wasn’t thinking about Head Full of Ghosts. So, I guess the answer is, I don’t really notice while reading. I’ll reflect in retrospect, sitting around like, “I love all these books. Why? What am I connecting to? What do I admire?”

Is there one particular piece of work from this author that you are especially fond of or that’s had a significant creative impact on you? What is that piece and what makes it so appealing or affecting for you?

Some art just connects with you in a way that makes you feel like it was made specifically for you, and it is hands down the best thing in the entire world, realizing you’re not alone with an emotion or thought or experience. Not to sound like a pretentious asshole, but it gives new meaning to existence. That’s how I felt reading The Pallbearers Club. There’s a David Byrne suit reference early on and I was just like, oh, yes, yep. I call the book a love letter to misfits, but we all bring ourselves and experiences and baggage to other people’s art. Art and Mercy’s voices were so familiar to me, their vulnerabilities, their humor. I found it relatable on a personal level, it impacted me emotionally. And it’s a punk book! In content and in spirit. Paul is punk. What he does in his art is punk. He does what he wants as an artist. He’s not a fucking sell out. It was important for me being in this industry to have that reminder that I can stick to my guns, too. You can be honest and true to yourself and be successful. It’s possible.

I’ve heard plenty of readers and other authors say something similar about Paul and his work, how he forges his own path as an author and lets his art be what it wants and needs to be. I think sometimes when authors make art for themselves that’s often when it has the highest likelihood of connecting with many different people for many different reasons. Is that something you agree with? Aside from the moments/characters mentioned above, are their other instances in Paul’s work that feel esoteric at a glance but that sparked some universal connection/bonding with you as reader?

Yeah, I think the moment you try to create art for other people, try to satisfy people, predict trends, it’s a losing game. It’s impossible to satisfy everyone. It’s impossible to predict trends. You have to make art you feel connected to and passionate about and that is authentic to you—if it’s authentic to you, people will recognize that and gravitate toward it. Now, it’s still a business, and if you want to get published and have a career, you have to make compromises. That’s a fact. But you shouldn’t feel you need to compromise your artistic integrity, if that makes sense. And I don’t want to get into too many specifics, because art can be very personal to us, but in general with Paul’s work, I think this is the thing. Imagine you’re having an epically bad day, and you tell a friend and they’re like, “It’s not that bad. It’ll be okay! It’ll all work out!” and it’s frustrating because you know it probably won’t. So, you tell someone else and they’re like, “Yeah everything is terrible and hopeless and isn’t it all just the worst?” and that drags you down even more. Then, you tell someone else and they’re just like, “I’m sorry, that really sucks.” And you’re so relieved to have someone just acknowledge the suck without trying to make it better or worse? Paul’s work acknowledges the suck. He lets you know you’re not alone with it. I think that’s why his work resonates. That’s the universal connection.

How often do you revisit that particular piece or the author’s work in general? What lessons have you learned at various times from the work?

I’ve reread Horror Movie, Cabin at the End of the World, and Head Full of Ghosts multiple times, as well as some of his short fiction, but I haven’t revisited The Pallbearers Club yet. I’m saving that for when I need it. I feel like there’s a lot of conversation around ambiguity in Paul’s work, and maybe rightfully so, but I don’t feel like any of his work is noncommittal. He executes with intention. He tells the truth. Whenever I reread his work, I’m struck by the honesty. He pulls no punches, but again, it’s always with purpose. I never feel like he’s being brutal for the sake of brutality or shock value. It’s like, “This is the way the world is, I didn’t make it this way but here it is. Look.” I also admire how fun it is to read his books; however brutal they may be. That’s a magic trick, right there.

Are there any pieces in the author’s oeuvre that have not worked as well for you? If yes, which ones and why do you think that connection was not as strong?

I wouldn’t have picked Paul if I wasn’t in awe of his entire oeuvre. Scout’s honor.

What writing lessons have you taken, purposefully or accidentally, from your favorite author?

Well, my new book has annotations, so! In all seriousness, though, I think without Paul’s work, I might have talked myself out of some ideas for worry that a publisher wouldn’t go for them. He found success committing to his ideas and to his art, which I really admire and find inspiring. I’m also super inspired by his ability to craft scares. He’s so good at holding the reader in space. It’s like he’s got his hands on your shoulders, so you can’t wriggle away. It’s because his character work and scene building are so skilled, that as a reader you’ve fully bought into the reality—it’s not just on the page it’s all around you—so when the dread creeps in and you become unsettled, it's so much more effective. I try to ground my work and my readers, too.

Are there any works in your bibliography that you feel are closest to the work of your favorite—whether in terms of style, subject matter, length, etc.? Talk a little about those similarities.

For sure my next novel Play Nice was inspired in part by Head Full of Ghosts. The stickiness of possession, of how a family can fracture under stress, and, you know, some of that good old-fashioned creepy demon stuff. Then, of course, the annotations exist thanks to The Pallbearers Club. Experimenting with form having a book within the book.

Could you talk a little more about how Play Nice is inspired by Head Full of Ghosts? Did the moment of inspiration come early on, during your initial reading or is it something that came later, with some remove from your most recent reading? What does inspiration look like for you in terms of that evolution from seed to fully-conceived work?

Nope! Because even if I were to have the massive amount of ego required to think my work could be in conversation with Paul’s, inspiration—for me—isn’t a direct line, and it shouldn’t be. That’s why I said in part. PLAY NICE was inspired by what the media did to Britney Spears, by Amityville, by Hamlet, by my own life experiences, by the quotes in the epigraph, by the song “Bug Like an Angel” by Mitski, by Head Full of Ghosts, by hundreds of different things, some I doubt I’m fully conscious of. I’m an artist, and I think that’s how artists should operate. Constantly consuming art, engaging emotionally with it, engaging critically with it, and letting it seep into them, allow it to shape them into better, wiser, more empathetic humans, and then go forth into the world to create their own art. For what it’s worth, I’m fully aware how obnoxious this sounds, but it’s what I believe!

Where does your writing diverge from your favorite author’s? Are there any elements from your favorite author’s work that you would like to incorporate in your own? If yes, what are these?

I’ll nerd out over a beautiful sentence, over clever character work, over an emotional gut punch, over an effective scare, but never with the thought of “How can I emulate this?” I will never be Paul Tremblay; and I don’t want to be a poor imitation. But from a craft perspective, I can sit in my admiration for the things that he’s accomplished and challenge myself to be present in my own voice and intentional with my craft. I recently watched Jason Segel do a great interview with GQ (it’s on YouTube and recommend watching) where he mentioned the book Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon. I went out and got it and think it’s a fantastic read for anyone in a creative space. The book talks about how we are the sum of our influences. Paul is one of my influences, a big one, but I can’t compute where and how my writing diverges except by saying my writing is mine. Like, we’re all cake. Our influences are the ingredients. Cake isn’t flour. I don’t know, I’m going off the rails. Now I want cake.

If a reader wanted to start reading your favorite author, what piece would you recommend they start with?

I’ve given it a good think, and landed, perhaps predictably, at Head Full of Ghosts.

In your opinion, what makes Head Full of Ghosts such a good Tremblay gateway drug?

​​It’s fun, it’s smart, it’s terrifying. Great hook. It sits pretty solidly in the horror genre, and I think in general books that straddle the line of genre can be difficult for readers to connect to initially.

If you could ask your favorite author one question about their work, what would it be?

There isn’t one question I’d want to ask him about his work. It’s fortunate I get to listen to him speak about his work on podcasts and panels and read interviews and pick his brain that way. I think as a fan of someone else working in the same field, it’s more important to ask yourself what do I admire about this work and why. I want to ask Rachel about Paul’s work, I don’t want to ask Paul about Paul. I don’t want to bother him. I bother myself all the time. I’m bothering myself right now.

What do you have coming out next on the writing and publishing front? What are you working on now?

My next novel Play Nice is out September 9^th but is available for preorder now. Currently working on the book after that! And trying to stay sane.

Thank you for taking the time to chat with me about your favorite author.

Thank you for having me!I’ll forward you the legal fees if Paul takes out a restraining order.

Where can readers find you online?

Rachel-Harrison.com or over on Insta @rachelharrisonsghost