Welcoming Lee Murray & Dave Jeffery
Flame Tree Press welcomes award-winning editors Lee Murray and Dave Jeffery to the blog for a Q&A on their groundbreaking anthology, This Way Lies Madness, publishing today! The book, as described by them, "defies convention by bringing together authentic, sensitive portrayals of mental illness in a genre that has notoriously lacked such tenets". A collection of 23 stories and poems, the book also includes accompanying vignettes offering insight into the authors' motivation for their work. You can hear even more from the anthology authors in our This Way Lies Madness blog series!
How did you go about selecting authors for this anthology?
Lee: For three years. Dave and I served as the founding co-chairs of the Horror Writers Association’s Wellness Committee, responsible for the organisation’s Mental Health Initiative, which aims to “bring hope and promote inclusion for those who endure mental illness” and “to challenge a climate within the horror genre that has traditionally focused on poor and ill-informed representations of mental illness, and this is known to be a vehicle to perpetuate stigma in wider society.” In the course of that work, in our roles as co-chairs, we discovered a community of horror authors who shared our vision of normalising mental illness with positive, destigmatising portrayals, a group which included some household names in horror. It was both affirming and a little terrifying to find so much enthusiasm for our thesis. So many people willing to share their own heartfelt stories. So when the time came to put together our list of invited authors, we reached out to those writers we admired not only for their mastery of the craft but who also shared our vision of bringing mental illness to the fore through the lens of horror fiction, of opening a broader discussion among writers and readers.
Dave: As noted by Lee, we already had several writers in mind when we were compiling the list of invited contributors. As is the way with the publishing timeframe, some writers had moved on to other projects before we could secure a publisher, but those who stayed with us, and those who we approached afterwards, have produced brilliant work, and in some instances, produced stories outside their own comfort zones! We eventually had 10 places available for the open call, and in this we received a staggering amount of submissions, 1400 in all. From the outset, Lee and I were determined to read every submitted story. Of course, this meant a LOT of reading, but in doing so we were confident that we could achieve our vision for the anthology. The limited places available meant that we had to pass on many brilliant stories, and one of the issues at the forefront of our minds was that these stories came from a place of vulnerability, and deserved to have us read them. This was very much the case when we sent out the emails to those who didn’t make it. Rather than use a form response, Lee and I crafted an email that recognised the time and emotional effort those submitting had put into their work. For those who made it to the penultimate list, we sent out another email of support and encouragement. Our thinking was that the submission process should reflect our aims for the overall anthology, that of sensitivity, inclusion and support, and I hope those who were part of it got something positive from that.
What excited you most about this project?
Lee: Two things: firstly, a chance to work on a passion project with a bunch of incredibly talented writers, designers, artists, and publishers who shared that passion, and secondly, a chance to work on a first collaborative book project with my long-time friend and colleague Dave Jeffery. If I’m honest, that second point was pivotal. I’m not sure I would have had the courage to embark on this particular project on my own. While I suffer from anxiety and depression (and I suspect undiagnosed ADHD) and have approached the curation of This Way Lies Madness through the lens of my own personal experience, Dave brought 30-plus years of professional nursing and advocacy practice in the field of mental health to the mix. Without his expertise, understanding, and insistence on the sensitive handling of the material (often highly personal, vulnerable material entrusted to our care), the project would not exist in its current form. And I’m sure our contributors will attest, he’s pretty good at catching typos and editing for clarity too. I cannot thank him enough for joining me on this journey. I have been both inspired and comforted by his generous guidance and partnership.
Dave: I was certainly excited by being given the opportunity to show what I have always known, that there is capacity within the horror community to tell stories with mental health themes that not only instil terror, but explore mental illness with nuance and compassion. A driver for this anthology was to challenge existing (and all too often inaccurate) genre tropes associated with mental illness, and explore the impact mental health issues have on the person and those around them. It also meant being able to work with Lee, whom I consider a dear friend and a master of the craft. She also has brought her vital lived experience of enduring anxiety and depression that has more than influenced the project in hugely positive ways, especially turning what could have been adverse experiences into something inspirational for others. The whole experience has been so overwhelmingly positive. So much so that I would be more than happy to edit another anthology in the future, if the opportunity ever came along.
Are there any underlying themes to the book as a whole?
Lee: Ultimately, I think the theme of this book is “Hey, look, this is us. We’re flawed and we’re human.” There’s a solace in knowing that you’re not alone, that there are other people out there who feel the same way. While our contributors have come at this theme in monstrous and terrifying and vulnerable ways, they have been unflinching in revealing the humanity behind the horror, which is, of course, the power of our genre.
Dave: I quite like the idea that, with This Way Lies Madness, many themes are open to interpretation, a tenet that, as editors, we encouraged by asking that metaphor play a key role in the portrayal of mental illness in the story. From an editor’s point of view, this was always about inclusion and sensitivity, and giving a platform by which the horror community could showcase their ability to portray mental illness in a sympathetic and empathetic way, so that others wanting to write about such issues had a benchmark text as both inspiration and resource.
Is there any advice you can give someone starting to write?
Lee: Usually, when I’m asked this question, I tell people they’ll need to grow a carapace if they want to survive the vagaries of the industry, but I realise now that that is flippant and unhelpful. When I started writing, I seized on that adage that you should write what you know, only I took that on board without truly understanding what it meant. I thought it meant I should write women’s fiction for middle-aged women, because that was who I was. But that wasn’t it at all. Instead, writing what we know means writing the stories that only we can write, stories from our core, those that are full of heart and heat and hunger. I think perhaps Dallas Mohr (AKA horror author Jack Ketchum) said it best when he advised writers to “write from the wound”. With This Way Lies Madness, we are proud to bring a collection of stories and poems where writers have written from the gaping wounds of mental illness, offering readers a start-point for healing and discussion.
Dave: I would start by telling the fledgling writer that an editor is as much part of the storytelling journey as their characters, so it is best to embrace the concept of collaborative working from the outset. Discussion and debate over the nuances of characters, plot, and grammatical choice is fundamental to the publishing process, and a good editor will work with you to get the best out of your creation. Another thing I would say to new writers is, be mindful of your ‘voice’ on social media. It’s okay to be ‘edgy’ but it’s a fine line between pushing boundaries and looking like the proverbial lemon! In short, be courteous and civil; others—including prospective publishers and readers—are watching!
Can you give an idea of the content of a few of the stories in this book?
Lee & Dave: We can do better than that. You can read samples and insights from each of the stories and poems in a blog series over on the Flame Tree Press blog. But for an idea of the contents, here is a snippet from our introduction:
"In these pages, you will discover tales of trauma, dissociation, body dysmorphia, psychosis, depression, anxiety, and more, captured in all forms of horror from the extreme to the nuanced. There is jaw-dropping violence, skin-crawling body horror, and quirky dark humour, alongside the quiet, heartbreaking introspections of people spiralling into madness. Yet all the stories and poems in this volume are framed so that the insensitive, stereotypical presentations of mental illness commonly found in horror are resoundingly and appropriately absent. Our authors have achieved this in a number of ways. As well as drawing on lived experience and careful research, they have all made effective and inventive use of metaphor; a conceit also employed by horror masters like Poe and Gilman, to explore the complex effects that mental illness can have on a person. Conjuring ghosts and poltergeists, vampires, haunted houses, and other unnerving manifestations, our authors have punctuated their tales with powerful symbolism, startling imagery, and compelling, and often confronting, intimacy. For a moment, we are living in the minds of their protagonists, obliged to experience their psychoses first hand, to listen to their reasoning, to see the inexorable lengths they will go to survive. We are forced to watch the horrific loss of self."
How would you describe the horror fiction scene today?
Lee: As ever, horror is the new black, a grown-up genre with the courage to confront, address, and challenge all the things that frighten us about the world we live in, and the world we might live in tomorrow if we do not act today. There is nothing more vital. The darkness is gathering…
Dave: I often see horror as a reflection of societal contentions; the means by which aspects that evoke fear and uncertainty are highlighted and, more importantly, challenged. These days, horror is more about asking questions of what we are prepared to tolerate as a society, and what we are going to do to protect what makes us human, be that our identity, our loved ones, or the world we inhabit.
What do you look for in a good story?
Lee: A distinct lack of tabs, 8pt fonts, and double spaces after full-stops! Just kidding! With any story, I can forgive all of those things if I am engaged, informed, and entertained. If the writer has taken me somewhere and shown me something in a way I haven’t seen before. When they reach into my chest and grasp my heart in their hands.
Dave: For me, the characters are integral to my enjoyment of a story; from the interactions they have with others to how they respond to the world around them. I find that the best characters are those that make decisions that seem off-kilter with the situation, but have experiences that have shaped those decisions, even if such things are not readily apparent. To be effective in this, understanding and remaining consistent with a character’s backstory and how it motivates is crucial.
How does writing your own fiction differ from editing others’ work?
Lee: For me the difference is that I am more of a natural editor than a writer. What’s that old saying? Writing is easy. You just open a vein and bleed. That probably explains why I’m such a slow writer, my output being less than 500 words of fiction a day, because I just can’t help editing as I go (or wiping away the blood stains!) I don’t have any of those vomit-drafts that other writers talk about. That doesn’t mean that my work doesn’t benefit from an editing pass—all of my work undergoes beta reading and editorial input—but I don’t have ten or fifteen drafts of a work in progress on file.
Dave: I guess I’m the opposite to Lee in that I’m primarily a writer who has somehow wandered into editing. A benefit to this is that I have worked with so many wonderful editors in my time (Lee being one of them!), and if I’m being honest here, some pretty awful ones, too! No matter what my experience, I have used it to positively shape who I want to be as an editor, given that I very much enjoy the process and have learned oodles from Lee, who has such a wealth of experience, as well as lots of patience! I always say that the writer and the editor are a collaborative team working towards one common goal, to put the best story before the reader.
Lee: Oh! Thank you, Dave. That’s so kind of you to say. I think when we’re editing other people’s work, we’re asking them to share our vision and bring their own perspective to the theme. It’s always such a thrill to see how an author will interpret your concept, often in a gruesome yet insightful way. That discovery, those eureka moments, does occur in your own writing, but it’s hard to be objective about them, in the same way that you can’t tickle yourself. That said, I’ve been lucky enough to win some major national and international awards, so perhaps other people have seen the merit in my scribbling, even if I don’t always see it myself.
What are you working on next?
Lee: I’m delighted to have a poetry collection—a collaboration with one of my favourite US poets—coming from a boutique publisher of provocative works in early 2026. It’s a highly feminist collection which addresses women’s erasure throughout history and (appropriately) will release on International Women’s Day, 8 March. Like This Way Lies Madness, it’s another work that is close to my heart and has been a joy to work on. I can’t wait to share it with the world.
Dave: I have two projects due for release next year. The first is Shrine a novella set in my A Quiet Apocalypse universe, and it is a collaboration with award-winning writer Raven Dane. The second project is Earthfall, the concluding book in my Frostbite trilogy. For me, one of the greatest parts of the writing process is watching how the characters change as they go on their narrative journey, and they end up going to places you never expected!
Which part of the anthology process do you enjoy the most?
Lee: I think it is fair to say that no anthologist loves the obligatory proofing passes! For this anthology, Dave and I also agonised about turning away so many beautiful, insightful stories due to space and budget constraints. More than a thousand stories that we were forced to pass on! But there are so many things I love about the anthology process: the incredible response to open calls by creatives who are willing to entrust you with their work, the discovery of exciting new voices, the chance to help writers shape and develop their story, the privilege of working with people you admire and respect, the cover reveal!, the crescendo of excitement before the work releases, the first reviews which you open with terror (and then collapse with relief when you see the commentator totally ‘got’ what you hoped they would). The pride when you hold the completed book in your hands. When the work resonates so much that a reader is compelled to write to you. All of these things keep anthologists going. Mostly, for me, it is the communities that they engender, of like-minded creatives who are willing to be vulnerable and share their own journeys in pursuit of meaningful transformative dialogue.
Dave: With this anthology, I was incredibly humbled by how writers felt able to share their vulnerabilities with us as editors. Creating a climate where this degree of trust is possible only comes from taking time and care, and presenting our honest passion for the subject matter at the heart of This Way Lies Madness. As Lee has mentioned, the submission response was incredible, catching everyone out to some degree. I believe that it was the largest response Flame Tree Press has ever received for an anthology call. We feel that this demonstrates just how much genre writers consider such themes within the context of their work, and the stories that they are wanting to tell. Turning away so many great stories was difficult, but when I see the final Table of Contents, having processed the journey, I have come away with such a sense of pride, and I’m very excited for our contributors as we believe they are part of a groundbreaking volume, that will make a real difference going forward.
Lee Murray ONZM is a writer, editor, poet and screenwriter from Aotearoa New Zealand, a Shirley Jackson Award and five-time Bram Stoker Award® winner. A USA Today bestselling author with more than forty titles to her credit, including novels, collections, anthologies, nonfiction, poetry, and several books for children, Lee holds a New Zealand Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement in Fiction, and is an Honorary Literary Fellow of the New Zealand Society of Authors. Among her recent works are feature film Grafted (directed by Sasha Rainbow), horror anthology This Way Lies Madness (Flame Tree Press) co-edited with Dave Jeffery, and prose-poetry collection, NZSA Cuba Press Prize-winner Fox Spirit on a Distant Cloud (The Cuba Press). Read more at https://www.leemurray.info/
Dave Jeffery is the author of 18 novels, 3 collections, and numerous short stories. His Necropolis Rising series and yeti adventure Frostbite have both featured on the Amazon #1 bestseller list. Other work includes the critically acclaimed Beatrice Beecham supernatural mystery series for young adults, and the A Quiet Apocalypse series. His Campfire Chillers collection made the 2012 Edge Hill Prize long-list, and his screenwriting credits include award winning short films Ascension and Derelict. He is a long-time contributor to Phantasmagoria Magazine, a final reader for Space and Time Magazine, and a regular book reviewer for The British Fantasy Society. Prior to retirement in 2019, Jeffery worked for 35 years in the National Health Service (NHS), specialising in the field of mental health nursing and risk management. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Mental Health Studies and a Master of Science Degree in Health Studies. During this time, he has worked with Whurr International, Wiley & Sons, and the Royal College of Nursing’s Mental Health Practice Magazine, writing academic papers and research articles. He is a mentor on the Horror Writers Association’s Mentorship Scheme, and the 2022 recipient of the HWA Mentor of the Year Award. He is also a registered mentor with The British Fantasy Society. For three years, Jeffery was co-chair of the HWA Wellness Committee. Read more at: www.davejefferyauthor.com
This Way Lies Madness is OUT NOW!
Ref. HWA Mental Health Charter: https://horror.org/mental-health-initiative-charter/
