One on One with Mike Sullivan
My interview with one of the contributing authors to Feral Lands
Samak Press published its first horror anthology, Feral Lands, in June. All through July, I will be spotlighting contributing authors in exclusive one-on-one interviews.
We’re continuing the interview series with Mike Sullivan. His contribution to Feral Lands is The Thorny One of the Water — a haunting tale about a grieving father who journeys into a dense Mexican jungle home to a monster that’s inspired a terrifying local urban legend.
Mike Sullivan has always loved telling stories. Growing up outside of Boston, his mother took him to the library every Saturday and his father introduced him to film and filmmakers like Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, and Francis Ford Coppola. Books, movies, and comics made up Mike’s childhood. Stephen King, Steven Spielberg, Marvel Comics, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones. Mike studied film at Emerson College and became a filmmaker. He’s been editing, writing, and directing documentaries for the past thirty years. His work can be seen in museums and visitor centers across the globe.
In 2023, Mike went back to school to get his Master’s Degree in Film and Media Studies from Arizona State University. In addition to editing and writing, he also teaches film and television courses at the college level in New England.
After years of editing documentary films, reading works of others, and raising a family, Mike started writing his own stories. They were dark and twisted, luckily his wife and daughter found them entertaining. His menagerie of dogs and cats were much more severe critics. When Mike isn’t writing, teaching, or in his dark edit suite, he is chasing down the plot for his next new story.
Tell us about your story in Feral Lands. What stands out about this story among the ones you've written and published?
Mike: What really stands out about The Thorny One of the Water is the monster. It’s such a cool creature. El Ahuizotl. I discovered it while researching unusual myths and legends from around the world. Once I discovered this Mexican legend, I knew I needed a story for it. Who could encounter this crazy creature? Why? What would bring him into the proximity of the Water Dog? Soon I had a story about a father grieving his deceased son and travelling into the Mexican jungle to spread his ashes. The story starts as a meditation about grief before turning to the horror.
Where do you draw inspiration for your stories? What goes into bringing them to life?
Mike: I can’t say exactly where the stories come from. Usually, an image or a scene comes to me first. Then I build the story around that. Occasionally that original image or scene ends up being cut in rewrites! The image that inspired me to write my first novella, The Bugs Come Out at Night, isn’t in the final story. When the initial image is in my head I try to surround it with characters and events that fit well with that idea. That’s how I wrote The Thorny One of the Water. Lots and lots of revisions. I actually prefer the re-writing to the first draft writing.
Who are your primary literary influences as an author?
Mike: I’ve always been a reader. My Mom would take me to the library every Saturday when I was growing up. I loved mysteries and adventure stories. I was a big comic book reader as well. Like pretty much everyone who writes horror I love Stephen King, of course. I think that’s the law, right? I discovered King in Junior High School. Pet Sematary was my first King read. When I was younger, I also read Dean Koontz, Anne Rice, Peter Straub, Dan Simmons. I also still enjoyed mysteries and thrillers. I read the early Tom Clancy and Ken Follet books when I was in college. I’m a fan of historical fiction too. The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr are incredible. Regarding horror fiction today, there’s almost too many great writers producing great work! Phillip Fracassi, Ron Malfi, Cynthia Pelayo, Christa Carmen… I could go on and on.
What are your main dreams or goals as an author?
Mike: To have people read and enjoy my work is my main goal. I can’t think of a better feeling than when someone says to me, “I read your story, and I liked it.”
What draws you to write stories in the horror genre?
Mike: Monsters are fun! I enjoy the fantastical and supernatural elements of horror. The real world is both terrifying and boring. I like to write about weird and crazy stuff that can’t really happen. (Or can it...?) A story about people fighting some kind of horrible creature is fun escape. It also allows for some ideas about serious topics like life & death, grief, failure, and hope without weighing it down with “serious drama.”
Outside of writing stories, what's a passion or hobby you enjoy pursuing?
Mike: Movies! I’m a huge movie guy. I love watching movies. I went to undergrad for film and have a master’s in film and media studies. I try to see them in the theater when they come out, but I watch movies at home too. All kinds of movies. I’m a huge fan of the big tent-pole Hollywood blockbusters, but I also dig smaller independent and classic film. I teach film at two community colleges in New England, and I try to introduce young people to classic films. I have a decent home theater set-up with a ton of blu-rays and 4K discs. Physical media forever!
What adventure or activity tops your bucket list?
Mike: I once edited a documentary about white water rafting down in the Grand Canyon. I’d like to do that.
You're trapped in a horror movie. What's your plan for making it out alive?
Mike: Oh man, I wouldn’t make it. I’d panic and get taken out in the first reel.
An apocalyptic alien invasion starts tomorrow. How do you spend your final day before the world ends?
Mike: What’s the situation? Are the aliens taking us for slave labor? Or are they just wiping us out? Hopefully, I can be with my family. If not, I’d get some banana ice cream from Crescent Ridge Dairy in Saron, Massachusetts, sit down and watch movies until—boom!
Thank you, Mike, for taking time to answer a few questions and giving readers of this newsletter a chance to get to know you better.
You can check out Mike’s work at his official website www.sullivanedit.com and see all of his latest stories and films.
