Black Heritage in Horror: Interview with Kevin Williams

Kevin L. Williams is a husband, father of five, and Gothic Horror author from San Antonio, Texas. A former independent filmmaker, he has written, directed, and edited four indie feature films, numerous screenplays that will never see the light of day, and several Horror novels. This year he is set to publish a Gothic Romance series of novels, another Gothic Horror series, and the first part of his long-gestating YA/Speculative Fiction series. Kevin also hosts a podcast called Speaking of Gothic, where he discusses Gothic Horror movies.

Kevin’s links: https://linktr.ee/klwilliamsauthor

What inspired you to start writing?

As a kid, I read a LOT. Reading was my thing, my escape, my refuge. I was a skinny, geeky kid and not athletic at all. Now, geeks rule the world it seems, but back in the 70s, you were just considered weird! I was too white for my black friends and too black for my white friends, which made for a strange childhood at times. I wasn’t bullied or anything, but I had a healthy fantasy life, where I would draw and write comic books and imagine all the adventures I could go on. My older brother Ron introduced me to writers like Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker, Robert E. Howard, etc. The Conan character in particular was one of my favorites, and even though I devoured the comics, I also read the stories which had a healthy dose of Horror in them. So, I dove into those kinds of stories growing up, along with a more than healthy diet of comic books as I mentioned! I loved all kinds of comics, but titles like Tomb of Dracula and Werewolf by Night were the stuff for me. It was this strange amalgamation of classical literature mixed with genre reading. I always wanted to write stories and think this flowed from my experience as a reader first.

I got serious about writing years ago, 2000 to be exact, when I had a government job that drained me on an emotional level. I needed a distraction, so I began writing a novel about werewolves and an Ex-Navy S.E.A.L. I got about three-hundred pages in and then it just sputtered out. A few years later I wrote it as a screenplay, refined it, and was very happy. It was a triptych story structure with three protagonists; two of whom were African-American. I also drew upon my life and upbringing somewhat (not the Navy S.E.A.L. part!).

Surprise, surprise, when I couldn’t sell the script and get anyone to give me the money to write and direct it, I shelved it once again. Then, after too many years spent trying to gain access to the film industry from a place that is not connected to it, I dusted off my script and reworked it as a novel. This would be in 2018. I wrote my story (Hunted), and was very happy with the results of my first novel! And now, here we are!

What was it about the horror genre that drew you to it?

Once again, I blame my brother! Well, thank him really. I have watched horror movies all my life and this translated to reading horror. My gateway, like a lot of other writers, was Stephen King: Salem’s Lot which I have sitting by my bedside table right now. I love that book and loved the 70s mini-series as well! It scared the shit out of me (Can I say shit?). Danny Glick tapping at Mark Petrie’s window was nightmare fuel for me and lots of other kids I imagine. But, like most Horror kids, I was hooked! I saw the original The Omen movie by myself…in the theatre! How I was able to do that before the age of seventeen I have no idea! So, from my early years, until today, I have always loved Horror in movies, books, tv, comics, and now streaming shows. I will always love the genre. Now, if I can raise some proper Horror kids everything will be roses!

Do you make a conscious effort to include African diaspora characters and themes in your writing and if so, what do you want to portray?

Yes; I write about African-American characters because that is my lived experience. My first novel that I referenced, Hunted, features several African-American characters. I love genre films and wanted to read something like Aliens directed by James Cameron. But I wanted to read about someone who looked like me. So, I tried to bring the same kind of energy from a film like that to the page, hoping that, if some young boy like me read it, they could see themselves being heroic and fighting monsters, etc.! Although, I have a soft spot for monsters, especially werewolves!

I can’t say that when I was writing scripts, I put African-American characters front and center (except Hunted), but now I do in my novels.

I don’t want to write any characters who are stereotypical of course, but ones who feel real and are nuanced. And, we all know that none of us are cut from the same cloth! I want to write about the same diversity of experiences that we see in novels without people from the African Diaspora. If you pick up any novel on the bookshelf somewhere and the POV characters are white, I think we have all been ingrained to expect something different based on who the character IS in that story, and NOT how they look. I want my writing to be the same. I am probably not the guy to write about current themes and problems happening in the world. That is just not my style. I want to entertain readers, but, having said that, I cannot act like I don’t exist in this world, and my characters still deal with things that all of us have dealt with.

It’s funny because I am writing a character right now, she is a Vampire who happens to be a Black woman in 1860s Baltimore. The theme of the story is not about racism or anything, but I still have her thinking about how empowering it is to be a Negro woman (Remember, this is the 1860s!), walking around without a care in the world, because she is more powerful than any humans who might attempt to hurt her! So, the “message” is there, but it is not the sole focus of the story. I hope that makes sense!

What has writing horror taught you about the world and yourself?

I think about this quite a bit. Writing Horror has taught me to embrace The Other; those parts of myself that I used to hide, or be ashamed of. I feel empowered and going back to the previous question when you write Horror, you CAN sneak in, or embed social themes, or messages into the story without the story suffering for it! I love that! I think back to George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, made in the 60s. He said he was not trying to make a “message” movie, but in interviews, he talks about how disillusioned he and others were by the events going on during the 60s. And, let’s be honest, he did not have to cast Duane Jones in, but he did!

This is just my opinion, but with Horror, more than any other genre, you can examine the world in all its facets. You can talk about issues or topics that might be controversial in another genre, but when laced into the fabric of the Horror genre story you are trying to tell, it seems like you have a larger canvas to play on. Again, this is just my opinion.

How have you seen the horror genre change over the years? And how do you think it will continue to evolve?

Good questions. I believe Horror has become more inclusive in the types of stories being told, and how they are being told. More marginalized voices are breaking through to be shared with a wider audience. I think that is all any writer or creator wants; a way to tell their stories to the masses to entertain or educate them.

I have no idea how it will continue to evolve. Maybe the recent reevaluation of the Horror genre in movies and more people watching them that might not have ever dipped a toe into the Horror waters before, may lead them to read more Horror.

I know that was a vague answer, but it’s what I’ve got!

How do you feel the Black community has been represented thus far in the genre and what hopes do you have for representation in the genre going forward?

Well…this is an understatement, but the Black community has been kind of a non-entity in the genre. I am reading a well-known Horror series right now from the 80s and I am pretty sure there are no Black characters in it; not in this first book, and more than likely, not in any of the books in the series. As I am reading, I keep thinking, “You couldn’t have one Black or diverse character in this at all? Really?” I am not even sure I will finish the book because I am depressed even writing this sentence.

My hope is that new voices will continue to emerge, like yours and other authors from the African Diaspora and other marginalized groups. I would like to see (or maybe become) a Stephen King-type author who is from the African Diaspora whom people know the name automatically. If you say, Toni Morrison, most people know who she is even if they have not read her work. I have trouble thinking of a Black author with that kind of name recognition in the Horror genre. I know King is a bad example because he is so famous, but you get the point.

Who are some of your favorite Black characters in horror?

Here goes my bullet point list:
Survivors

• Childs (Keith David) – The Thing (1982); Honorable Mention: As Keith Armitage – They Live (1988)
• Ethan Bishop (Austin Stoker) – Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
• Eric Brooks, aka Blade (Wesley Snipes) – Blade & Blade II (1998, 2002) Blade Trinity doesn’t count
• Peter Washington (Ken Foree) – Dawn of the Dead (1978)
• Poindexter “Fool” Williams (Brandon Adams) – The People Under the Stairs (1991)
• Mr. Simms (Clarence Williams III) – Tales from the Hood (1995)
• Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) – Get Out (2017)
• Jeryline (Jada Pinkett) – Demon Knight (1995)
• Alexa Woods (Sanaa Lathan) – Alien vs. Predator (2004)
• Preacher (LL Cool J) – Deep Blue Sea (1999)
• Danny (Ice Cube) – Anaconda (1997)
• Kincaid (Ken Sagoes) – A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (Part 4 messed this all up! I like to believe he is still alive!)

Deceased

• Daniel Robitaille, aka Candyman (Tony Todd) – Candyman (1992) He is a spirit so he is both Dead and Alive to my mind!
• Parker (Yaphet Kotto) – Alien (1979)
• Dillion (Carl Weathers – Predator (1987)
• Ben (Duane Jones) – Night of the Living Dead (1968)
• Sgt. Apone (Al Matthews) – Aliens (1986)
• Miles Bennett Dyson (Joe Morton) – Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) (I know this is not Horror, but I love this character so much! Since the first Terminator 1984 was a Sci-Fi/Horror, hopefully, this gets a pass!)
• Prince Mamuwalde/Blackula (William Marshall) – Blackula (1973)
• Dick Holloran (Scatman Crothers) – The Shining (1980)

Who are some African diaspora horror authors you recommend our audience check out?

This question caused me to do some research, and what I came away with are several novels that are intriguing. The following are on my To-Read List for 2023:

• Toni Morrison: Beloved (It is definitely Horror! I enrolled in a class devoted to her books during my last semester of college. It took some time to warm up to her since I prefer genre fiction, but time to give this one another read.)
• Tananarive Due: My Soul to Take (Reading this one now!) & The Good House
• Victor LaValle: The Ballad of Black Tom (I love the concept.)
• Helen Oyeyemi: White is for Witching (Looks like great Gothic Horror!)
• Jennifer Hillier: Wonderland
• Jewelle Gomez: The Gilda Stories (Dipping my toe into Afrofuturism with a Horror twist!)
• Walter Mosley: The Tempest Tales (I mean…it’s Walter Mosley!)

What is one piece of advice you would give horror authors today?

Read a lot in the genre! Read, read, read. If you want to be a fiction author, you need to read as much as you can. One more thing: Write a little almost every day to improve your grasp of the craft!

And to the Black writers out there who are just getting started, what advice would you give them?

The exact same advice as the question above, with one caveat: Do not be afraid to embrace your particular experience when you write! People of the African Diaspora come to writing from a wealth of different places, cultures, experiences, prejudices, etc. Use all of it to inform your writing and be authentic and genuine so YOUR voice comes through in the writing!