Q&A With Seth Voorhees

Another guest that Mickey Mikkelson was kind enough to
connect me with is apocalyptic horror suspense novelist Seth Voorhees! Seth is
the author of The Interim, Question 17, Mid-Glow & his recent
release Immune: Rise Of The Afflicted!

Q: Seth welcome to Book Notions! Would you please give a brief description of your novels beginning with your new release Immune? 

A: Immune, Rise of the Inflicted, goes beyond the common narrative about a virus that threatens to wipe out the global population. The story navigates the complex, conflicting world of human morality. The virus divides the world into two classes: the Immune and The Inflicted. Both sides have their heroes and villains. The main character, Wyatt Tuck, will navigate through these opposing factions, the virus’s aftermath, and societal changes, all while trying to keep his family safe. Wyatt will meet several members of the Inflicted, including Hellen Olsen, who has her own journey and a hand in reshaping the world with her partner, Tamara, who is a member of the Immune.

My next Novel is The Interim, a horror novel. It focuses on the small community of Copper, South Dakota. The main character, teenager Betty Clammin, is a loner who forms a bond with four other peers. In this coming-of-age story, they will explore the history of The Interim and the reasons behind why the citizens of Copper choose to live alongside it. The Interim takes place during the last two weeks in October, when the town is haunted by Leopold, a seemingly invincible, diabolical creature with a taunting laugh who tries to lure children, pets, and adults outside their homes to devour them.

My next novel is Question 17. Another dystopian tale. It takes place forty-six years after a war with an alien invader, which Earth won. Two new nations emerge: Doulos and Egalite, and they become rivals. Doulos’s new government built a secret facility called the Willow Lock to study and understand the invaders, resulting in a list of questions. This list drives the Willow Lock’s director, Theta. Now, only one question remains unsolved-question 17. The main character is Cory, who starts an internship at the Willow Lock and becomes consumed with the question and the secret methods used to solve it. 

Last, we have Mid-Glow. Centered in the United States, on the brink of entering World War II. The main character, Philip Van-Drown, and his companions have turned to robbing banks. Eventually, one robbery goes wrong. Philip and his gang soon find themselves being extorted by the very individuals they were robbing: a European gentleman named Dr. Drakoon. Philip finds himself being forced to pay off his debt, which comes in the form of grave robbing, midnight drops, murder, missing women, working alongside Dr. Drakoon’s strange business associate, and living in Drakoon’s hotel in the Deep South.

Q: What was it that drew you into writing apocalyptic suspense horror? 

A: In regard to Immune, it was the combination of two things. First was a thought I had while going for a walk during the Swine Flu pandemic. The thought was, “What would it feel like if you were immune to a virus, yet you had to watch everyone and everything around you suffer and perish?” I didn’t actually start writing right away. But the thought stuck and stayed with me.

Fast-forward to when The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead were at their height in our country. I thought then I’d like to write a zombie novel, but not the traditional sort that was already being done at the time. Then I recalled the thought I had all those years ago, and I combined the two. 

The book that drew me to it was I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. It was a different twist for sure. I felt like Immune needed a twist, too. What I came up with was that in Immune, those who become zombies come out of that phase and recall all of the mistreatment and misdeeds that had taken place. They create their own class, called The Inflicted, and eventually begin reshaping society in their own image while fighting the class: Immune, those who were immune to the virus. 

Q: Who are your favorite authors horror and non-horror to read from?

A: That’s a long list, but I will give you my top five authors that I love: Jennifer McMahon, Catriona Ward, Darcy Coates, Nick Cutter, and Richard Chizmar. When it comes to Non-fiction, I have to say Tom Clavin. I love history, especially anything about the Wild West, shipwrecks and survival, turn-of-the-century Arctic expeditions, or World War II.  I do read the occasional autobiography, like Mel Brooks’ All About Me, which I highly recommend. 

Q: What do you hope readers feel and learn after reading your books? 

A: I hope that they feel excited and satisfied in the end, and that they enjoyed being immersed in the world I created. After reading it, perhaps it awakens their spirit, allowing them to draw inspiration and apply it to that aspect of their life that brings them joy. That is one of the reasons I love writing — to shape and create hope through words. 

Q: If/When Hollywood gets the rights to your books especially Immune, who would be your dream cast for the characters you created? 

A: That would be a dream come true. Wyatt would be Luke Grimes. Helen would be Emily Blunt. Tamera would be Zoe Saldana, and Layla would be Bella Ramsey. 

Q: Are you allowed to reveal the new novel you are currently working on right now?

A: My next novel is titled The Cottonwood Prestige, and it is a horror novel. The main character, Eugene Baker, finds himself returning to his hometown of West Carlton, Michigan, to help his grandfather, Gerald, care for Eugene’s Father, Templeton, whose health is mysteriously failing. West Carlton is home to a prestigious organization called the Albatross, to which all three Baker men belong, and they wield influence and power not only in the town but also in the surrounding counties. While Eugene is home, murders, kidnappings, and strange happenings begin to befall the organization’s members, and Eugene gets caught up in the mystery, forcing him to face his own buried secrets.