Interview with Richard Beauchamp

Since 2017, Richard Beauchamp has been crafting chilling horror and dark fiction from his home in the Missouri Ozarks. His works are featured in several prestigious anthologies, including SNAFU: Dead or Alive by Cohesion Press and Night Terrors by Scare Street Publications. His debut collection, Black Tongue & Other Anomalies, was nominated for the 2022 Splatterpunk Awards. When not writing, Richard immerses himself in nature, music production, and life with his fiancée and their numerous pets.

Where are you from and when did you first start writing?

I was born and raised in Southeast Missouri, in a small riverside town called Cape Girardeau. Although I dabbled here and there with writing in high school, I didn’t start making serious attempts at writing and publishing fiction until my mid-twenties (around 2016 I’d say). I sold my first story in 2017.

Does coming from rural Ozark country give you extra influence? Knowing that so much good horror comes from the area.

I would say yes. My surroundings have definitely played a role in my stories. Though I write a lot of weird west fiction set in the west, I feel like the Ozarks is sort of in that weird middleman territory between the Rockies and Appalachians, and as such you get the best of both worlds here. There’s a rich regional history here, and with the amount of settlers who passed through the Ozarks on their way out west, we get a lot of intermingling of frontier culture mixed with some of the southern aspects in terms of our history.

A few of your interviews and bios label you as southern gothic. Is there something specific to southern gothic other than logistics?

For me, it’s all about the atmosphere and how my influences shape the way I write. Flannery O’Connor, Joyce Carol Oates and Cormac McCarthy are some of my biggest influences, and one thing that I think ties together their linking motif of “southern gothic” is the atmosphere of their stories, and the strong sense of place that permeates their fiction. You can see those abandoned Victorian era mansions going to seed with Kudzu. You can feel the hot, humid heat of Georgia summers and smell the earthy miasma of the swamps.

You write all manner of horror genres, from folk horror to scifi horror to weird, is there one that you feel is your “home genre”..

I have dabbled in many genres over the years as I’ve tried to find my own distinct voice. But it seems I keep gravitating back to period settings and stories tied in with historical themes, as research into regional history is something of an obsession of mine. I feel like these days, I’m dipping more and more into historical horror and southern (or in my case, midwestern) gothic, as well as western horror.

Your debut fiction collection “Black Tongue & Other Anomalies” was a nominee for the 2022 Splatterpunk Awards–Best Fiction Collection. Can you explain to us what splatterpunk is? Also, how do friends and family react to you writing splatterpunk? 

I feel like the definition of “splatterpunk” has changed since its inception in the late 80s/early 90s. If you were to break it down by its literal nomenclature, “Splatter”= lots of blood and guts, and “punk” referring to the subversive punk subgenre with anti-authoritarian themes, original splatterpunk fiction were very gory stories told with subversive plots. Edward Lee and Jack Ketchum’s fiction comes to mind. These days though, I see splatterpunk being used synonymously with “extreme horror”, which is horror that breaks all the usual publishing taboos (Let’s just say nothing is off limits).

I don’t know if I agree with this new amalgamating of genres, but that’s where we’re at in today’s ever changing horror zeitgeist. I don’t write in the splatterpunk subgenre as much these days, though I do come back to it every once in a while, but let’s just say there’s a reason I chose to write under a pen name. Luckily, my family is open minded and understanding enough to be able to “Separate the art from the artist”

I can only assume that your outdoor activities such as camping, fishing and kayaking in the Ozarks gives you some inspiration?

Oh, absolutely. I feel like I tend to add in a lot of “survival horror” elements to my stories, I.E. people usually in harsh environments and conditions and using the elements as an inimical force against my protagonists, along with the supernatural elements of the story. I feel I am a pretty seasoned outdoorsman with some entry level bushcraft and survivalist skills, and I’ve been told I do a pretty good job at including realistic survival elements to my stories. I strongly believe my experiences in the outdoors helps informs those aspects of my fiction, and lets me write with an authentic level of immersion one gets when they “write what they know”.

How did you first become interested in writing in the weird western genre? What drew you to this particular blend of genres?

I honestly had no idea “weird western” or western horror was a thing until I came across Joe R Lansdale’s work, particularly his wonderful book “Deadman’s Road”. But, going further back, I was immediately enthralled by the hellish desert settings of McCarthy’s “Blood Meridian” the first time I read it. That book had such an impact on my writing and influenced me heavily when it came time to make my claim in weird west territory. Something about taking that well-trodden path of cowboys, open frontiers, the unknown, and turning all that on it’s head with horror elements very much appealed to me once I started reading more western horror. I would also like to credit “Bone Tomahawk” here as well, as that was the first time I had seen a movie in the western horror genre.

Can you describe the defining characteristics of weird western fiction for those who might be unfamiliar with it?

I suppose I can try. To me, “Weird Western” is a sub-genre that takes the trappings of American western frontier culture- cowboys, native Americans, open desert, the rockies, etc, and imbuing it with elements of the supernatural and the uncanny. Whether that be Lovecraftian cosmic horror, or bloody gunfights and the gut-spilling horror action of splatter-westerns, to occult elements and magic. If I had to summarize it as a pitch to an outsider, I would say “Imagine a Clint Eastwood western directed by Eli Roth or John Carpenter”

How do you approach world-building in your weird western narratives? What are some key considerations when creating an alternate or fantastical version of the American West?

Usually, when it comes to weird western and western horror, I always harken back to the isolation and fear of the unknown that comes with those who forged paths into this territory back in the day. In my stories at least, those elements of being strangers in a foreign, hostile land play a huge role in my world building, where relationships and alliances are usually forged out of a necessity to stay alive. I’d say things to consider when dabbling in this genre is finding a balance between historical accuracy and just how fantastical you want the fantasy elements to be. I personally find a balance of both to be the most effective, but that’s just my preference.

How do you balance historical accuracy with creative license when writing in the weird western genre?

I personally love doing historical research and imbuing elements of historical fiction into my western stories. I feel like the more I learn about how people survived and made their way in the west back in the day informs the fictional elements of my stories and makes them stronger. So, for me, I try to be as historically accurate as possible, as I feel it makes the stories more immersive (one of my favorite novels of all time, “The Terror” by Dan Simmons, is a brilliant example of this). That being said however, I know some authors who get *very* weird with their western stories, the historical accuracy sometimes takes a backseat to the fanatical elements of the story, which is fine to. All I will say is, if you want to include historical elements in your story, make sure you do your due diligence, especially when handling sensitive topics like native American culture and representation.

Is it comforting to write in such an esoteric genre, or do you feel the pressure of the “weird west” aficionados?

I definitely do feel intimidated sometimes when venturing into “weird west” territory only because there are some incredible authors who have very much strengthened what used to be a very niche genre. But, having read and devoured much of that fiction, it has only inspired me more to stake my own claim in that sand blasted soil, and hope that my contributions to the genre can hold a flame to what has already been written.

You are very active on the convention scene. What are conventions like for up and coming authors and do you have advise for them when it comes to conventions? Get a booth? Giveaways? Watch and learn?

Doing convention circuits is a rather recent development in my career, so while I do have some advice, I advise all reading this to take what I have to say with a big spoon of salt. My experiences so far with conventions have been nothing but positive. I tend to stick to smaller regional cons, usually horror themed or pop culture themed, but I have done a few big ones. If you’re aiming to vend/get a booth, then I’d say make sure your branding is clear and concise. If you’re say, primarily a western horror author, make sure your booth radiates that. Your table runner and banners should match the vibe of your books, and draw in potential readers who are skimming over rows of plushie dolls, movie merchandise and the usual vendor-convention fanfare. Be prepared to pitch your books to potential customers the way you would an agent. I have little catch lines ready for anyone who stops to pick up a book just so they have an immediate idea of what they’re getting into. I would say that including things like stickers and bookmarks with your books is a must as well. People love free stuff, and if they’re avid readers, they can never have enough bookmarks! Also, aside from putting your books directly into reader’s hands, I’d also say its equally important to mill around the convention and network with other authors who are also vending. I have met some incredible authors and made some very important connections while vending at cons, and forming those relationships I feel is just as important as expanding your readership.

Are there any particular authors or works within the weird western genre that have inspired or influenced your writing?

Too many to count, honestly, but to keep things short, I’ll try and do a top 5. First, I’d say Cormac McCarthy’s “Blood Meridian”. Though technically not “weird western” or western horror, that absolute leviathan of a book was my first introduction into the western literary landscape, and McCarthy’s verbose prose mixed with his interpretation of the west left me hooked and wanting more. Joe Lansdale comes in a close second I think, as his western entries are among my favorites, and his voice I feel heavily influenced my own when I started writing in the weird western genre.

Ronald Kelly deserves a mention here as well. Though not primarily a western horror author, his ongoing “Dead Eye” saga has one of the most unique takes on the “lone cowboy” trope I have ever read. Andy Davidson’s incredible western take on the vampire book- “In The Valley Of The Sun” deserves an honorable mention here. And last but not least, KC Grifant’s “Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger” novel is a perfect example of a weird western that dives deep into magical mysticism and doesn’t focus as heavily on the historical side of a things, and really helped me show how an author can take some liberal creative licensing when it comes to western settings.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers interested in exploring the weird western genre?

To steal some valuable advice from Mr. King, “Read a lot, write a lot”. The western horror genre has some incredible entries by very talented authors, and I feel if one wanted to dip their pen in the sub-genre, they should study how the masters have done it. Though, the same could be said for pretty much any genre of fiction.

What are you working on next?

Though I have been focusing more on fiction centered around the Ozarks recently, I plan on returning to the weird west later this year with a novel featuring one of my favorite character’s from “Triptych: Three Tales Of Frontier Horror”.  Maylene Baker, who is a badass gunslinger and bounty hunter and the protagonist of “Blood Gulch”, will hopefully be making a triumphant return. I fell in love with her story, and felt there was a lot more that could’ve been said about how her and husband survived that aftermath of the grub plague in “Blood Gulch”.