“The Arm Ouroboros” opens with pure, delicious body horror of the sort that both repulses and delights. What inspired this particular glimpse into the nightmare shadows?
Sometimes I must report . . . nothing. This story just came out of me one day. I can report no brilliant thought process, and suggest that maybe if there had been one, I might have come up with a somewhat better story.
What begins as straight body horror takes a quick turn into psychological horror with the fear of going to the hospital, the dread of further transformation of flesh to something else, and the loss of bodily autonomy. The end brings both elements to a head in a grim realization. Was it hard to end the story at that point, rather than exploring what comes next with the left arm?
I have a mind-canon theory that this is an apocalyptic event and that this ultimately eats the world or comes damn close; but just as that starts happening, the story leaves the realm of the intimate and personal, and so becomes less interesting to me.
Despite its visceral appeal, often horror is a very intimate and personal experience. Are there any events or possibilities that you consider particularly horrific? Is there anything that stirs your own shadows and makes you shiver?
Lots and lots and lots, and this is where stories come from.
Tell us about your cats, Harley and Marlowe.
Harley Quinn, now entering the last third of her expected lifespan, began life as a kitten orphaned at age one day, who my late wife and I bottle-fed until her reluctant weaning. She was raised in equal parts by human beings and by our existing cat, Uma, who kept her supplied with body heat. The result in Harley’s case is a cat who absolutely adores all human beings, including any strangers who may briefly show up in our home. Philip Marlowe is not yet a year old, but is an adventurous and affectionate lad who loves his older sister and has yet to give a full meow; he prefers chirps, little musical notes that establish his reaction to everything. The two of them manage quite a bit of activity in their eight hundred square feet.
Xander Odell lives in Washington state with their husband, sons, and an Albanian miniature moose disguised as a dog. Their work has appeared in such venues as Jim Baen’s Universe, Daily Science Fiction, Crossed Genres, Pseudopod, and Cast of Wonders. They are a Clarion West 2010 graduate, and an active member of the SFWA. Find out more at writerodell.com or follow them on Twitter at @WriterOdell.