NZ Horror Books - Author Interviews: Jacqui Greaves & S.M. Drought
- Denver Grenell
- Oct 2
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 4
We are kicking off NZ Horror Books Month with profiles of two Kiwi horror authors, with more to follow throughout October. Read on...
Jacqui Greaves
Who are you? Jacqui Greaves. I write mostly weird and science fiction, but now and
then, I squirt out a horror story.
Your signature style: I don’t do gore, psychological or body horror. I’m going to say
that I write social retribution horror, often with dark comedic notes and usually from a feminist perspective. What this means is that a character, or group of characters, fucks around and finds out. Usually, this means that the racists, misogynists, homophobes, and out-of-control capitalists (etc.) end up dead because of their selfish and harmful actions and decisions.
Toot your own horn: My greatest achievement to date was securing a US-based
agent to represent me on the strength of my five-novella series, the Ghost Assassins of Bijou (science fiction but with some horror elements). I’ve also self-published Letters From Elsewhere, a collection of speculative short stories.
Give your opinion on Kiwi horror right now: We’re isolated, our islands shake, our volcanoes rumble, and our forests are dense. We’re a nation built on colonial violence that worships warriors. The horror books, stories and poems from Aotearoa that I love are the ones that draw on the violence of our beautiful, brooding and at times dangerous country and tell us more than a story.
Words written: I’m working on a novel-in-flash, so a collection of flash fiction and
poetry that weave together to create an overarching narrative. It’s SciFi/CliFi but includes some aspects of horror. I mean, a cabal of billionaires destroying the planet and enslaving a generation of young women is horrific!
Future stuff: I’m heading to Brighton in the UK for the World Fantasy Convention at the end of the month, which, despite the name, also includes horror! The draft programme looks full of fun, and I’ve been invited to be on two great panels (which I can’t tell you about because I’m sworn to secrecy! You’ll have to subscribe to my newsletter to find out more!).
Where people can find you:
My Website – it’s also where I blog and while you’re there you can sign up for my monthly newsletter.
Favourite NZ horror book(s): I’m biased because I have a story in it, but I think
everyone should read Remains to be Told: Dark Tales of Aotearoa, edited by the fabulous Lee Murray.
Favourite Kiwi horror movies(s): Was Black Sheep horror? I think it was horror. I
was farming at the time, and it was the last movie I went out to see with my husband before he died. So, as silly as it was, it has meaning for me.
S.M. Drought
Who are you? I'm Shane - otherwise known as S. M. Drought. I'm an avid horror consumer and have recently started to write horror fiction myself.
Your signature style: My style of horror is aimed at the pre-teen demographic, so it's laced with a touch of humour and peer relationships. I loved pre-teen horror growing up, so I try to emulate the classic 90's horror stories that I grew up reading - however I'm very much aware that today's youth are a bit more desensitised, so I've cranked the intensity up a few notches in my work to keep today's readers on the edge of their seat.
Toot your own horn: Just managing to write and publish a book, while working full-time and raising two kids - that's easily my biggest accomplishment so far.
Give your opinion on Kiwi horror right now: I've found that Kiwi horror sadly seems to fly under the radar on the global scale and is immensely underrated. Our brand of horror often incorporates a dash of Kiwi humour in it (think Peter Jackson's original trilogy, Black Sheep, Come to Daddy, What We Do In The Shadows etc), which gives it a unique flavour that's not often found in horror.
Words written: My debut novel Howl House' (Tales You Can't Unread #1) is currently available on Amazon here.
Future stuff: I'm currently working hard on completing the second book in my Tales You Can't Unread series to be released on Halloween.
Where people can find you: I am currently on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok under S. M. Drought, so feel free to hit me up online.
Favourite Kiwi horror movies(s): You can't go past Peter Jackson's Bad Taste. I don't think a week goes by where I don't quote that film... "Oooh, I got a chunky bit"
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