Talk about creepy, gory goodness! It never ends in this book. Berry tosses the reader right on the hill with the soldiers and then boxes you in with some disturbing creatures in the dead of night. Take a look at my Q & A with Brian Berry featuring his book Jungle Rot.
Let's dig into your book Jungle Rot.
I’m fairly new to your work but have enjoyed what I’ve read so far. What attracted you to the genre you write in?
I've been a horror fan since I was six years old. That was mostly due to movies. I used to read FANGORIA prolifically as a kid, and since that time, I've become hooked. But to skip over a long period, it was David Irons, a horror author, that really got me into the horror book genre. And it was Tim Curran, another author, that really gave me the push I needed. Where did the idea for Jungle Rot come from?
Since I became an author, I've always wanted to write a Vietnam horror book. I have a huge fascination with that particular conflict, and I figured that setting, combined with a cosmic horror piece, would be perfect. How long did it take you to write this book, and would you say that timing is pretty standard for any of your work?
I wrote this book five separate times. And on the fifth time, I wrote it in two weeks. I generally never set a time I need to write a book by. I just write it. It's in my head and it needs to be on print. So, I write it out and all of it just comes to me pretty easily. I'm grateful for that. Which scene or chapter in the book is your favorite?
When the NVA commander and his troops are moving through the jungle and the sky opens up with the 'meteor-like' objects. I loved writing that entire scene. Which of the characters do you relate to most and why?
Barnes. A lot of my personality is reflected in that character. I'm generally quiet and calm and tend to observe everything around me while keeping my lips pinched. As the reader, I felt a real sense of dread and terror reading this. When you have me wishing the sun would come up already, I’d say that’s some vivid writing. How were you able to pull this off?
Thank you. That's quite the compliment. I appreciate that. Honestly, I can't give you a sufficient answer to that. What I can say, is that I generally read books that are very creepy and spooky. I read a lot of classic horror authors such as Lovecraft, Robert Howard, and Clark Ashton Smith. They have a way of creeping me out in many ways. I suppose I latched on to certain of their qualities and it resonates through my work.
I don’t want to spoil anything, but the ending was very shocking. Can you say if there will be more terror in the jungle or does the story end here?
Jungle Rot will not continue. But! I do have another Vietnam horror tale in the making at the moment. It will be a VERY creepy read, I assure you. I'm confident that it will at least. It involves superstitions to the area. I think you'll dig it. For fun, if you were a character in this book, would you see yourself surviving?
Probably not. The horrors they faced were beyond mind shattering, and my mind isn't the best when facing such nebulosity's from the stars. Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with readers?
I'm working on SO much. But the newest book I'm working on is a new slasher in my Slasherback Series.