We chat with author Ryan Douglass about Night of Madness, which sees teen influencers compete in a horror movie–themed overnight competition, only to realise the real test is staying alive in this chilling, blood-soaked horror novel.
Hi, Ryan! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m a writer who writes about all things strange. I’m the author of The Taking of Jake Livingston, The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay, and Night of Madness, and I also write poetry. Outside of writing, I enjoy reading, baking, exercising, watching movies, listening to music, and disappearing into my own little world.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve loved stories my whole life, starting with bedtime stories. As a kid, writing became a way for me to make sense of my emotions and what I wanted to say. As an adult it’s a way for me to turn hard experiences into things that can inspire people.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman. It’s a total classic. I wanted to read it over and over as a kid.
- The one that made you want to become an author: The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan. I remember being completely consumed by the climax of that book and realizing that a book could make you feel like you’d been on an epic journey from the comfort of your own home, or school, or wherever. That’s when I vowed to tell stories that made others feel that way.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Black Utopia by Alex Zamalin. Artists and thinkers come together to imagine futures based on justice, freedom, and joy. I love how it bridges conversations of oppression with hope.
Your latest novel, Night of Madness, is out September 29th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Willy Wonka meets teen slasher.
What can readers expect?
Five young people are offered $100,000 to spend the night in an abandoned asylum while being filmed for an extreme haunted house reality show. Instead, they find themselves trapped in a real-life murder game. So, readers can expect horror, dark humor, and an old-school slasher atmosphere. At its heart, though, the book is about what we commodify for entertainment and how that makes us lose track of our humanity.
Where did the inspiration for Night of Madness come from?
It’s influenced by a lot of current issues like social media, toxic competition, the rat race, how we’ve been desensitized to violence, and growing up in a time where everything is monetized. It bridges those ideas with the reality of extreme haunted houses.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I liked writing Mara because she marches to the beat of her own drum and refuses to become what other people want her to be. Beyond that, I also enjoyed writing the group dynamic between the main cast. They all have distinct personalities, so putting together and seeing how they bounced off each other was a lot of fun. And I have a soft spot for the moments where the book gets campy and over-the-top.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
One challenge was figuring out how to ground a concept like this in real emotion and Mara’s coming of age journey. Mara feels a sense of being trapped in her life which has nothing to do with Jack Stanley and his game, so her internal conflict is drawn out as the challenges take place. So, tying the game to her psychological journey was a challenge that I overcame by trying to align what’s happening on the outside with how she’s growing on the inside, and taking care not to lose track of both circumstances.
What’s next for you?
I’m working on the Night of Madness sequel, which takes Mara and a new character into a college environment. Beyond that, I’m working on two adult projects—a gothic horror and a sci-fi.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
There are so many books I’m excited about. This year I’ve been especially drawn to books that are strange and unsettling while being beautifully written. I like books that take structural risks and are experimental. A few books I’m looking forward to are Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker and The Disappears by Marlon James.
