We chat with author Susan J. Morris about Strange Beasts, which is a fresh-yet-familiar gothic tale―part historical fantasy, part puzzle-box mystery―where the worlds of Dracula and Sherlock Holmes collide in a thrilling exploration of feminine power.
Hi, Susan! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hey! Thanks so much for having me! I’m the author of Strange Beasts, a gothic historical fantasy wrapped around a queer puzzle-box mystery set in the worlds of Dracula and Sherlock Holmes. I was lucky, in that my first job out of college was that of a developmental editor for Wizards of the Coast’s Forgotten Realms novels. Talk about a dream job! It was so entirely surreal, getting to work with authors I’d grown up reading, and it taught me an enormous amount about writing. I put that knowledge to use teaching workshops for Clarion West, moderating panels for writing conventions, and, for two years, penning a popular column on writing for Amazon’s blog.
These days, I live in the rainy Pacific Northwest, where the weather is nearly always perfect for curling up with a cup of coffee and a good book, alongside my partner, two cats, and entirely too many plants. When I’m not reading or writing, I’m still an avid gamer, though more of the video game variety than tabletop these days (talk to me about Hades, Elden Ring, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Oxenfree).
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
Oh, nearly always! I used to spin stories to entertain my sister and cousin on long car rides, long before I even knew how to spell. At some point in elementary school, I wrote a play that I made my whole extended family act out! There are still recordings of it somewhere, I’m told. It has characters I’d named after the ingredients in chocolate milk—iconic, I know. They keep threatening to watch it again, as a family. It turns out, they all remember it fondly, instead of with the customary crushing embarrassment. Or perhaps that’s only for the writer.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Seahorse, by Robert A. Morris, which I would read out loud to an audience of my stuffed animals… over and over again. (My poor parents!)
- The one that made you want to become an author: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by CS Lewis. Which was also one of the first fantasy books I read entirely by myself.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Circe, by Madeline Miller–I’ve read it, let’s just say an embarrassment of times.
Your latest novel, Strange Beasts, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Gothic supernatural mystery thrilling romp
What can readers expect?
Strange Beasts has been described as a bloody gothic mystery, a supernatural romp, an atmospheric historical, and a thrilling adventure, all of which are entirely correct. It’s the story of Samantha Harker, daughter of Dracula’s killer, and Helena Moriarty, daughter of Sherlock Holmes’s notorious adversary, banding together to solve a series of grisly murders in Belle Epoque Paris, taking them from the glittering opera houses to the darkest catacombs. It has gothic vibes, witty banter, a grumpy-sunshine slow-burn sapphic romance, alchemy, monster hunting, and secret societies, and it draws on a wealth folklore, classic literature, and history, including, of course, Sherlock Holmes and Dracula.
If you loved Penny Dreadful or Supernatural—or were even just really into the supernatural murder investigation scenes in The Witcher—this is for you.
Where did the inspiration for Strange Beasts come from?
Oh, a dozen places at least! But at its root, Strange Beasts started with a fairytale. Bluebeard, to be exact. There are countless versions of the fairytale, and it’s been used in a variety of ways—a delve into a violent man’s psychosis, a metaphor for domestic violence, even as a warning against men’s supposed animal appetites and the dangers of premarital sex… But when I read it this time, I found myself drawn in not by what the story says about men’s violence, but about women’s strengths. How even her curiosity, positioned in the story as her fatal flaw—as if not knowing Bluebeard is a monster makes him any less of one—ends up being the very thing that allows her to save herself.
After all, the brothers didn’t uncover Bluebeard’s monstrosity and come to rescue her. His evil was invisible to them. She opened that door. What’s more, they were only able to rescue her because of the close relationships she’d nurtured with them, because she was clever enough to reach them without getting caught, and because her uncanny insight allowed her manipulate him, buying time for them to arrive.
Charm, insight, and cleverness. These are feminine strengths, a concept that is all too often considered an oxymoron, but one in which I take a fierce pride and even joy in. And I found myself compelled by this secret, second story, hidden beneath the first—not about what a woman can’t do, but about how she does it anyway, despite all the rules and regulations trying to stop her.
This resulted in a short story marrying the legend of H.H. Holmes, America’s first serial killer and the “Bluebeard of Chicago,” with the fairytale of Bluebeard. Sam and Hel leapt onto the page, and I just couldn’t let them go. I thought, “what if I wrote a novel about these Edwardian women fighting monsters and men? In the catacombs of Paris, perhaps?” Obviously, Strange Beasts is what.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Honestly, this book was a delight to write. Of course I love writing Sam and Hel together—that’s the whole reason Strange Beasts exists. But I’d say my most unexpectedly favorite character is Mme. Frossard. She’s terrifyingly fun to write—sharp, witty, a little cruel, and utterly pretentious until you see the cracks underneath, with an exasperated yet heroic streak. She was a character who wasn’t even in the book, originally, created only to answer one question for Sam, but I loved her so much I had to bring her back for more.
What a stunning cover! Did you have a particular vision in mind? What did you think when you saw the final artwork?
I was honestly in awe when I saw the final artwork! It was perfect. And to think it was hand-illustrated!
I’ve always loved the covers of Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz and The Ghost Sequences by A.C. Wise. Covers where you look at them from far away, and they’re one thing, but up close, they’re something entirely different. It has the same feel as what I’m trying to do with my writing. So when I found out we were fortunate enough to get Zach Meyer, who illustrated Dana Schwartz’s novels, for Strange Beasts, I was beside myself.
Zach Meyer did an exceptional job balancing the many-genred beast of my book—the gothic influence, but also the opulence, the nods to the mystery and the fantastical, and just the slyest hint of the sapphic in that glance from Hel back at Sam. Did you know he read the book, and came up with EIGHT detailed sketches we could choose from based on his interpretation? Honestly a master of his craft.
What’s next for you?
I have a lot more in store for Sam and Hel, and I can’t wait to share news of their next adventures the moment I’m able to.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
So many books! But in particular, I loved A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft, which is this dark academia meets tangled murder mystery set in a world suffused with German Folklore.
I also adored Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell, which is—can I call it a cozy horroromantasy? Regardless, it’s an absolute delight, with the biggest heart (likely torn straight out of someone’s chest, but don’t worry, whoever it was probably deserved it).
And one that’s older, but new to me: Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk, which is a stylish, supernatural noir in which a private detective and augur agrees to hunt a serial killer during her last days on earth for the promised prize of her soul.
I’m very much looking forward to: Don’t Let the Forest In by CG Drews (have you seen that cover??), Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soul by VE Schwab (obviously), Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto (the premise is arresting), Swordcrossed by Freya Marske (The Last Binding trilogy put Freya Marske on my must-read list!), and Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett (this series has me feral).
