Horror Haiku Q&A with Ryan Mecum discussion

What horror haiku book would you enjoy reading next?

I've got a Vampire Haiku book coming out this summer that I think turned out really well. I'd like to write more. I'm leaning toward pitching a possible Werewolf Haiku, but I also have a story I enjoy for a Sasquatch Haiku. This could also take place in the Himalayas and could be a Yeti Haiku book. I also have a soft spot for the chupacabra, but I think Chupacabra Haiku might be a tough sell. Any thoughts?

Three words: Giant Squid Haiku.

You're welcome. ;)

Fu Manchu Haiku. It could be clever and devious, start wars and other horrors, and be erudite in doing so.

Greetings...

I'd love to see a poltergeist haiku book. The subject matter lends itself to a wide range of possibilities, from the simple but scary bump-in-the-night variety (e.g., The Haunting) to the more obvious oh-my-god-something's-making-him-rip-his-face-off trope (e.g., Poltergeist). It can run the gamut from Poe to Final Destination. And it can be hilarious. (See: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.)

Hope all's well, and I look forward to reading your new one when it comes out. (Maybe then I'll finally be able to get people to put down Zombie Haiku when they find it at my house!)

-Sarah

Werewolf Haiku would be pretty interesting, I would definitely read that.

To go along the lines of Lindsey's "Giant Squid" comment...
I'd have to say Cthulhu Haiku(lhu).

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh
Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl
fhtagn... Ia Cthulhu!

(yeah right, pronounce that to fit within the Morae.)


Also, what about Death/Grim Reaper?
-G

Maybe you could put together the haikus into a monster haiku anthology, for creatures like Yeti or Chupacabra which may not fill one book on their own.
Further suggestions: Halloween Haiku, Ghost Haiku, Cannibal Haiku, Voodoo Haiku.

Lindsey - The visual of a giant squid writing haiku seems like a tough sell. I love it.

Virginia - The phrase "Fu Manchu Haiku" makes me laugh out loud. Thank you.

Sarah - Poltergeist is one of my favorite horror films. The idea of a ghost writing haiku while messing with people in a house really sounds fun to write. However, Poltergeist Haiku is a title that doesn't quite roll off my tongue. Love the idea though, like a creepy dead girl diary.

Greg - Your syllable count is totally off in your Cthulhu Haiku. "Mglw'nafh" has four syllables, and I'm thinking you're counting it as three. That's a common mistake. I wrote a whole book of Vampire Haiku before my editor pointed out to me that the word "vampire" is not a three syllable word, but two. That being said, I love that you seconded the giant underwater tentacled sea monster haiku book idea. Maybe there's something there.

Elke - Perhaps your Ghost Haiku idea could mix well with the above poltergeist idea. I have leaning heavily on werewolves, but maybe an actual ghost writer would be fun.

Thanks for the suggestions guys! Any more thoughts, please keep throwing them my way. This is fun for me.

Ryan

Well, waterproof paper is a must, of course, but at least the squid could provide its own ink. I think its longstanding and bitter enmity with the sperm whale would be an epic best told in 5-7-5.

i would have to SECOND the cannibal haiku...
long pork tastes so good
its hard to believe that we
could be this tasty

bam!

That zombie book had hundreds of haiku about a person eating a person. What little is left inside me would surely die if I attempted to write more haiku on this subject... which could make for a good book, so I'll think about it.

True true, but that was dead people eating live people, hence no remorse, and no real enjoyment either... imagine the moral crises of picking part of your mother-in-law out of your teeth... hmmm or maybe not

How about haunted haiku? Sitting on gravestones, rattling around old houses... leaving messages for the living... like REDRUM

Love it! Haunted Haiku, the haiku journal of a deceased child trying to get people out of her house. This idea would have lots to play with. Haunted Haiku is now tied with Werewolf Haiku for me.

Ryan wrote: "What horror haiku book would you enjoy reading next?

I've got a Vampire Haiku book coming out this summer that I think turned out really well. I'd like to write more. I'm leaning toward pitchin..."

I think these are all good ideas including the ideas that others have thrown out in this discussion. I like the Sasquatch Haiku idea myself. I'm not sure any of them qualify as an "easy" sell including Zombie Haiku and you made that one work, right?

Hey Ryan,

What I'd love to see in horror haiku are Cthulhu-esque haiku, haunted haiku (ghosts, poltergeist, etc), or even just weird random cultist creepy stuff.

Those are my votes,
/jaymi

All votes noted. Thanks, Jaymi.

Jodi, thanks for the vote of confidence. Definitely a lot of people attempt to be polite when they ask me who my target audience is for a book of zombie haiku, as if to say "Who in the hell would want a book of zombie haiku?"

I LOVED Zombie Haiku.... thought it was the best zombie book I'd seen all October. Only thing I didn't like was that I had finished the book by the time we got home from the bookstore. Quick Read! :)

But yes, I loved it and think it's a great way to get non-haiku lovers into haiku or other poemtry forms.

/jaymi

im LOVING Cannibal Haiku
Cannibals need to be added to my book collection NOW
:)

Zombie Haiku was awesome <3 (I love zombieeees)
Werewolf Haiku would be pretty sweet.
I'm anti-vampire right now, so ehh.

Tania,
I was very anti-vampire before going into writing a vampire book. Twilight fatigue. Re-watching Near Dark won me over that vampires can still be amazing. If you ever used to like vampires, I think you'll like Vampire Haiku, too. I'm not trying to sell you my book, I just don't want you to write off all vampire stories due to the flood of so so teen themed vampire boredom.

Ryan



Disclaimer - I've never read the Twilight books, but deep down I think I'd enjoy them.

Dear Ryan,
I must confess, I did read the Twilight books (and loved them). But it got out of hand with the movie. So yeah, I've been a little anti-vampire. But I'll deff check out Near Dark (Netflix!)

Tania

me and Twilight have this love-hate relationship
i know i SHOULDNT love it, but i do

i was kind of hesitant about the Vampire Haiku books because usually vampires are pretty cheesy but i think that this will be pretty awesome.

i try to make the cheesiest thing about my books the title.

id hope so
zombie haiku was really good
me and my friends are always quoting it
and i think that the illustrations(if you could even call them that)make it pretty awesome too