The Horror Tree Presents: Author Interview – Kristopher Triana

By Lionel Ray Green

 

Since the advent of the Splatterpunk Awards in 2018, Kristopher Triana has been one of the most celebrated authors of the extreme horror subgenre.

With eight nominations since 2019, Triana has won two Splatterpunk Awards for his novels Full Brutal and The Night Stockers, which he co-wrote with four-time Splatterpunk Award-winning author Ryan Harding.

In February, Bad Dream Books released Triana’s novel, The Old Lady. The story is about Tracey, the daughter of a traumatized Vietnam War veteran, who returns to the remote cabin of her youth only to face a new danger that launches her into survivalist mode when a stranger needs help rescuing her friends from a compound run by extremists.

Triana is perhaps best known for his Splatterpunk Award-nominated novels Gone to See the River Man and its sequel Along the River of Flesh. Gone to See the River Man has garnered almost 16,000 ratings on Goodreads and earned the Best of #BookTok banner on Amazon.

Triana agreed to an exclusive email interview with Lionel Ray Green for The Horror Tree about the Splatterpunk Awards, the success of his Gone to See the River Man series, and why The Old Lady Tracey is one of his favorite protagonists.

LIONEL: How important is the Splatterpunk Awards recognition for you personally and for you professionally?

KRISTOPHER: It’s always a wonderful experience to have your work recognized by peers and celebrated by fans. The Splatterpunk Awards are a big deal to all cult horror authors, and it has been my honor to receive them.

LIONEL: The two books in your Gone to See the River Man series have more than 21,000 ratings on Amazon and Goodreads. What about these books do you think resonate with readers?

KRISTOPHER: People seem to enjoy the atmosphere of the series and the strange realm I created for the titular character. It’s an extreme book, but also poetic, a combination that surprised and wowed readers, which makes me very happy. Its continued popularity is something I’m very proud of. 

LIONEL: Your current release, The Old Lady, is a survival horror novel that incorporates some of the survival skills you’ve learned over the years. Can you share with us a couple of your favorite survival tips?

KRISTOPHER: Always trust your compass (a real one, not the one on your phone), carry a water purifying canister, and have emergency supplies (especially a first aid kit and emergency blanket) in your pack. If you’re going to spend any significant time in the woods, the key to survival is preparation. Before you go, learn how to build shelter and forage food. Know how to build a fire with a simple flint strike. And always carry a pocketknife and a bandana. You’ll end up using both far more than you would expect. 

LIONEL: You wrote that Tracey, the main character in The Old Lady, is one of your favorite protagonists to date. Why?

KRISTOPHER: Because she’s a monstrous antihero. Tracey is the character who commits the most brutal violence throughout the book, and yet she is also the one you root for, even as she sets people on fire and hacks their limbs off. Also, one reviewer called her “the ultimate in female rage,” which I think nails it.

LIONEL: I’m intrigued by the popularity of the Splatter Western, especially since 2020. You’ve written two yourself, The Thirteenth Koyote and Ballad of the Werevixens. Why do you think so many authors are writing Splatter Westerns?

KRISTOPHER: I was working on The Thirteenth Koyote before the Splatter Western craze began. I have always loved westerns as well as horror stories and wanted to do my own take on the blending of those genres. Right now, it has become a popular subgenre in Splatterpunk, but weird westerns go way back. Joe R. Lansdale, Stephen King, Jack Ketchum — they’ve all given us horror westerns. And some of the most horrific books you’ll ever read are Cormac McCarthy’s westerns. I wanted to do a story about werewolves in the wild west. The Koyote saga grew from there. 

LIONEL: Can you give us a scoop on what’s in store for Triana fans for the rest of 2024?

KRISTOPHER: The Old Lady is now available in ebook and paperback, but an audiobook is in production and should be out next month. And I have two different collaborations coming this year, one with Wrath James White and another with Mona Kabbanni. And readers can come out to see me at Scares That Care AuthorCon, both in Virginia and Missouri; KillerCon; and the Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival this year, among other events. Follow my Substack newsletter to stay updated.

LINKS:

Kristopher Triana – Author

The Old Lady – Kindle edition by Triana, Kristopher. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.