Interview With Author Jo Kaplan

Take the dynamics of a band, the creepiness of fungus, add in dash of mystery, and you have the premise of Jo Kaplan’s newest horror novel, The Midnight Muse. I got to talk with Jo about tips for writing compelling horror, her fascination with fungus, her own experience in a band, and more.

Author Jo Kaplan

What is the premise of The Midnight Muse?

A year after the lead singer of metal band Queen Carrion vanishes in the Oregon woods, the rest of the band gathers at a cabin to figure out how to move on without her. While there, they notice a strange fungus growing from the cabin walls, and they begin hearing her voice singing out in the trees. Is she haunting the forest, or is something far stranger out there…?

I both love and am already creeped out by the spooky fungus! What made you decide to have this sort of nature be central to your story? What research did you do to write about it?

Neither plant nor animal, fungus is one of the most interesting living things on earth. When I write a novel, I always want to explore something that is fascinating to me, something complex and unusual—and I realized how very bizarre and incredible fungus is. It feeds on the dead to create new life, and it is absolutely essential for the forest. Truly, the forest would not exist without fungi, as there would be nothing to decompose the dead. And we’re not just talking about mushrooms, though of course that’s what most people imagine when they think of fungus. The most interesting part of it is the mycelium network beneath the forest floor, connecting every tree to send information and nutrients. The single largest living organism on earth is a mycelial network. In some ways, it can be likened to a gigantic brain.

I had been toying with the idea of a fungus horror novel for years before The Last of Us exploded a popular interest in the genre, and I always want to do something slightly different. Obviously cordyceps, or the zombie-ant fungus, is incredibly creepy and therefore has been done to death. That’s why I decided to focus on the mycelium and the wild possibilities one can conjure with the idea of a spread-out, forest-sized brain. But I did also research other kinds of creepy fungi, a few of which make a brief appearance in the book. My favorite is the bleeding tooth fungus, which looks pretty much exactly how you would imagine from the name!

I’m also vibing with the cast of characters being part of a band. What influenced your choice of characters and what research went into writing them?

As a musician myself, I thought it would be fun to write about musicians. Band dynamics also make for great tension between characters, with the competing egos, goals, and creative ambitions. Even better that their lead singer—who was also the band’s anchor and main songwriter—goes missing, leaving the rest to figure out what to do without their leader. I thought there was a lot of potential in exploring these tensions, and how very different people come together for a singular creative purpose. These kinds of themes also end up tying into what’s going on with the fungus, but you’ll have to read the book to see what I mean…

As for the creation of the band, Queen Carrion, I drew a bit from my own life, thinking of a band I might like to listen to if they were real. I landed on metal because it’s my favorite genre, and I also threw a cello into the band because I’m a cellist myself. I’d always wanted to be in a band, and after I wrote the first draft of this book, I actually did form a band with a friend: Guerra/paz. It’s very eclectic—guitar, vocals, keys, cello, sometimes percussion, and sometimes trumpet—and not at all metal (we’re more like indie Spanish rock), but it’s been a blast writing music. Some details I added in later revisions sprang from my own experiences recording music and playing shows, which was the best kind of research!

What is the key to writing compelling horror?

I want to start with the caveat that I don’t think there is one key to writing compelling horror, and that there is an exception to every guideline. But the first thing that comes to mind for me is having interesting characters. Horror tends to fall apart if the reader isn’t invested in the characters emotionally and psychologically. That doesn’t mean they need to be likable—I often write very unlikable characters because I find flaws interesting—but there needs to be something authentically human about them that the reader can get invested in, relate to, or find compelling. Without that buy-in, why should we care what’s happening to these people?

Now, as I said, there’s an exception to everything, and I’ve already thought of great horror that defies my point, like Ligotti’s “The Red Tower,” which doesn’t even really have characters, per se. In the absence of interesting characters, compelling horror needs to have something else worth investing yourself in: a truly unique concept, an absorbing sense of atmosphere, or an inescapable feeling of existential dread.

Where can people get The Midnight Muse?

Anywhere books are sold! If you’re in LA, check out the Barnes & Noble in the Glendale Americana—they have a bunch of signed copies from an event I did there recently. Otherwise, check your local indie bookstore or buy on Bookshop.org.

What are the best places to follow you?

You can catch me on Instagram @joannapary, at my website (jo-kaplan.com) or at my Substack (jokaplan.substack.com)!