FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions of S. E. Lindberg

What is the Dyscrasia Fiction® story & publication order? And where do I start?

Newcomers should start with Helen's journey in Helen's Diamones. Listed in story chronology (publication year) /"rating as if a movie":

What is "dyscrasia"? 

SEL: Literally, dyscrasia means “a bad mixture of liquids.”  Historically, dyscrasia referred to any imbalance of the four medicinal humors professed by the ancient Greeks to sustain life (phlegm, blood, black and yellow bile).  Artisans, anatomists, and chemists of the Renaissance expressed shared interest in the humors; accordingly, the scope of humorism evolved to include aspects of the four alchemical elements (water, air, earth and fire) and psychological temperaments (phlegmatic, sanguine, melancholic and choleric).  In short, the humors are mystical media of color, energy, and emotion; Dyscrasia Fiction presents them as spiritual muses for artisans, sources of magical power, and contagions of a deadly disease; the books explore the choices humans and their gods make as a disease corrupts their souls, shared blood and creative energies.   

Sounds deep.  The target audience is not Young Adults then?  

SEL: Correct.  Lords of Dyscrasia is not for the young adult crowd.  If the rating procedure for video games were applied, the book would probably be rated M for Mature; film rating equivalent would be R for Restricted. The sequels, Helen's Daimones and Spawn of Dyscrasia, are suitable for a more general audience (i.e. PG-13 equivalent for "fantasy violence."). 

Are you as dark in person as your characters are presented? 

SEL: Cripes, no.  I enjoy depictions of scary things, but in real life I steer away from them.  In truth, I feint in the presence of blood and have difficulty being violent—even to bugs, since the potential crunch of an exoskeleton really freaks me out.  I dump all my fears into my art.  If the horrors appear vivid, it is because my nightmares are too. 

Seriously, authors and artists of fantasy are often attuned to the differences between reality and the worlds they create—in fact, speculating about the boundaries between is a common motivation.  But speculations are not desires.  Nor does art directly represent the artist—usually, art reflects the emotions the artist wants you to experience.  When I am reading, I want to experience the unknown, to explore the realms of the dead, and to be terrified.  When I put books down, I like to enjoy some dark chocolate and strong coffee (extra cream) as I stroll in my yard (avoiding bugs). 

Why write?  
SEL: I desired a blend of horror and fantasy that I just could not find, so I decide to write what I wanted to read.  I was inspired by the pulp masters of the ~1930’s, but historically pulp short fiction has not translated well in novel length form.  The high density adventure of Robert Ervin Howard, the poetic macabre of Clark Ashton Smith, and the weirdness of Howard Phillips Lovecraft worked best in small doses.  I aimed to blend those styles into a series of connected chapters—each, in original form, being an independent but connected short.  But a unifying story arc evolved, so ultimately Lords of Dyscrasia works as a single novel rather than an open-ended yarn.

Why illustrate, and what is your method?  

SEL: Sometimes words are limiting; sometimes drawings are too.  A blend is nice for weird subject matter, since a goal is to describe characters or atmospheres in limited detail.  Especially with weird fiction, artists must be careful not to reveal too much of the supernatural horrors since there exists an expectation that these subjects either (a) cannot be described fully since they are so bizarre and have never been described before, or (b) they can be defined well, but readers want to contribute and fill in details with their own imagination.  Hence abstract drawing styles and poetic word choices work well for this genre, as they provide the expected blend of clarity and ambiguity. 

Logistically, illustrations provide an easy way for readers to browse for exciting sneak-peaks.  To maintain this in eBook design, it was important to include a navigational table-of-contents to ensure that readers could still flip from picture to picture get a glimpse of action-to-come.

I often draw several elements of a composition on paper and draw a schematic to help me orient the images later.  I draw with any pencil or pen I can find; then I scan the drawings into a computer and enhance the images with Photoshop.  I have to work to blend the separate elements into a single illustration.  I work only in grayscale; if the images are colorized, like the book cover, all the hues have been created digitally.

Are sequels planned?  

SEL: Yes. an extended series of Dyscrasia Fiction™ is planned.  Lords of Dyscrasia released in 2011; Spawn of Dyscrasia released in 2014 -with a commissioned cover by Master fantasy artist Ken Kelly.  Audiobooks of both books were published in 2015. Helen's Daimones released in 2017. Orphan Maker and Helen's Storm (working titles) are in progress, and short stories are filling in the gaps!

How many Seth Lindberg's write horror? 

SEL: Well, at least two.  There is a disambiguation in order since there is another Seth Lindberg (middle initial "M") who is one year older than myself who has edited and published horror fiction (notably contributing to the anthologies Denying Death and Orpheus Haunting the Dead).  To differentiate myself, my novel is publicized under "S.E. Lindberg."  SML's website is http://sethlindberg.com/