Blame The Monster

I’m a science-fiction and fantasy author. And a halfway decent one, people tell me. I'm always going to be my greatest critic, but I have come to accept that I might actually be good at this.

But one part of my craft that I am unequivocally not good at is using a story as a metaphor.

Oh sure, there are metaphors in my stories. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. And sometimes, after I'm already in the middle of a story, I realize it could, and perhaps should, be read as an allegory to something else entirely. But it is almost never my intention from the beginning.

Blame The Monster is different.

I grew up watching The Twilight Zone. And when I was little, they were just fun and weird stories. As I got older, I noticed that they could be viewed as commentary on racism and mental illness and beauty standards. As I got even older, I realized that was not an accident. The writers purposely crafted a story about one thing that is actually about another thing.

And I did that.

Like, on purpose and everything.

Blame The Monster is a story about a monster terrorizing a small town, attacking the girls who go down to the lake to do wicked things with their significant others. It's also about sexual assault and victim blaming.

What were you wearing, why were you there at night, why weren't you being more careful.

The monster attacked them because it's a monster. Not for any other reason.

Blame The Monster is available in digital along with a dozen other stories published by All Worlds Wayfarer.