In today’s post I meet Jason Brocket, an author whose vampire novel, Dark Reflections, is due for release December 2021.
Jason, welcome to Taliesin Meets the Vampires, can you tell us a little about yourself?
Hi Andy, I’m a designer and musician from New Zealand with an eclectic range of interests. I’ve been interested in dark things for most of my life. That, and some of my less desirable experiences have shaped my creative works.
Dark Reflections is your forthcoming novel, can you tell us a little about it?
It’s a story about an individual who has been trapped for a long time and the experience has twisted his mind. It’s written in the first person and deals a lot with the musings of this individual about life, death, religion and identity. Sadly, I can’t say too much more without giving away fairly significant details. Let’s just say that his story becomes more interesting over time and he is confronted with some challenging decisions.
Is it your first novel? (If not tell us a little about previous novels)
It is my first published novel. I wrote another book (unpublished) a few years ago, but I view that now as more of a practice run which allowed me to develop my writing style.
What can you tell us about your writing process and how you approach plot and character?
This was an unusual book in that both plot and character came second to the words themselves. This is primarily a work of literary fiction and I was more concerned with the philosophy and poetry of the work than anything else. With that in mind I wanted a concise but interesting plot which allowed the protagonist to express his reflections. The book is all about Cornelius, the main character. The way I addressed other characters in this work is aligned with Cornelius’ perspective. Because it is written in the first person all of the other characters are viewed through his lens and become somewhat abridged versions of themselves. His troubled mind may warp the way in which the characters are presented. His personality is the only one that we get a lot of accurate insight into.
Dark Reflections is a vampire story, what drew you to the genre?
I’ve always been interested in vampires. I became inspired to write a book when I came up with an idea that is a real twist on vampire mythology. It’s such an explored genre that I wouldn’t really want to write in it without being able to add something original.
I’ve read elsewhere that this was your answer to, should we say, the more paranormal romance type of vampire. Can you expand on that?
You probably haven’t noticed, but there are a few popular books which have been written in the last decade, which feature sparkly, heartthrob vampires. While these obviously appeal to a certain demographic they are not exactly my cup of tea. I don’t see vampires as the objects of fancy for teenage girls. I would rather explore the dark side of these mythological creatures. That’s exactly what I’m doing in Dark Reflections. Asking the question “what would it really look like if you were a soulless former human, stripped of all conscience, and forced to live well past your time?” I want to explore not just the monstrous but also the human aspect of the genre.
Does your vampire represent the outsider?
I haven’t really thought about it in those terms. Ultimately, I suppose he is the perfect outsider in many ways. One of the aspects that I have delved into is the difference in mind-set between people today and people who lived over 200 years ago. Perhaps someone that old could transition to fit into the modern world. But imagine for a moment if you were not able to undertake that transitional period and you moved, more or less, directly from one environment to the other. This is the core ingredient for the comedic elements of the story.
Is there anything you can tell us, without spoiling the novel, about your vampire’s character and the lore you have used?
I have tried to make my protagonist as human as possible. This is not a story about the super-powerful, awe inspiring kindred. This is a story about a subculture hidden away for their own survival, diminished in number by (insert spoiler here!), and trying hard to adapt their lifestyle to the modern world. I would describe Cornelius, the protagonist, as a twisted and tortured soul. You get to journey with him into his conflicted, sometimes ambiguous and contradictory state of madness. In regards to lore; that forms the centrepiece of the story. I have made my own adaptations on vampire mythology which are the very driving force of this tale.
Do you read a lot of vampire fiction yourself? What is your favourite vampire story/novel and why?
To be honest, I don’t. My peculiar trait is that I am a creator. I like to be constantly making things and don’t provide myself with much time to read other people’s works. I’m always busy making something and rarely take the time to read. However, I do like the classics, and especially those works from the eighties and nineties. Interview with the Vampire is probably my favourite story in the genre. I think it captures the “Romantic” notion of the vampire really well and is generally just a good story.
I’d like to ask the same question almost, but around films – do you have a favourite vampire movie and what is it about your choice you enjoy?
It’s difficult to pinpoint just one film. I would probably break it down into subcategories: my favourite classic style vamp film would be Interview with the Vampire; favourite scary vamp film would be 30 Days of Night; favourite coming-of-age movie with personal significance would be The Lost Boys; my favourite unusual vampire film would be The Wisdom of Crocodiles.
Have you planned further outings into the Dark Reflections universe or is it planned to be a stand alone?
I think this story is a standalone. It’s a fairly pithy novel as is; I didn’t want to pad it out with anything unnecessary. I told the story that I wanted to tell and included the metaphysical messages that I wanted to impart. Unless I get some crazy new idea which adds something I don’t see it going any further.
You are a musician and artist also – are there plans to weave the world of Dark Reflections into your music or art?
Probably not directly. A lot of my music certainly does have a darker orientation and that will not change. But I haven’t yet written any songs directly influenced by the ideas of the novel. I don’t have any artwork planned around it either. In saying that I am planning to write some Darkwave in the near future, and who knows maybe I will find inspiration to write a song inspired by Dark Reflections.
My thanks to Jason for his time, Dark Reflections is due for release 10th December 2021.The author's website is here and a trailer for the book is below
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