Q: You’re new to the scene. Below is your first book. How do you think will people receive your debut?
A: Yes, I’m new, but I’ve been writing forever. It’s been a gradual learning process, editing my work for close to two years after the initial draft was written, trimming the fat, and adding elements in the story to improve it (i.e. The characters of Melanie and Jenny in part 2 of the book were added last minute). More than any of the manuscripts I have on my computer, Below required the most attention to detail with editing. It was a mess initially, but I’m happy with how it turned out.
Q: Why a zombie novel? What does Below add to the zombie apocalypse dystopian subgenre?
A: Drugs play a major role in the outbreak and ensuing pandemic. While other zombie novels or movies don’t give a scientific basis for the transformation into zombies, Below offers a working theory. It’s one of Below’s strengths—a true horror element. I started with a zombie novel because I didn’t want to tread completely new ground on my debut. I wanted to give old horror tropes a fresh spin, particularly when it’s set in the slums of Tondo, Manila, Philippines, where I envisioned would be catastrophic for an outbreak of its kind.
Q: What is the most common criticism of Below that you have noticed so far? How do you answer those negative comments?
A: One criticism I noticed was that the novel didn’t seem particularly realistic to the reviewer. I mean, I know that some people want stories to be convincing, but come on. They’re zombies. Zombies aren’t real. And if some events in the story have a more realistic alternative that I didn’t choose, it doesn’t mean that a less realistic scenario cannot happen. That criticism was kind of ticky-tack. Still, I wouldn’t overreact if I saw a reviewer offer harsh commentary. You win some; you lose some.
Q: What will readers love about Below? What is its high point and its most underrated?
A: Few reviewers thus far have mentioned how smooth, and how fluid my writing was on Below. I understand by now that it’s something most readers take for granted. Readers don’t seem to take time to enjoy the lyrical nature of any book, enjoying the way everything falls into place and sentences aren’t sticking out like sore thumbs. Part 1 will find plenty of curious readers because the story is set in the slums of Manila. In Part 2, the story shifts to the United States, where the lead character’s narration climbs up a notch in literary quality because he has been exposed to so many books. Education and a love for reading are topics of interest in Below. I use social issues and concepts like them to give the story more relevance.
Q: Who are your influences? What made you decide to write horror? What’s next after Below?
A: I was a teenager in the closet when I discovered Poppy Z. Brite’s Wormwood. Some of her stories were moving; some dared me to do new things—like sing and play guitar. I remember wanting to move to the United States after reading the book. I saw the characters as my friends. They were so vivid and memorable, that I felt I had gotten to know them. They occupied space in my head for a long time. I was inspired to write stories of my own, stories set in my country with our unique cultural traits and customs.
I will take my time before launching my next project. Right now, I’m trying to find more readers. It isn’t easy. There are plenty of writers and limited opportunities to get discovered. Although Kirkus Reviews gave me an outstanding blurb to work with, calling me “a bold new voice in Filipino horror,” it also leads me to think that I’m all alone on an island.
ALARIC CABILING's OFFICIAL SITE 