Cassandra Khaw is a rising star to keep an eye on in the speculative fiction scene. They’ve had short fiction published in places like The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Lightspeed, and Tor.com, and their first original novella, Hammers on Bone, was a British Fantasy Award and Locus Award finalist. Earlier this month, Khaw published their debut science-fiction novel The All-Consuming World, which I just started reading. But perhaps their most anticipated release is the upcoming horror novella, Nothing But Blackened Teeth, which comes out from Tor’s new horror imprint Nightfire on October 19. Described as “a gorgeously creepy haunted house tale, steeped in Japanese folklore,” Nothing But Blackened Teeth is sure to rock the horror world this fall. Ahead of reading the novella for myself, I got the chance to ask Cassandra all about their take on the haunted house genre, their thoughts on the purpose of horror, and more! Check out our interview below:
Women are so often at the heart of haunted houses. Why do you think female ghosts hold such sway in this genre?
As with most things related to female ghosts, I think it has a lot to do with outdated ideas of what a woman should be and where her place is. Even today, some people still think that a woman’s duty is to her family first, to the upkeep of her household and the care of her husband’s needs. I think some of the stories, the ones told by women, are wish fulfillment: their secret hopes for revenge. And I think some of the stories come from the fears of men because there’s definitely a certain breed of dudes who are terrified and infuriated by the thought of women who will not be quiet any longer.
What are some of your favorite haunted house stories in literature?
This might be a controversial choice but the whole Ju-on series. I grew up in Malaysia and our ghosts there have teeth; they’re rarely desiccated specters, lurking around, hoping someone will solve their murders. The Ju-on franchise reminds me of that.
Do you believe in ghosts and real-life hauntings?
I believe in ghosts and real-life hauntings the way most Malaysians do: I see no cause to discount their existence, and no reason to prove or disapprove the topic. If they exist, they exist. It is their business on a separate plane.
Nothing But Blackened Teeth is only 128 pages. Do you think the novella format lends itself particularly well to horror?
It depends on the kind of horror you’re telling, I think. Daryl Gregory’s We Are All Fine Here is a masterful example of how novellas allow you to get in, leave a single lasting impression, and then get out.
Reading horror can help us confront some of our most deep-seated fears and anxieties. Do you find writing horror to be similarly cathartic?
Absolutely. I have night terrors. If I go too long without writing horror, they become especially vivid; I wake up screaming from them sometimes. But I can exorcise them through the act of writing, which I guess isn’t quite the same as what you were asking, but I’m assuming my situation still has something to do with deep-seated fears and anxieties!
Can you name a recent horror novel or short story that has genuinely scared you?
The Twisted Ones. It is the only book in recent memory that made me panic and toss my Kindle. Curse you, Ursulaaa!
You can learn more about Cassandra Khaw on their website www.cassandrakhaw.net or find them on Twitter at @casskhaw. And keep an eye out here for my review of Nothing But Blackened Teeth next month. If you’d like to read along with me, you can preorder it now and support The Gothic Library in the process using this Bookshop.org affiliate link.