William Browning Spencer – Sci-Fi Fantasy Genius
Zod Wallop, Irrational Fears, Resume With Monsters, and More!
In an interview with Stephen Smith, William Browning Spencer quips,
"I always wanted to be a writer. I was a voracious and eclectic reader, and I was attracted to what I thought was the writer's life. A lifestyle that allowed sleeping in late seemed designed for me. I suppose wanting to sleep in late is not an exalted reason for becoming a writer, but it was up there on the top of my list. I also liked words.
Sleeping late aside, Spencer's perseverance and dedication is apparent. After writing five previous novels (that remain unpublished), his sixth, Maybe I'll Call Anna was released in the US. Thus began his illustrious career in the ever-changing world of Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Fiction.
Themes in Spencer's Fiction
Spencer's work is clever, funny and incredibly original, although he admits to a few artistic homages to H.P. Lovecraft, one of the masters of Sci-Fi and Horror writing.
Many of Spencer's stories hold various recurring themes, including machinery, the ocean, monsters and aliens, alcoholism and depression, insanity, and of course, love. Though many of his heros and heroines appear tragic, even doomed, each has redeeming- or at least sympathetic qualities, that make them both real and likeable.
Spencer's world is one in which nothing is what it seems. Though each book begins in an easily identifiable "everyman" setting- an office, the country side, an insane asylum, as the book progresses, this world we think we know begins to tilt, to twist, and eventually open up, spilling creatures and alternate realities we had never imagined, completely destroying any normalcy we cling to. Spencer's vivid, yet often mundane characters become the most natural vehicle through which we can experience these other worlds. His works are engrossing beyond compare.
William Browning Spencer Short Stories
After the release of "Maybe I'll Call Anna", Spencer joined an Austin writer's group and discovered the short story. His short stories have been published in numerous magazines and appear in many anthologies, including "Eternal Lovecraft: The Persistence of H P Lovecraft in Popular Culture" (1998),"The Year's Best Science Fiction Annual Collection" (1994 & 1999), and "The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror Annual Collection" (1995 & 2008), as well as appearing in his own anthologies.
Published Works By William Browning Spencer
Spencer's first novel- and the only one not involving supernatural activity, Maybe I'll Call Anna is a bit hard to find, but like the others, is available online. It is a rather disturbing love story about a young artist and an even younger tragic girl named Anna. Though, not a Sci-fi/Fantasy, it retains Spencer's style and is well worth the read.
Spencer's next published work was "The Return of Count Electric", a superb collection of prior unpublished short stories.
Shortly after the release of "Zod Wallop", (also in 1995) "Resume With Monsters" was released.
This novel addresses the evils of the corporate world, which turn out to be none other than Cthulu!
Next came "Irrational Fears", a fantastic story about addiction, redemption, an acid-dropping cult and some pretty terrifying monsters. It is arguably both the funniest and most exciting William Browning Spencer book.
Spencer's most recent work is "The Ocean and All It's Devices", another short story collection, containing more recent stories, each published prior to this collection and many nominated for awards.
Again, though many of these books are somewhat difficult to find in stores, they are all available via Internet.
His fans are many and quite sincere- the majority having encountered first, "Zod Wallop", and having had a taste of Spencer's magic, sought out his other works and fellow fans as well.
So go ahead. Plunge into Spencer's world. But please understand that once you have entered, there is no turning back.
Zod Wallop- Spencer's Most Popular Novel
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