Weird Western Horror, Philosophy and The Psychology Of World-Building With Jamie Ryder
Can you tell us a couple of lines about yourself?
Based in Manchester in the UK, I’m the creator of Tales Of The Frontier, a horror western world that’s been described as a mixture between Red Dead Redemption and The Witcher.
I’m also the founder of a copywriting company called Stoic Athenaeum. Created out of my interest in philosophy and mental health, Stoic Athenaeum helps businesses increase their sales and brand awareness and put their philosophy into practice.
How long have you been into horror?
I’ve been into horror since my teenage years and found the genre has a lot of insight into human psychology and the things that we both fear and want.
I’ve always enjoyed reading or watching something that has psychological or thriller elements to it. Not only are those kinds of mediums entertaining, but they can also inspire us to face our fears and push beyond what we think we’re capable of.
How do you see your evolution as a creator?
With my fiction writing, I originally started writing short stories that covered themes of travel, mental health, dislocation and change. Short story writing is something I’ve always enjoyed and will continue to do in the future.
In terms of evolution, I’ve become more commercially aware of how books are both an expression of the author and a product. They need to be sellable and have the right marketing to be able to get them into the hands of your audience.
Through writing the Tales Of The Frontier series, I’d like to be able to publish novellas, novels and short story collections from the world and see it build.
What’s the greatest lesson you have learnt along the way?
The most important takeaway I’ve had in the last couple of years is you’ve always got to be promoting your work in some way. Look for ways to connect to new readers, build your own communities and keep writing.
For example, I’ve built Tales Of The Frontier on Substack and offer it as a free newsletter so people can read ongoing lore, short stories and world-building. This keeps me producing content for the world and helps with gauging audience feedback.
I’d also say you should never be afraid to ask for the rights to your work back and republish elsewhere. This happened when I originally published At The Dead Of Dusk through an indie publisher.
Utimately I wanted to be released from the contract so I could publish it elsewhere and add some new ideas to the manuscript too.
Tell us about your most recent work. Can you give us some insight?
My latest work is a trilogy of novellas about one of the main characters in The Frontier series called Clay McNab. He’s a legendary Quester, a kind of monster and witch hunter that protects the land from dark creatures.
The trilogy is set across different parts of his life. The first is Blood Shanty, which shows McNab as a young apprentice taking on his first major contract with his mentor. The second novella Bone Ballad is set when McNab is a seasoned Quester. He has to unravel a plot within his own Order to stop it from being destroyed.
The final novella, At The Dead Of Dusk, shows McNab as an older man who’s hung up his Quester hat. But when an old enemy resurfaces and the promise of a big payday comes along, McNab gets back into the life for one final contract. I’m currently looking for publishers and agents interested in finding a home for the trilogy.
What string do you think it’ll pull?
The Clay McNab trilogy follows the story of a man who wants to do good in the world and then as the years go by, he’s beaten down by all the horrors, trials and tribulations of the world he lives in.
It was interesting to write and shape that progression and be inspired by the Nietzsche quote “whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster.”
So, I think the stories will appeal to readers of psychological thrillers, horrors and Westerns.
What’s the strongest message the audience will find in your plot?
That bad people do good things and good people do bad things. It’s all a matter of perspective. That’s the key message.
The world of The Frontier isn’t black and white and people are doing whatever they can to survive. But even if you’re the most cynical person in the world, there’s still an opportunity to dig deep and strive for the right thing.
Are you fond of any character?
I did have a blast writing Clay and getting into his headspace. His complexity and contradictions make him who he is, but he can be a real asshole.
Do you plan to make a spin-off about any of the characters?
I can see myself writing a series of novels about McNab that follow him after the events of At The Dead Of Dusk. But it wouldn’t just be his story.
There would be other character perspectives and open The Frontier with new locations and be at the centre of politics and the main powers that be.
What’s been the most challenging scene to write?
The most challenging thing with writing the trilogy was planning out the different time frames of McNab’s life and what kind of personality would have at that time. We all evolve as we get older, taking on new perspectives. Some of us for the better. Others for the worst.
Balancing these different elements in each novella was tricky, but very rewarding once I nailed the tone and started getting into it.
Who’s your perfect audience?
Western readers, gamers and horror fans in their 20s onwards. Tales Of The Frontier was written to appeal to a younger demographic of people who’ve played franchises like The Witcher and Red Dead Redemption.
But I think it would also appeal to an older audience who enjoy classical Westerns and psychological thrillers.
How did you come up with the idea for your first creation?
I first had the idea for Tales Of The Frontier back in 2016. I wrote a novelette called Shadows At Dawn about two cowboys that were travelling in a supernatural world. Those cowboys became McNab and his son Rueben.
The novelette was picked up by a small publisher and put in a horror anthology. That inspired me to expand the world and write more Frontier stories.
When my contract expired with the publisher for Shadows At Dawn I released it as a serialised story in my newsletter.
What kind of horror do you think your work falls into?
Weird western, grimdark fantasy and psychological horror.
Which is a scene from a horror movie or book that has terrified you?
A recent horror film that put me on edge was Smile. The jump scares have substance behind them and there’s also a sense of encroaching dread that made my skin crawl.
What’s the best and the worst about being a creator?
The best part is having the freedom to write about anything and feel connected to the characters I’m writing about. Obviously, there are challenges that come with getting work published and seeing if it’s the right fit for both you and the publisher.
What would be your advice for people who want to jump into this world?
Go to talesofthefrontier.substack.com and have a look around.
If you started your career over in this industry, what would you do differently?
I’d spend more time becoming commercially aware of how to pitch to publishers and agents and see the writing of a story as just one part of it.
There’s the editing, marketing, selling and constant promotion that all need to be taken into consideration.
How do you think horror is evolving?
I see there being a mash-up of more interesting subgenres within horror. What scares someone is subjective. There is plenty of opportunity to play around with different fears and psychological challenges in different universes and worlds.
What are your next projects?
I’m currently working on a non-fiction historical project that I’m hoping to turn into a trilogy. As a mythology nerd, I’m having a lot of fun digging into folklore and looking at my own perspective about it.
Where can the audience find you?
You can go to Tales Of The Frontier for my fiction work and Stoic Athenaeum to see my philosophy and copywriting thoughts. I also have a short story collection called Transmutations, which is a series of travel stories about change.
