Few emerging writers can stake claim to blurbs from the likes of David Morrell and Jack Ketchum - especially for their debut novel. But newcomer David Jack Bell can proudly do just that, with praise coming in from all directions for The Condemned.   DSM wanted to meet the buzz-generating Dr. Bell and get the scoop on what promises to be a meteoric rise to stardom in the horror genre.

Dark Scribe Magazine: To start off with, tell us a little something about The Condemned.

David Jack Bell: The Condemned is an urban horror story that takes place in a decaying, dying city. My protagonist, Jett Dormer, works in the city collecting abandoned cars that are then turned into scrap metal to fuel the nation’s war effort. When his work partner and best friend is killed on the job, Jett has to live with the guilt and decide whether or not to go back into the city and recover his partner’s body. It’s a story about the choice between the obligations we owe to our friends and family versus the obligations we owe to society as a whole.

Dark Scribe: Where did the inspiration for The Condemned come from?

David Jack Bell: A couple of places, really. I read a newspaper article about Philadelphia’s efforts to remove abandoned cars from the city streets. The abandoned cars struck me as a great metaphor for our abandonment of inner cities. Then, I lived through the 2001 riots in Cincinnati, where I was living at the time. I lived in the city, and we were under curfew and lockdown. The streets were empty and quiet, and we couldn’t leave our apartment. Meanwhile, the people out in the suburbs were partying like it was 1999. I couldn’t stop thinking about that contrast.

Dark Scribe: Did you shop the book to many publishers? What was the timeframe like from when you finished the book to when you secured a publisher?

David Jack Bell: I only dealt with Delirium. The novel began life as a short story called “Abandoned Cars” which was published by Greg Gifune in his late, great magazine, The Edge, Tales of Suspense . I stayed in touch with Greg over the years, and when he moved on to Delirium, he asked me if I had ever thought of turning the story into a novel. It was a long story to begin with, and I had never really stopped thinking about that world or the events that inspired it, so I jumped at the chance to turn the story into a novel. The book went through several revisions with Greg’s help, and it was eventually accepted.

Dark Scribe: What would you say sets The Condemned apart from other books in the recent resurgence of zombie fiction?

David Jack Bell: I would like to think I have created unique characters who are facing unique dilemmas, and I’d also like to think that the world I created, the landscape that those characters inhabit, is unique and distinctive. I did try to do something unique in terms of the explanation behind the zombies, or as my book calls them, The City People. Ultimately, the readers will decide if there’s anything truly special about it.

Dark Scribe: Did you intentionally set out to write something that was trendy at the moment, or have zombies been a long-standing subject matter of interest?

David Jack Bell: I wasn’t trying to be trendy. I’m not sure I’ve ever done anything trendy in my life, unless you count a brief flirtation with hair gel in the mid-80s. I have always been fascinated by zombies. One of the first horror movies I ever saw was Night of the Living Dead . It showed late at night on a local TV station right before Halloween when I was twelve or thirteen. I watched it alone, huddled against the couch cushions. The zombie is a blank screen onto which we can project any and all of our greatest fears. It’s a timeless horror trope. In other words, the zombie will always be with us.

Dark Scribe: In your official biography, you list an array of odd jobs as preparing you for your life as a writer - including stints as a delivery driver, janitor, AV grunt in a library, bartender, bookstore clerk, and telemarketer. Looking back, did any of these early career choices lead you to believe that the words “debut novel” would be used in the same sentence as your name? What’s the feeling like?

David Jack Bell: I guess I always believed somewhere deep down inside of me. There were times when the dream seemed farther away than at other times, but I never gave up. I think writers need persistence as much as anything else. Stubbornness might be a better word. I come from a long line of stubborn people. As to how it feels to have my first novel published…it feels great. Incredible. A dream come true.

Dark Scribe: David Morrell compared the vibe of The Condemned to the feeling he had when he first read Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend - lofty praise indeed. Any pressure on a newer writer from a blurb like that?

David Jack Bell: David is a great teacher and a great friend to new writers like me. I’ve met him at a few conferences and workshops, and he is as good a teacher as he is a writer, which is saying quite a bit. When he delivered that blurb, I almost fell over. I was really honored. And I Am Legend is one of the greatest horror novels of all-time. I’m not sure it puts any pressure on me. If anything, it feels like validation. If someone like David Morrell is willing to put his stamp of approval on the book, then it must be okay.

Dark Scribe: From which writers do you draw inspiration?

David Jack Bell: Too many to list, I’m sure. But there are the big guns—King, Koontz, Matheson, Morrell, Monteleone, F. Paul Wilson, Jack Ketchum, Ed Gorman, Charles Grant. Also, George R.R. Martin, Michael Moorcock, Glen Cook, James Crumley, Robert B. Parker, James Lee Burke. And I always return to Melville, Poe, Flannery O’Conner, Hemingway, Kerouac, Bukowski. There are really too many to mention, and it changes every day.

Dark Scribe: It would appear from your bibliography that you’ve consciously built up from short fiction in small press magazines and journals to your first small press novel. Is plotting out a career trajectory important for writers looking to establish themselves, or is it more important to write, write, write and let the chips fall where they may?

David Jack Bell: I think it is important to have a sense of where you are and where you want to go, and then do your best to figure out how to get there. Saying that, I’m not sure how much of a plan I’ve ever had. I have always written what I wanted to write and then tried to find a market for it. It sounds like I’m saying both approaches are needed, and that sounds about right. There’s a time to write, write, write, but writers also have to be aware of the ever-changing market and industry. This is a business, too, and only a fool wouldn’t try to learn as much about as possible.

Dark Scribe: What do your students think of your success? Any interesting nicknames like “Dr. Zombie” yet around campus?

David Jack Bell: My students are happy for me. A lot of them read horror and fantasy so there’s a natural interest on their parts in what I’m doing. As for nicknames…I think they still call me names behind my back, usually when grades are being handed out.

Dark Scribe: With impressive blurbs from Jack Ketchum, Thomas Monteleone, Scott Nicholson, and Morrell, any plans of shopping The Condemned around to the bigger publishing houses after its run with Delirium?

David Jack Bell: No, I’m quite happy with Delirium. Greg and Shane have been wonderful to work with. It’s like having two street-smart brothers watching out for me. They’ve been through the battles, and they’re more than happy to advise and guide me. I probably wear them out with my endless questions, but they tolerate me with great patience. And I really think that Delirium is growing and moving in the right direction with their new trade paperback line and horror book club. I’m thrilled to be in the same company with the other Delirium authors.

Dark Scribe: What’s in store for the follow-up novel? Can you give DSM readers a hint at what you’re working on?

David Jack Bell: I have another novel completed, something a little quieter and perhaps even creepier than The Condemned. I’m proud of it and hope it will see the light of day soon. I’m also working on a sequel to The Condemned, so I haven’t left that world behind yet. I have a number of stories to send out, and I just had one accepted at Cemetery Dance . I’m very, very excited about that.

Dark Scribe: Has the out-of-the-box success of The Condemned put added pressure on you for the follow-up?

David Jack Bell: The only real pressure is that which I place on myself. I want to keep writing and keep improving. I feel like Delirium has given me a great opportunity here, and I want to keep telling stories and reaching more and more readers.

Dark Scribe: Tell us a little something about David Jack Bell, the man behind the dark words. What’s life like when not writing?

David Jack Bell: It’s a simple life really. My day job teaching at a small college takes up a lot of my time, and I really enjoy that work. I carve out my time to write when I can. I spend whatever time is left over with my wife, and we go to a lot of movies and go out to eat and spend time in bookstores and read and that’s about it. When we have a lot of time off work, we usually head for the beach, either in Wilmington, NC or Florida where my in-laws live. Even then, we always bring our books and our computers. I think I sound like a geek. Maybe in 2008 I’ll take up a dangerous hobby, something dark and disturbing like sudoku or gardening. Check back next year and I’ll let you know how that’s going.

To learn more about David Jack Bell, visit his official author website.

Read DSM's review of The Condemned.