Inspired by Horror Movies

Colson Whitehead, who visits the Writers Institute on November 1st to talk about his new zombie horror novel, Zone One, participated in a lengthy interview that appeared in last week's issue of The Atlantic.

Asked about the distinction between literary and horror fiction, Whitehead says:

"I was inspired to become a writer by horror movies and science fiction. The fantastic effects of magic realism, Garcia Marquez, the crazy, absurd landscapes of Beckett—to me, they're just variations on the fantasy books I grew up on. Waiting for Godot takes place on a weird asteroid heading towards the sun, that's how I see it. It's not a real place—it's a fantastic place. So what makes it different from a small planet in outer space? What makes it different from a post-apocalyptic landscape? Not much in my mind." More.