Getting Apocalyptic with Tim Mendees - An author interview

Eerie River
Jul 1
4 min read

What inspired you to merge post-apocalyptic with lovecraftian? Was this challenging?
I’ve always been a fan of those big over-the-top 80s action movies like Escape From New York and The Running Man and got to thinking one day that what they needed was some tentacles. That dystopian type of setting always seemed like the perfect setting for some mind-shattering abominations for me. I’d dipped my toe in the water with the story I did for Eerie’s ‘After’ and got a taste for it. It was enormous fun, and wasn’t as difficult as some of the mash-up ideas I’ve dabbled with. A lot of Lovecraft’s work bordered on sci-fi so the two kind of pair up quite nicely… Lovecraftian erotica, now there’s a challenge!
Can you describe the world you created?
Think Mad Max if it was very British and bogged down by bureaucracy. To me, we wouldn’t have all the muscle cars and all that fancy stuff over here, we’d be battling bandit clans and crazed cults on mopeds and tractors. Everything would be a bit smaller-scale and a bit rubbish. The apocalypse held together by gaffer tape and bits of string. There is always a strong thread of humour in my work so I wanted to emphasize that aspect of things. Mad Max made by Monty Python, that kind of thing. The book is set around a hundred years into our future and is a twisted reflection of our world today. Like the world as viewed through one of those carnival mirrors. It’s how I see things going if we don’t change direction. The seas are rising, everywhere is polluted and most places have been turned into a giant factory. There’s a lot of satire in there. It’s a nightmarish vision of a world gone mad.
Are there any other genres or settings you’re interested in?
I’ve only really done little bits and bobs set in space. I’m a huge fan of Sci-Fi movies so I’d like to do more with that. Maybe stick some Eldritch monstrosities in a Firefly-like setting. That would be fun.
What do you hope readers take away from your book?
Never have a fist fight with a Voormis. Aside from that, I hope it makes people think about what a mess we are making of the environment. That’s always been a huge issue for me and this was my time to get on my soap box to a degree. I’m much bigger fan of wildlife than humanity and think we owe it to the animal kingdom to stop being such rubbish neighbours.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start writing?
It’s a marathon not a sprint. You see a lot of very talented people chuck it in when they don’t end up on the bestseller list within six months. It’s a long hard road to get sales so just hang in there.
Are there any future projects in the making?
Oh, loads. I’m currently finishing off a novella which is one part Jacobs Ladder and one part Thomas Liggotti while also working on some more Eldritch erotica for a follow up to Beyond Desire. I’m currently recording an album with my band and in heavy rehearsals for upcoming live shows so time is stretched somewhat thin. I’m also nearing the end of my work on the non-fiction book which has nearly broken me. Too many projects, too little time. I need to get the sequel to Zone 51 sorted at some point!
What inspired the personalities or arcs of the main characters in Zone 51? Are any of the characters based on real-life people?
Most of my characters have a start in reality then evolve as I’m writing. It’s not a conscious thing most of the time, unless I’m getting my ‘writer’s revenge.’ A friend and publisher has a t-shirt that sums it up nicely, it reads, “Be nice to me or I’ll put you in my next novel.” Zone 51 has quite a bit of that going on regarding the villains.
Does Zone 51: Shadow of Chaos directly tie into any of your other works? If so, which ones and how?
Yes, many. The setting for a start is the same place that the bulk of my fiction is set. There are references to places and characters from a lot of my novellas and short stories. The big one to mention is ‘Spiffing!’ That one is a direct prequel to Zone 51 although it’s set over a hundred years prior. The location and events of that novella play a huge part in things. There are even a couple of returning characters…
If you had to survive a post-apocalyptic world with one lovecraftian creature, what would you choose and why?
Ooh, good question. I think I’d have to go with a Voormis. These guys are similar to Wookies so I can see myself as a drunken goth version of Han Solo roaming the wasteland with my big hairy pal. These guys worship Tsathoggua who I’ve always had as my Mythos deity of choice. He’s basically a big sleepy bat-toad that eats a lot. I can get firmly behind that kind of thing