Darrin Doyle
Author Interview - Darrin Doyle
Author of The Dark Will End the Dark
A group of tugboat passengers grapples with a disturbing loss. A record-holding hiccuper confronts his condition—and a troubling secret. A wife wonders what to do when her husband’s head stops working—but his body stays alive. A man struggles with the memory of the time he saw his friend swallowed whole by a neighborhood girl with supernatural powers.
In this classic set of Midwestern Gothic stories by Darrin Doyle, we see the strange hold hands with the familiar—and seem all the more strange as a result. A set of tall tales (and medium-height ones) told with Nabokovian prose, this stunning and visceral collection by the author of The Beast in Aisle 34 will linger long after the last page.
Originally published in 2015, this revised tenth anniversary edition features a new introduction by American Mythology author Giano Cromley.
Author Interview - Darrin Doyle
Author I draw inspiration from:
Shirley Jackson is one of my favorite authors, and her novel We Have Always Lived in the Castle is one that I've read many times. She's one of the finest examples of psychological horror mixed with dark humor and social commentary.
Author Interview - Darrin Doyle | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
On my sofa, with a nice pillow under my head
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
I'd hate to be stuck in any elevator with any person -- I'm claustrophobic, so that sounds terrible! But if I had to be stuck, I'd be okay hanging out with Thelonius "Monk" Ellison from Percival Everett's novel Erasure. He's a writer like me, and we would probably have a good time complaining about the publishing industry.
Author Interview - Darrin Doyle | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
I don't think there was a specific moment. It was more like a gradual shift. I'd been a reader and casual writer for many years, but I also played in bands and made movies with friends throughout my young adulthood. It wasn't until I went back to college at age 25 to finish my bachelor's degree that I took a couple of creative writing classes and learned that I could apply to graduate school. So that's what I did, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
Paperback, absolutely. I'm not a huge fan of the hardcover because it's too stiff. And I already look at my computer screen far too often, so the paperback is a nice break.
The last book I read:
The Field of Cloth and Gold by Magnus Mills. I enjoyed it quite a bit. It wasn't his best novel, but like all of his work, it was funny, beguiling, and wholly original. All of his books seem to exist in a strange parallel universe that operates with its own logic.
Author Interview - Darrin Doyle | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
I love to write with pen and paper when I have the chance. But it's slower, of course, than the computer, which is a drawback. Every summer I try to rent a rustic cabin in the woods for a few days, which forces me to write in a notebook (there's no power or running water at the cabin). It's a fantastic way to get stuff on the page without worrying that it's "good" or "finished" yet. It makes me feel free explore.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Honestly, I don't think I want to be best friends with any book characters. The main characters in the majority of the books that I read are rather messed up in one way or another, which is why their story is being told in the first place.
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
I want Stanley Tucci's job of going around Italy eating amazing food and getting paid for it.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
I like to look at old photos and reels of people on city streets in the early 1900s. The men and even the boys all are wearing suits and hats, and that looks pretty good to me. (Disclaimer: I definitely wouldn't want to have to dress up like that every day, but it looks sharp.)
Place I’d most like to travel:
Patagonia -- it looks insanely beautiful
My signature drink:
Bourbon on the rocks
Favorite artist:
Franz Kafka -- he was an absolute original
Number one on my bucket list:
I know I said Patagonia was a place I'd most like to travel, but I also really want to go on a safari in Africa. I'd love to see a cheetah in the wild (it was my favorite animal when I was a kid).
Find more from the author:
https://www.instagram.com/darrindoylewriter/
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDarrinDoyle/
https://www.darrindoyle.com/
About Darrin Doyle:
Darrin Doyle is the author of seven books of fiction, most recently the novella, Let Gravity Seize the Dead (Regal House Publishing). On October 7, 2025, Tortoise Books will release a 10th Anniversary 2nd Edition of his story collection, The Dark Will End the Dark. His stories have appeared in Alaska Quarterly Review, Redivider, Blackbird, and other literary journals. He's a Professor of English/Creative Writing and serves as the Coordinator of Graduate Studies at Central Michigan University. He watches too many horror movies and has a cat named Ham.
