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I Dove Into This Dystopian World
Mark Tullius Author Interview
25 Perfect Days Plus 5 More chronicles the path into a hellish future of food shortages, contaminated water, sweeping incarceration, radical religion, and extreme population control. What was the spark that made you want to write a book with such dystopian themes?
The idea for 25 Perfect Days came about after my wife suggested that I connect “5 Minutes Alone” and “Four Percent,” two short stories I’d been trying to publish. Once I saw the possibilities, I dove into this dystopian world. I had been spending a lot of time researching police brutality, government conspiracies, and the abuse of human rights, so this was my chance to work through the anger I had toward these injustices.
There is a large cast of characters in this novel. What was your favorite character to write for and why?
Tough question, but I have to go with Michael Adams, the father in “Five Minutes Alone.” I reworked this story several times, even after it’d been published, because my perspective changed after I became a father. I forced this character to make a very difficult decision and discovered a lot about him in the process.
The novel is really a collection of short stories, much like the novel World War Z. Why did you choose this format to tell the story?
I began my writing career with short stories and absolutely love being able to tell a story in just a matter of pages. The short story format however comes with many limitations, especially when protagonists routinely die and there are hard-to-find connections between stories. I intended each of the stories to be capable of standing alone, but also add something to the overall collection. One of my favorite aspects of this format is that I could pop right back into it and expand it to showcase a new character or an unjust law as I did with 5 More Perfect Days (included in the bonus edition.)
In 25 Perfect Days Plus 5 More you tackle a lot of extreme social viewpoints. Do you think there is anything today that you once thought only fiction, but has become reality?
I’m afraid I haven’t been all that creative in imagining some of these desperate situations, as I’ve simply exaggerated what is already taking place in different parts of the world. Outlawing homosexuality, the use of indentured servants, our dependency on technology, the corruption and oppressive potential of both religion and government. The biggest compliment I’ve been given in reviews is that 25 has made readers consider their rights and how important they are to hold onto.
What is the next book that you are writing and when will that be published?
Early 2017 I will be releasing Unlocking the Cage which documents my four-year journey where I traveled to 25 states and over 100 gyms to interview 400 MMA fighters. Summer will mark my return to fiction with Try Not to Die: In Brightside and Ain’t No Messiah.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Youtube
25 Perfect Days, named one of IndieReader’s Best Indie Books for 2013, just got better with the addition of 5 More Perfect Days. A totalitarian state doesn’t just happen overnight. It’s a slow, dangerous slide. 25 Perfect Days Plus 5 More chronicles the path into a hellish future of food shortages, contaminated water, sweeping incarceration, an ultra-radical religion, and the extreme measures taken to reduce the population. Through twenty-five interlinked stories, each written from a different character’s point of view, 25 Perfect Days captures the sacrifice, courage, and love needed to survive and eventually overcome this dystopian nightmare.
25 Perfect Days
This isn’t your father’s sci-fi novel. Mark Tullius’ 25 Perfect Days Plus 5 More is an eerie look at a future world of pain, control and agony. The characters have so much to lose and very little to gain. It’s a fantastic, gripping tale that betrays a terrifying glimpse at a future where religion meets Big Brother and all the destruction that comes from the union. For reasons not fully explained the earth is deteriorating. Food is scare, water is poisoned and the people are frightened. Due to the extremist nature of the men at the head of the church of The Way and their relationship with politics tiny laws begin to be passed here and there that seem harmless at first. But these are just a smokescreen for the madness that follows and threatens to swallow up and distort humanity as we know it today.
Compiled in an easy-to-read format of short stories which are all intertwined 25 Perfect Days Plus 5 More takes the reader on a journey through forty years. We watch as characters age, fall in their battle, procreate and attempt to carry on the fight. Seemingly innocent and small interactions are expanded upon as the years tick by and the tiny threads that bind all the characters together are strong. The cast of this adventure is large and while there is a appendix at the end of the book which identifies each one and key points of their story, it’s recommended not to look at it until you read the entire book for the first time. There are spoilers in that explanation and it’s thrilling to read it afterwards and find out if how you thought you organized things in your head match the path Tullius paved.
Tullius times each story perfectly. They’re packed with plenty of action and none of them feel too short or too long. Just enough information is given in each piece to keep the reader hooked and dying to know more. In this twisted world which shares some alarming similarities to the world we currently live in it’s hard to separate some friends from foes. Children are stripped of all their innocence, friends and family are pitted against each other and those who try to put up even a tiny amount of resistance are viciously brutalized.
The fabric of the world the reader will find themselves in is wonderfully woven. Each character that has a name is a piece of the overall puzzle, no matter how small it may seem at the time. The execution of such an intense and intricate story line without missing a beat or faltering on obscure facts shows the depth of Tullius’ writing skills.
In this embattled world where we’re left wondering what exactly happened in Canada, as a reader you can’t help but feel agony over the situations the characters find themselves in. There is no discrimination; the poor and the wealthy are all victims of this post-apocalyptic world where God has abandoned all designs.
Pages: 259 | ASIN: B00DQJB75E
Overwhelmed by the Darkness
Twisted Reunion is a collection of short horror stories. Did you know that you were going to publish them all in a collection or was that a decision made later?
I have always been a fan of short stories, with Stephen King’s collections at the top of my list. I was amazed by how much story he could tell in so few pages, how much I could care about a character. When I began writing, short stories were where I started, finding some success in selling (and giving) them to small magazines. My focus shifted to producing novels, but every once in a while I would allow myself a treat and knock out another story. Once I realized I had enough for a full collection, I began the daunting, yet enjoyable, process of rewriting all the stories, making sure they were something I’d be proud of.
One of my favorite stories is Woodshop Math. What is your favorite story from the collection?
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed “Woodshop.” That story was a lot of fun to write, a little nod to Stephen King’s Carrie. One of the stories that always puts a smile on my face is “Surviving the Holidays,” but if I had to pick one I’d say “Book of Revelation.” Being so heavily influenced and inspired by King, I really enjoyed writing this homage that has “The Stand,” one of my favorite books, as a sort of character.
Why write horror stories? Why not write about rainbows and sunshine?
I must confess I’m no longer much of a fan of reading or watching horror. Most of the time, I’m a fun-loving, stay-at-home dad who likes to keep things peaceful and playful. But I do have my dark side, the part of my brain that won’t turn off, dirty and disturbing, usually best left unsaid. Writing these short stories satisfies that voice, and helps me deal with fears of death, disease, and all that fun stuff we pretend won’t ever happen to us or our loved ones. I’ve tried writing about rainbows and sunshine, but these stories always take a little turn, like in “Every Precious Second.” I love bringing cute little puppies, darling little boys, and sweet old ladies into my stories, but I have a very hard time keeping them alive. Perhaps we need to be overwhelmed by the darkness before we can truly appreciate the light.
Are there any stories that you left out of the collection for any reason; maybe because they were a little too twisted?
There were quite a few stories that didn’t make the cut for Twisted. Some were strong enough but too similar in subject matter while others were just too tame. And there were a couple that will never see the light of day because they are just too brutal, like “Bound to Suffer,” which incorporated Viagra, a naked man, rope to bind him to the bottom of a truck’s lift gate, and a very angry husband. This one was too painful to make it through.
Your book, 25 Perfect Days, was named IndieReader’s Best Indie Books of 2013, you have a sociology degree from Brown University, and you competed in Mixed Martial Arts. This creates the perfect recipe for you to write a book like Unlocking the Cage. What is that book about and what was your inspiration for writing it?
When I found myself fighting after college, I was often asked why I was doing it. I was never able to come up with an honest answer, so I decided to go on quite a journey, traveling to 25 states and talking with over 400 fighters, attempting to discover who they are and why they fight. Although I often struggled with having to give up so much of my time to the project because it took away from my fiction, it was by far the best thing I’ve ever done. Self-reflection, becoming physical, pushing limits, and learning new skills, has me more motivated and inspired than ever before. I can’t wait to present these powerful stories to the public and show them what MMA fighters are all about.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
This collection is composed of all the stories in Each Dawn I Die, Every One’s Lethal, and Repackaged Presents, plus two bonus stories.
Twisted Reunion
Even though this was way out of my normal reading gene I loved it! I did find myself rooting for ‘The doctor of death’ Mainly in ‘Each Dawn I Die.’ Vic was a player who purposely went after young naive virgins and then broadcasted their humiliation on his website. They had to face the shame of their mistake while he profited from it and moved on to the next naive virgin. That is until an angry encounter with an old lady that turned his life into his living hell he could not escape from, literally. He got exactly what he deserved. Not all are about ‘The doctor of death’, but they each have a very clear message that none of us can escape death.
In ‘Wrongside Tavern’ at first I was confused as to what Hank did, but as I continued to read the story I started to understand what he did. He had no real remorse for the human lives that were taken by accidents he was involved in. I had to admit that I literally laughed out loud when he tried to run from the girl and fell over a wagon. In the end though the victims got their justice even if it took them dying first to get it.
I was drawn in by each story and the twisted endings. I especially enjoyed ‘Woodshop Math’. At first I thought ‘Oh great another weak girl’, but Sam impressed me. I am glad I kept reading and didn’t miss out on this. She didn’t resort to revenge on the bullies that tormented her, but she gave those jerks what they deserved and the fact that she did it to protect her best friend Tyler not caring about what she would face was very touching. It not only showed her strength, but how deep their connection went. Mark Tullius did a great job with this one in my opinion. This was very well done.
Those were just a few stories that are apart of this collection. There are many more that are just as entertaining as these three. For instantes there’s one about an artist who paints death in all its gory details. There’s many more like this and it’s hard to just chose one or two to write about. They all have to do with death on some level or another. It’s not always those that deserve it that get it either.
This is a fantastic and thought provoking collection of short stories that surprised me at every turn. Mostly dark horror stories, but all of the stories are a vehicle for Mark Tullius to showcase his skill at writing and bringing his imagination to life. I look forward to reading more from Mark Tullius.
Pages: 236 | ISBN: 9781938475184
LITERARY TITAN 