Bryn Haniver's Mastering Their Dungeons may have been a slightly unusual choice for Alison's Wonderland. But I loved this story so much! The piece is filthy, fierce, and fucking hysterical. And as Dorla Moorehouse so eloquently said, "Some stories simply take the supernatural/fantastic elements of fairy tales without creating a direct analog from old stories to present ones. Bryn Haniver's 'Mastering Their Dungeons' and A. D. R. Forte's 'Moonset' are my favorite examples of these." I've been lucky enough to have worked with BH a handful of times, and I'm thrilled to host the following uber-entertaining Q & A:
1. Which fairy tale character would you most like to do and why?
A mermaid or siren. One of the terrible, irresistible ones known for luring sailors to their doom. It's an adrenaline thing, life on the edge and all that.
2. If your fairy godmother or fairy godfather (I’m an equal opportunity fairy employer) waved a magic wand over your head and granted you three wishes, what would you be wearing during your wishing?
Scuba gear. Or at least a sailor suit. See first question.
3. What would you wish for?
Gills. So I could frolic with the mermaids without running out of air. Then wings, so I could frolic with airborne angels and demons. I've watched eagles mate in midair, it looks pretty exiting. And finally, I'd wish that we could live in better harmony with the environment. That, or maybe just a bag of cash - back on solid ground, we writers are often a hungry lot.
4. Do you own fairy wings? A little red riding hood? Glass slippers? If yes, please describe. Or send photos!
Alas, no fairy wings or riding hoods, and I'm not much of a slipper wearer. I suppose I'm more of an observer of fairy fashion.
5. What question would you most like to ask another author in the line-up?
I'd ask Rachel about any undergraduate social science classes she might have taken.
6. What would you like to tell readers about your story in Alison’s Wonderland?
Although not a traditional fairy tale, I did spend much of my teenage years lost amidst the elves, maidens and multisided dice of Dungeons and Dragons, which obviously inspired my story.
7. What fairy tale would you love to tackle in the future?
I'd like to run, run, as fast as I can, to catch up with the ever so delicious ginger haired woman. Even though chases, like fairy tales before Disney, often end badly.
Bryn Haniver writes fiction, much of it naughty, from beaches, boats, islands and peninsulas.
So there you have it! Whew! I'm done! Oh, wait. Maybe I'm not. I still have to post *my* answers. Yup. I'm going to answer my own questions. We'll see how that goes. I might be bratty and give those one-word, monosyllabic interviews that make editors tear out their hair. Nah. I like my hair.
XXX,
Alison
