It’s time again for 10 random questions for one of our forum community members! This week we ask our friend Anthony Self 10 questions.
Find Anthony here: Personal Links: YouTube Channel (Horrorable666) – Dystopian Novel: Birthday Treat – Horror Anthology: Cat Box and Other Strange Tales
- Have you ever had a paranormal or supernatural experience?
I’m like Fox Mulder, I want to Believe…but unfortunately at the time of writing I haven’t experienced anything particularly paranormal or supernatural in my life, that I’m aware of, at least. I lived in a house once that an ex-girlfriend thought had a poltergeist living in it, as objects from a specific bookcase would fall out onto the floor without any logical explanation. Maybe that angle of the room was situated on a slope or it was placed on wobbly flooring, but in hindsight it was likely because I’m terrible at DIY and built the IKEA bookshelf incorrectly, leaving one of the shelves uneven.
2. If you could time travel to any point in history, where would you go and what would you do?
Ooh, interesting. I’ve been playing a lot of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 recently, so I think I’d have to go back to medieval times. With my knowledge of 21st century pop culture, I would steal songs from our timeline and become the best bard in the kingdom. Not Take That songs, though. I hate Take That. See question 8 for clarity. And then I’d become like a rock God of medieval times. have harem of wenches. Having said that, I’d likely die of dysentery or scurvy within a day.
3. If your life was a reality TV show, what would it be called?
All By My Self (the theme tune would be Celine Dion’s ‘All by my self,’) It’s a word pun based on my surname. Other alternatives would likely be ‘Self Love,’ a kind of dating reality show where I go out by myself and treat myself to things that couples would do. But by myself.
4. Rank the slashers: Leatherface Freddy, Jason, Ghostface, Jigsaw, Pinhead, Patrick Bateman, Chucky
Freddy – Jason – Pinhead – Chucky – Leatherface – Jigsaw – Ghostface – Patrick Bateman.
5. Who would play you in a horror movie?
When I was younger, I was told I looked like Rowan Atkinson. Then when Gladiator came out people said I had a slight resemblance of Russel Crowe. This was obviously a long time ago. Maybe if they had a lovechild, I would have Rowan Crowe play me.
6. If it came down to it, and you had to choose between your skeletal wench and saving the world, would you forsake your comrades in the name of love?
This is tough. Let’s say it would give me pause for thought. But Cheeky Edge lives a chaotic natural lifestyle and adheres to the bro code.
7. Shave the beard and everyone survives and world hunger is abolished.
Keep the beard and world hunger is still abolished but only because half the world eats the other half.
Unlike my DnD counterpart, the world would burn. No-one should ever see an unshaven version of myself.
8. What’s the weirdest job you’ve ever had?
I wouldn’t say this is the weirdest, but it was certainly the most boring. I worked a six-month stint as a cardiologist’s assistant back in the day. I was stuck in a pokey little office that smelled of old people and had to file patient’s x-rays and admin. The woman who I worked had Heart FM on constantly and I grew to hate Take That as every song played at the time was of the boyband’s repertoire. I also worked as a background researcher, the guy who must do background checks on people when they go for jobs like working in a bank or some civil work. Most of the time I would have to call overseas and talk to people who didn’t speak English. Suffice to say I probably allowed terrorists and delinquents to work in the UK because I didn’t do my job properly.
9. Will we get a sequel to Birthday Treat?
Maaaaaaaybe? I’ve been asked this by a few people – I’m currently working on (I use the term ‘working’ loosely) a sci-fi creature feature novel, which I plan to release in the winter of 2067, and another anthology of horror stories. Once this has been completed, I may return to the dystopian world of Birthday Treat, where things have become even worse than how it was left. Think The Running Man meets Mad Max…or SAW meets Cube.
10. What’s your favourite book of all time ? (you may only pick one)
That’s tough. I guess I’m going to have to go with a book that deeply resonated and influenced me when I was a young, optimistic and naïve school kid. Our class had an assignment to write a story in our English literature class and I wrote this hokey piece about a guy who entered a gameshow only to find out it was some kind of MK Ultra experiment. After assessing it, my teacher told me it was very ‘Kafka-esque.’ I just stared at her blankly and she informed me of who Franz Kafka was. I went out straight away and read an anthology of his works and I was mesmerised. The Trial by Franz Kafka has always had a special place in my heart, influenced me to write a short story that I entered into a competition and was judged by Margaret Atwood. Because of that, I came in 2nd place and got to meet the great author at the award show. She was very kind and patient with a star struck sixteen-year-old asking her questions about the Handmaid’s tale. So yeah, The Trial has to be it!
