Alexander S. Brown is a Vicksburg author with a passion for writing horror using gore and detailed description that keep readers from sleeping at night.

Brown first arrived on the horror-writing scene in 2008 when he published his first book, “Traumatized.” It was a collection of short horror stories, each more disturbing than the last.

In 2013, Brown’s name was on another book he co-edited called  “Southern Haunts” and again in 2014 as co-editor of “Southern Haunts 2.”
His most recent novel is “Syrenthia Falls” which came out in August. This novel is about a young girl who is a “teenage misfit.”

At 29 years old, Brown is not showing signs of slowing down. He said he is working on a sequel to “Traumatized,” is editing “Southern Haunts 3: Magic in the Moonlight,” and has begun the editing process for the first novel in a fantasy/horror trilogy and writing the sequel to that novel at the same time. He is also outlining the “Syrenthia Falls” sequel.

Writing is something Brown has always been interested in. He said he admires the art of storytelling.

“I can recall moonlit evenings in my adolescence where I would partake in the sharing of ghost stories. While reading books such as “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” and experiencing the verbal trading of urban myth, I grew to admire the structure of storytelling and how books could paint a more vivid picture than any movie.”

During his preteen years, he decided that contributing to the world of books was his greatest passion and he began his work on “Traumatized.”

His inspiration came in the form of authors who have come before him.

“Some of my favorite authors growing up include: Edgar Allan Poe, H. P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, Richard Bachman, Clive Barker, Thomas Harris, Anne Rice, John Saul, and the list continues,” he said.

Brown said he writes horror because it fascinates him and it can branch into other genres of writing — mystery, suspense and dark comedy.

“For those submersed within this genre, they can easily identify horror elements in mystery novels by Mary Higgins Clark, suspense in the works of Dean Koontz, and dark comedy within the pages of Chuck Palahniuk,” he said.

Another element he is fascinated by is that the horror genre is sometimes submersed in political issues, which present themselves as metaphors.

“I would say my greatest admiration to the genre would be the ability to comment on society while presenting it in a fictitious manner,” Brown said.

As a child, Brown said even then he was writing, although mostly in crayons and markers.

“As I grew, I graduated to pencils and pens.  Before receiving my first computer in ninth-grade, I sometimes used my mother’s typewriter,” he said.

Brown mentioned that while he misses the personality a typewriter provides, he can appreciate the more advanced abilities of his laptop.

When it comes to horror, Brown said he can be very flexible, but it depends on his mood.

“I have written young adult and adult.  My young adult horror can be found in the anthologies such as “Southern Haunts: Spirits that Walk Among Us” and “Southern Haunts 2: Devils in the Darkness,” he said.

Once a month, Pro Se Press releases one of Brown’s short stories for eBook download. The series is called “The Night the Jack O’ Lantern Went Out.”

“My adult horror includes my new novel “Syrenthia Falls” which is a coming of age werewolf novel.  The subjects I focus on in “Syrenthia Falls” include bullying, peer pressure, and child abuse.”

The success of his books has given him many opportunities in the world of horror writing.

“When I first published ‘Traumatized’ it was printed through a vanity press and I represented myself.  After attending multiple conventions within Mississippi and nearby states, my talents delivered me into the arms of three publishers,” he said.

These publishers are Dark Oak Publishing, Seventh Star Press and Pro Se Press. His books have rave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.com.

On Amazon, “Traumatized” has received 30 positive reviews and “Southern Haunts 1” has received 15. His other works have between them six more positive reviews.

The success of this author has not gone to his head. He still caters to Vicksburg and does book signings in the city often.

His next signing will be with author Della West at Cafe Paradiso Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.