Q&A with Vaz Anzai

Welcome Vaz! First, a few quick-fire questions: What is your go-to writing beverage? How would you guess the world is going to end? And who do you think is the greatest villain of all time?

I'm off carbonated beverages completely now, so I would say currently I love both Monster Rehab Lemonade and Celsius Peach Mango Green Tea. Both are heavy on the caffeine.

World ending, well that's anyone's guess. Both Dean Koontz and Stephen King had books focused on pandemics getting out of hand. Right now with our country lacking any adult leadership, it's looking to be headed that way.

"World ending, well that's anyone's guess."
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Any great villain is relatable. The ones you feel for and almost root for because you can empathize with what they went through. When I see villains who are just dicks and "born this way", I can't get into you. Show me a Venom or a Punisher bad guy and I'm all in. Someone who has lost everything and I'm behind them 100%. John Kramer killed for a reason, and even then, had people kill themselves. John Doe from Seven.
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"Any great villain is relatable. The ones you feel for and almost root for
because you can empathize with what they went through."
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Online presence is a big deal, especially for newer writers who are trying to build an audience. As your website is exceptionally professional, do you have any advice for newer writers who are weighing their options for an author website?
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​Definitely. Use Leia. It's an app that will build the website for you, based off your preferences. It takes zero skill to learn. The team has been super professional in assisting me where I need. There is a free version I recommend starting off with. From there, you can go pro with the click of a button. My site averages 1,000 hits a month (or more) and I didn't have to learn anything. 
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Though I am not a regular reader of horror, some of my closest author friends write in this genre. What drew you into the genre and what would you say to a potential reader who is hesitant about exploring horror-themed works? 
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As a teen I gravitated from fantasy to horror through an author named John Saul. Saul's books were more "Teens discover secret society" and "people with dark powers". I burned through them in a day. Despite his huge library of work, I needed more. I moved on to Dean Koontz and Stephen King. Horror isn't always about gore in books. If the synopsis sounds good, look at reviews. They should give some insight if you're avoiding the genre due to graphic violence.
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"Saul's books were more "Teens discover secret society" and "people with dark powers". I burned through them in a day."
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So before we dive into Strange Tales from the City of Dust, I have to ask about your covers. The artwork is absolutely smashing and the layout design is very professional. I know this is a particularly relevant issue for self-published or indie authors who want to be in charge of their own covers but sometimes end up with something that does not hold up to professionally published standards. How do you manage your covers?
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I get this question a lot. The artist goes by the name "Grandfailure". I purchase the rights to use it and have a designer on Fiverr who knows me well now and will design the wording and art changes I need to incorporate it into my story.
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"I purchase the rights to use it and have a designer on Fiverr who knows me well now and will design the wording and art changes I need to incorporate it into my story."

Strange Tales from the City of Dust, your serial sci-fi series, is a set of stories about a futuristic version of Pittsburgh which has now become the City of Dust. What inspired this dystopian cyberpunk world and what types of themes do you enjoy exploring through your stories?
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The main things I was shooting for here was having a Bladerunner universe with a Sin City-type of spit storylines. As any writer knows, we get so many ideas that it's hard to keep up with all of our works-in-progress. Doing things as serial stories means any time I think of something new, I can find an episode to incorporate it. No waiting. No getting stressed at too many back burner unfinished stories.

"Doing things as serial stories means any time I think of something new, I can find an episode to incorporate it.
​No waiting. No getting stressed at too many back burner unfinished stories."
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I'm open on themes. I like sci-fi, or more often, future-tech. Like the world is pretty much the same, just with some cool upgrades. Cerebral horror has always been my main focus before now. I don't put that here, though. My horror is more genetic, anxiety, and real-world monster driven. I recently finished a short story that is essentially sexually themed with some "Black Mirror" vibes. This short is called "Solace: A City of Dust Side Story". When I'm ready to openly release it, it will be free.

I have been heavily influenced by franchises like "Terminator" and "Black Mirror". So now, I try and allow the season of episodes to be open to all themes and entertaining. No fluff. Every word is written to construct a living, breathing world to immerse yourself into. Villains can be oppressive, yet relatable. Protagonists are likable and still imperfect. I'm not afraid to kill a character people enjoy just to get the reaction.
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You have decided to create a set of serial novellas which all take place in the world of Strange Tales from the City of Dust instead of writing novel-length books. Was that an intentional choice or did the stories themselves inform that choice? What have been some of the advantages and/or challenges of marketing serial novellas as opposed to more traditional full-length novels? 
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​I've written a ton of normal books of varying lengths. I get so distracted. New ideas, so I abandon works in progress. Not anymore. Every new idea is blended into stories I'm working on. It might be an infection I was studying. It might be an event that takes place. It'll all be within the City of Dust.
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"I get so distracted. New ideas, so I abandon works in progress.
Not anymore. Every new idea is blended into stories I'm working on."

As I read through the descriptions for Clockwork Deus, The Darkest Part, and Pinned Butterflies, I could not help but think of my favorite Netflix series: Black Mirror. Do you think that your novellas could play out well on screen? Also, what are your thoughts on Black Mirror as a series in terms of its contributions to the public conversation about modern Sci-Fi? 
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I love Black Mirror. Been eating it up as soon as it launched and trying to find everything I can that released soon after and attempted to ride the waves it casted behind it. I always write things in a visual format so that it can be easily transferred to screen. I usually have specific actors/actresses in mind when designing characters. I look at the episodes like a comic book purchase. People enjoy comics for a fun, quick read. My episodes are always a buck each and have a 1-2 hour enjoyable read.

Each episode delves into something real-world, while also forcibly taking something currently that I don't care for and making it fixed and adamant. My books won't ever make sexual preference or sexual identity  an issue. This isn't to skirt the issue. It's because, as I see it, it's all considered normal in my universe. No one will give you a side-eye if you were born a girl but identify as a guy. No one cares what's between your legs. 

"Each episode delves into something real-world, while also forcibly taking something currently
that I don't care for and making it fixed and adamant."
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​The first episode starts with the protagonist sitting and explaining to a machine what the world is like, now. This is done for two reasons. One, world building. Two, their conversation sets the stage for the whole series. She details the ideas behind machines and A.I. controlling the population through militarized force. Although, this shows we have become such that we cannot police ourselves. 

Sexuality, while it exists, is less about physical contact and more about the indirect use of machines to obtain pleasure. Our society has become this. It's less about real, lasting connections and more disconnected. Yet here I start off with a human girl taking a bot created for pleasing people and instead giving her the freedom to think for herself and establish her own relationships.
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"Sexuality, while it exists, is less about physical contact and more about the indirect use of machines to obtain pleasure. Our society has become this. It's less about real, lasting connections and more disconnected."
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Last, but not least, where can readers track down your books and stay up to date on your latest publications? 
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Amazon. For the moment, I am exclusively Kindle Unlimited.

Strange Tales From The City Of Dust

• Episode 1: Clockwork Deus
• Episode 2: The Darkest Part
• Episode 3: Pinned Butterflies

 
Episode 4: Neon Pentagrams is being worked on now!
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Find more from Vaz on his website!