Alix E. Harrow’s new novel Starling House (Tor Books, 2023) is named for the infamous old mansion in the otherwise unremarkable town of Eden, Kentucky. For years the house has haunted the dreams of our protagonist, Opal, a reluctant resident of Eden who is focused on building a better life for her younger brother–one that would get him both out of the motel room where they live and out of Eden entirely. When the elusive Arthur Starling offers Opal a job caring for the manor, she decides the money is worth the risk.

In this interview, Harrow explores the role of the gothic in fantasy and writing at the intersection of genres. We discuss the portrayal of sibling relationships in fiction, writing about contemporary Kentucky, and the legacy of coal companies. We chat about the way rumors around powerful women in small towns develop, the differences between libraries in stories and in real life, and the role of cleaning in fantasy novels

Starling House is a thoroughly good time and it was so fun getting to talk about it with the author.

A. E. Lanier is a short fiction writer and educator living in Central Texas. More about her work can be found at aelanier.com.

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