In this episode of Horror Joy, Jeff talks with author Andrew F. Sullivan, author of The Marigold, about the relationship between horror and joy

Sullivan links the joy of horror to subverted expectations, catharsis, and the generative possibilities of horror, especially in books, where meaning is co-created with readers and not all answers need be provided.

Sullivan discusses how his Irish Catholic upbringing functions as an enduring identity that shapes his sense of mystery, belief systems, and worldbuilding, including fragility, debate, and misinterpretation as story engines.

He describes his beginnings as a writer through libraries, early storytelling inspired by Jurassic Park, reading widely, manual labor jobs, and later mentorship in a graduate program with author Miriam Toews.

The conversation turns to The Marigold’s Toronto setting, ecological crisis and wildfires, urban wildlife like raccoons, and the novel’s critique of capitalism, corporate greed, and gig-economy precarity.