In this special episode of The Writer’s Chair, host Daniel Willcocks sits down with internationally acclaimed horror author Craig Davidson, best known under his dark fiction pseudonym Nick Cutter. Craig is the author of The Troop, The Deep, The Handyman Method, and now The Queen — his latest terrifying tale of teenage friendships, grief, and grotesque creatures.

Together, Daniel and Craig dive into:

• Craig’s journey from literary fiction to horror heavyweight
• The deep influence of Stephen King on his work (and whether they’ve ever met)
• Why The Queen is one of his most personal novels yet
• The evolution of horror: from slashers to psychological depth
• Gross-out scenes, sensory horror, and writing from lived emotion

This conversation is a beautiful blend of nostalgia, insight, and raw honesty from one of modern horror’s most respected voices.

🧠 What You’ll Learn

• How Craig (aka Cutter) channels both emotional truth and body horror into his fiction
• The challenges of writing teen characters in a modern world as a Gen-X author
• Why “elevated horror” isn’t a genre — and why it doesn’t need to be
• The five most disgusting sensory experiences Craig’s ever had (you’ll squirm)
• His top horror reads of the last few years

📚 Mentioned in This Episode

• The Queen by Nick Cutter (Gallery/Arcadia, 2024)
• The Troop, The Deep, Little Heaven, The Handyman Method
• Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Robert McCammon, Clive Barker
• Dead Space 2, Hellraiser, Cujo, Skeleton Crew
• Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
• The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
• Devil by Name by Keith Rosson
• Maeve Fly by CJ Leede

🔗 Links & Resources

• 🌐 Craig’s official website:
• 👉 www.craigdavidson.net
• 👑 The Queen fan site:
• (Accessible via Craig’s main site)
• 📖 Buy The Queen:
• 👉 Gallery (North America)
• 👉 Arcadia/Pushkin Press (UK – imprint TBC)
• 💀 Join the Devil’s Rock writing community:
• 👉 devilsrockbooks.com/podcast

🎧 Subscribe & Review

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share with the horror lovers in your life. Each episode of The Writer’s Chair brings you deeper into the minds of today’s most exciting authors — from indie newcomers to genre icons.

🖊️ Quote of the Episode

“You try to write away from Stephen King… but somehow, you go in a 180° loop and end up hitting him anyway.”

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