Welcome to the Scaring Myself Silly series where I interview authors, bloggers, writers and readers on all things horror, spooky stories, the paranormal and Halloween. Everyone I interview shares a spooky story or two as well as the scariest things they’ve read or watched. My second guest is author Bryan Pirolli.
Bryan’s from Philadelphia but now writes from Portugal. Between bursts of fiction writing, he teaches university courses and dabbles reluctantly in marketing. He’d rather be biking to the beach, but he’s gotta pay the bills. His debut novel, Selling Sophie, is available in print and ebook.
What was your first introduction to horror? Can you remember?
There’s lore about the Jersey Devil in the Pinelands of New Jersey. During a scout trip many years ago when I was a young boy, my dad told a ghost story about this creepy mythical creature. It was a classic Americana moment, sitting around a camp fire telling spooky stories. I was lucky to have early intros to horror in that setting.
Imagine you’ve picked up a book and all you know about it is that it’s got your worst fear in it. What’s the book going to be about?
Wrongful imprisonment. I’ll lose sleep just imagining what happens if the jury says “guilty” to a crime I didn’t commit. It’s a claustrophobia I wouldn’t be able to endure.
What’s your favourite spooky book of all time?
I grew up on Goosebumps, so while they might not be as spooky to me today, they formed me as a reader. As my tastes developed, I think Poe’s stories became my reference for the kind of spooky/horror I liked. Fewer scare jumps. More existential dread.
Can you give us a 50 word horror story?
I scroll. Photos from last week’s class trip. We’re smiling. The teacher looks disgruntled. I scroll more. And more. I’ll post my own story, I think. Scroll. Scroll. I turn on the camera, flip it to see myself. Gasp. Wrinkled and shriveled. Liver spots. Eyes dull. Wasn’t the trip yesterday?
You’ve been offered £100,000,000, but you have to have one of these in your room all night. Which one will it be?
- A clown toy.
- A porcelain doll collection.
- Taxidermy animals.
Answer: Taxidermy animals.
Have you ever seen a ghost? Do you know anyone who says they have?
Seen? Not that I know of. Experienced? I think so. I was spooked by a presence in a really old hotel in Vancouver once that prides itself on ghosts. Or maybe their marketing was just really effective?
Do you believe in ghosts?
I believe that they’re a possibility. I like to think that they are just people in other dimensions going about their lives, and sometimes the walls between our universes get thin and we can see each other.
Do you like Halloween?
Love it. Halloween was a time to be whomever you wanted to be, and as a kid growing up different from everyone else, this was an equalizing holiday. Plus, sitting on the kitchen floor counting all the free Reese’s cups at the end of the night with zero shame? Come on. What could be better?
Why do you think people enjoy scary stories so much?
Life is scary enough, so being able to escape into a scary story and watch someone who’s got it worse is like therapeutic rubbernecking. “Well, at least Jason’s not in MY front yard…”
What is scarier: aliens or vampires?
Aliens, for sure. Because if they exist, it throws EVERYTHING we think we know into question. Again, that existential dread. Also, at least we know what vampires look like. Aliens could be hideous. Or worse, more beautiful than all of us.
Is there a place you visit or near where you live that is quite spooky? Can you tell us about it?
The Père Lachaise Cemetery was always my favorite spooky place to go when I lived in Paris for nearly a decade. The family tombs and masoleums, in all states of disrepair, are hauntingly beautiful. I can spend hours wandering it, waiting to see a ghost…but I haven’t spotted one yet!
What’s something you watched or read as a kid that you probably shouldn’t have because it kept you awake at night?
Probably just the local news, to be honest…
What’s a horror book you think more people should read?
Besides Salome? 🙂
Is there a scary book or film you just aren’t brave enough to try based on the trailers or reviews alone?
Melania (2026)
We live in the 21st century where there is a factual explanation for a lot of things. What do you think it is that makes people want to go on ghost walks, ghost hunts or to see mediums at the pub?
Facts can be boring. They limit us to a truth. I think all humans have a creative bone in their body where they want to imagine more or experience more than what facts can provide. It’s part of who we are, to dream beyond what can be proven. Ghost hunts and mediums provide an outlet for that where the unexplainable invites us to entertain those dreams.
Do you have a regional or local monster/spirit legend where you’re from? Can you tell us about it?
Yes, the Jersey Devil is an icon in South Jersey, not far from Philadelphia. It’ s some sort of winged goat/horse creature that roams the Pinelands. This park is a very specific natural area and the smell of decomposing pine needles anywhere in the world always brings me back to the Jersey Devil.
Where you can find more about Bryan and his work:
Want more horror and spooky stories from around the world? Why not read the first interview with Australian bookstagrammer Torrie Lennon.
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