Please introduce yourself and tell us about your background as a writer.
It still feels strange to consider myself a writer because it’s not an activity I expected to pursue. But, I just published my first collection of fiction entitled XLZABK001, so I guess that qualifies me as an author.

Prior to this book, I mostly wrote nonfiction essays and reviews regarding the art that inspired me. Around the turn of the century, I had a website called Save the Universe.  That’s probably where I got started putting my ideas into words. I went deep to uncover the true meaning of various pieces of music, film, etc… I’ve always enjoyed digging to the core of a creation to understand its virtues and the reason the creator brought them to fruition.

Additionally, I was a musician for twenty years. My recordings were very primitive for the longest time, but as I matured, I began to weave narratives into the albums. I think the experience of telling a story through music helped prepare me to write actual fiction. Although I don’t enjoy the process of writing, I have a compulsion to get my ideas out one way or another. So I continue to endure the miserable process.

What are the most prominent influences on your writing? How do you incorporate those influences without being derivative?
Well, first of all, I don’t like to read. I find reading even more annoying than writing.  Before publishing XLZABK001, the only fiction I enjoyed was Karl Edward Wagner’s Kane stories. I read a bit of Robert E. Howard, but only really identified with some of the Solomon Kane tales. I tried some other famous authors but didn’t enjoy them enough to remember who they were.

Since completing XLZABK001 a few months ago, I decided to give the act of reading another chance. I’ve been reading nonstop since October, and as much as I hate to admit it, almost everything I’ve read has either irritated or bored me. I tried all the fancy lads like Moorcock, Lovecraft, David Gemmell, Ramsey Campbell, Poul Anderson, etc…and have no interest in returning to any of them. I’ve found Thomas Ligotti’s work intriguing and fun to discuss, however his philosophy of life is especially frustrating. Please don’t misunderstand…all of these icons are brilliant writers, eons beyond anything I could ever hope to emulate. But the guts of their stories left me unfulfilled.  I couldn’t identify with any of their characters’ motivations or decisions.

The truth is, the only piece of literature that has inspired me during this recent book binge was C.L. Moore’s “Black God’s Kiss”. I read two of her collections, and only that particular story stood out to me. It is a beautifully honest portrayal of the female psyche and a story that reaches beyond pulp clichés. It's both cerebral and visual in symbolic ways that speak to me on a fundamental level.

So, now that I’ve explained how bored I am by all the things your readers adore, let me get to actually answering your question. What influences my writing? Music, film, and solitude in nature. I spend a great deal of time listening to music alone outdoors and thinking about how the world works.

My own music has influenced my writing more than anyone else’s. Even though my albums are far inferior to my musical idols, I relisten to them repeatedly, brooding over my mind at the time of recording. Because much of my music was about specific concepts and themes, the stories I write now are born of those original ideas. Beyond that recycling process, there are several key musicians who have had a profound influence on my writing. Off the top of my head, the list would include Laure Le Prunenec, Selim Lemouchi, Richard D. James, Chris Howell, Manowar (first 6 albums), Vhaldemar, Magma, Ennio Morricone, and others...

My stories are also heavily inspired by film. When writing, for better or worse, I approach the process from the perspective of a script writer rather than a speculative fiction author. I try to create scenes built around particular key frames that would stand out in film or moments that would look great on a poster. Also, I don’t normally tell the story using dialogue. I want the characters’ words to be poignant and meaningful, the kind of lines that an actor would love to recite. The types of films that have inspired my writing include all the Sergio Leone westerns, all the Enzo G. Castellari action films, the Lucio Fulci supernatural horrors…. Italians in general, I guess. Oh, and martial arts. It can’t be understated how big a role martial arts films have played in how I conceptualize action sequences. I’m a massive fan of British-controlled Hong Kong cinema from the 1970s until the late ‘90s.  

I apologize for the long response to a simple question.  Just to wrap up the second part… I have no idea if I’m being derivative or not because I’m borderline illiterate.  Now that I’m finally reading the books you guys finished in high school, I see some similarities between my stories and other authors. For example, the Exceliza sword from “Einhander” is similar to Moorcock’s Stormbringer in many ways. I hadn’t read Moorcock until recently, so these similarities were coincidental.

However, what separates the story of Einhander from that whole Elric saga is that Einhander is not a tool for the gods. He isn’t a sacrificial pawn who dwells on his weaknesses. Einhander doesn’t die for the good of the planet. The perspective from which I write is probably what keeps me from being intentionally derivative, especially nowadays. I generally write with an anti-political, anti-religion, anti-conformist, and an unabashedly, masculine-conquest philosophy of an individualist existence.

With self-publishing easier than ever, there are tons of books being released every day. What makes your work stand out from the crowd? What can readers get out of your work that they can’t from anyone else?
On a purely pragmatic level, readers will get variety. I don’t want to focus on only one genre. XLZABK001 contains stories of sword and sorcery, horror, modern-day action, and more. My favorite art is that which breaks the rules and bends convention for its own betterment, so I strive to do that.

I am not a “world-builder” and I don’t like franchises. Instead, I prefer concise stories rich with symbolism and meaning. Perhaps people will find replay value because of that symbolism. There are plenty of Spring Equinox eggs and references to underground art to be discovered in the text. Furthermore, if they are so inclined, readers may seek out my music which inspired these stories, allowing them to experience the ideas using different skull organs.

I usually ask authors about their marketing tactics, but knowing you from your history as a musician, finding an audience was never as important to you as the act of creation itself. Instead, I'll ask this: what do you get out of releasing your work to the public?
When being intellectually honest with myself, it is apparent that people will have to like Jon Zaremba to enjoy XLZABK001. I'm not a likable human. Therefore, the odds are against this book reaching the hands of more than a few dozen people in my lifetime. I only made this collection public as a means to concretize my ideas and to stamp my time on this planet. Even if Netflix doesn’t fund a “Vigilante Romance” miniseries, by publishing this book, I have earned the right to give them (and the world) the finger.

The title of your new collection is XLZABK001. What's the meaning behind this title? What else can you tell us about the book?
The title is simply a catalog number. “XLZA” is short for Exceliza (my record label/logo). “BK001” indicates that this is the first book I’ve released. Why did I make the actual title on Amazon so obtuse? I wanted to do the opposite of most other modern speculative fiction authors. I don’t like long book titles with Frazetta/Jones/Kelly-inspired artwork. I don’t want to be in league with everyone else. Not that my writing is superior. Quite the contrary; I’m a literary imbecile compared to most other current authors. But, rather than try to catch the attention of the typical pulp fiction reader with some majestic saga on the spine, I prefer to appeal to the curious risk-takers that may (or may not) be alive today.

Are you currently working on any new stories?
I haven’t begun writing XLZABK002 yet, but all of the stories are conceived. I just need to figure out how to transcribe them to text. The track listing for Book 2 will be:

1. Continual Self-Exorcism

2. Prohairesis

3. Promontory Epilogue

4. The Insidious Wizard Grasps the Intangible

5. Microscopic Devices Functioning from Inside Your Neck

6. Mayberry Romance

7. The Universe Doesn't Deserve Us

I’m going to start in a couple months.  Because I hate to write, it’ll probably be some years before it’s ready. 

Name one newer and one older book you have read and enjoyed recently. (“Newer” meaning from the past year or so, and “older” meaning written before 1980.)
Because I read your blog regularly and have seen this question come up in past interviews, I was dreading answering it here. The only new thing I’ve read and enjoyed recently is The Rocket Mass Heater Builder’s Guide: Complete Step-by-Step Construction, Maintenance, and Troubleshooting. Yeah, not fiction. But the best book on the subject. Self-sufficiency is one of my greatest ideals, and a rocket mass stove is a wonderful way to heat an off-grid home.

I haven’t recently read anything older that I thoroughly enjoyed other than the short story “Black God’s Kiss” by C.L. Moore. I enjoy the experience of discussing Thomas Ligotti’s Songs of a Dead Dreamer and Grimscribe with my friends, however he is a malicious writer bent on punishing his readers.

Any final words?
Just “thank you”. I’m sorry if I typed more than expected. I rarely get the opportunity to discuss what I do, so I’m grateful to you for giving me some exposure. XLZABK001 is available on Amazon in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover editions. If anyone wants to track anything else I release, I have the simplest of websites at www.jonzaremba.com.  Thanks again.