Interview: Jason A. Adams on Fantastic Nonsense
A leprechaun hauls a writer out of his granny’s toilet and presents him with a bill for royalties. Bad dreams turn out to be manufactured in a service center inside Devil’s Tower, with beige walls and decaf. An old mountain man’s shadow has started itching itself when he isn’t looking. And a fantasy kingdom’s seven dwarves have crossbows, wiseguy accents, and an offer you will not be able to refuse.
Jason A. Adams calls Fantastic Nonsense “a sampling of sublime silliness,” and the six stories in it live up to the subtitle. It’s one of fifteen exclusive books in The Light Fantasy Bundle, curated by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
The Interview
Your line for this collection is “When times get tough, it’s good to get silly.” The six stories run from a man whose shadow itches itself when he isn’t looking, to a Seeker for Hire who charges ten silver pennies a day plus expenses. If somebody has time to read exactly one story today, which one would you pick, and why?
Hmmmm….
I’d probably have to say “The End of the Rainbow.” It’s the first in a series of Atlanta Leprechaun stories, although not the first written. I love these characters, and always have a ball writing them. There are currently four other stories in the series, and more to come!
In “The End of the Rainbow,” a leprechaun hauls a writer out of his granny’s toilet and informs him he’s been using the good folk’s likenesses for years without paying royalties. As an author who’s written about the good folk many times, what do you owe? 🙂
I’m under geas to make sure people know not to take any “special offers” from anyone wearing a green suit or a red cap!
In “The Dreamatorium,” bad dreams come out of a service center inside Devil’s Tower, complete with beige walls, decaf, and motivational posters. The nightmares are assigned. A welder in Upper Sandusky keeps dreaming about conveyor belts because the Powers that Be want to nudge him somewhere. What are bad dreams for?
The conveyor belts in the guy’s dream are based on nightmares I had way back in the olden days when I worked at a factory. That dream was sent to convince me to change careers.
I think nightmares can be a nudge to fix a problem in our lives. Or maybe they’re just a blot of mustard from dinner.
Mick of Malvern’s dwarves are seven wiseguys with crossbows who say “youse guys” and “fuggedit.” Snow White never mentioned this. What else did the fairy tales leave out?
I love writing about legendary and mythological characters who’ve been totally misunderstood. Go back to the originals, and most gods/goddesses/Good People are just like folks, only turned up to 11. It’s a ton of fun to put some poor slob in a situation where they not only have to learn what the storytellers got wrong, but also have to figure out the correct rules.
For instance, I wrote a Green Knight story (called “The Green Knight,” because I’m creative that way), where a modern-day lawyer gets caught up with the actual green knight of the legends. Let’s just say the legends got the end completely wrong.
In “Ghosts, Guilt, and Gingerbread,” Avery’s Pop turns up on the back porch five years after they buried him, dressed like he just got off a shift at the Ford garage, and opens with a dad joke. The title promises guilt. What has Avery done, and does it relate to gingerbread?
Poor ol’ Avery forgot Mother’s Day, and no amount of death will let someone avoid that little guilt trip. His Ma always won the blue ribbon at the bake sale with her gingerbread, but Avery needs a little help to get his own over the top.
And Pop just wants to rest in peace, poor guy.
Goblins are on your list of what mountain folk have in the blood. The goblins in Spells Gone Sideways, also in this bundle, mostly complain about overpasses. Yours, by all accounts, would not be riding in the back seat. What’s so scary about a goblin?
I think the scariest thing about goblins or any fairy folk is the lack of human morals, ethics, etc. The only real rule is be polite to them, but figuring out what “polite” means to a goblin might be a tad on the tricky side.
Your bio lists science fiction, fantasy, horror, Appalachian folk tales, romance, “and genres to be named later.” Got a name for one yet?
Oh, I’ve added westerns, weird westerns, contemporary fiction, tall tales, folk stories, and a couple of others. I always want to be able to answer the question “what genre do you write?” with a resounding “yes!”
What are you working on now—and what’s fun or exciting about it?
Right now I’m working with my amazing creative partner Kari Kilgore on a Make 100 Kickstarter to launch in January. We’ve both written a ton of stories from the same story prompts that took wildly different turns. Putting together 50 each, giving the sparking prompt, and explaining the different directions we took with each of them is a blast!
About the Author
Jason A. Adams writes across the spectrum. His stories include science fiction, fantasy, horror, Appalachian folk tales, romance, and genres to be named later. Jason, a recovering Air Force brat who grew up all over the US and Japan, now perches in the mountains of Southwest Virginia with his excellent author wife Kari Kilgore (www.KariKilgore.com), several spoiled-rotten house critters, and assorted wild visitors from the nearby forest. You can find more of his work at www.JasonAdamsBooks.com.
Find Jason A. Adams
Get the bundle
Fantastic Nonsense is one of fifteen exclusive books in The Light Fantasy Bundle, curated by Kristine Kathryn Rusch—funny, light, and romantic fantasy for a jangled season. Pay what you want, starting at $5, and you can choose to send a share of your purchase to World Central Kitchen. Live through October 29, 2026 at storybundle.com/fantasy.