"Getting scared is fun," says Edo van Belkom. "People like it."

    Certainly enough people seem to enjoy being terrorized that van Belkom (BA '91) can make a living at it as a writer of horror fiction. "People read horror for the same reason they ride roller coasters. It gets us in touch with our senses and emotions."

    Writing has always excited van Belkom. "I was never much of a student," he says. "But in public school we got an assignment to write about our family pet. I did six pages...for me that was unheard of."

    His fascination with horror and fantasy happened by accident. Van Belkom stumbled across his métier reading Ray Bradbury. "He blew me away...he was such an amazing writer. I'd get to the end and say, 'Wow, that was fantastic!' I remember deciding I wanted to write for someone else and give them the same feeling Bradbury gave me."

    Although van Belkom's specialty is horror and fantasy, he's also penned mysteries, science fiction, and even sci-fi erotica under a pseudonym. To keep the wolf from the door he's written speeches for Mel Lastman, given talks and workshops on writing, and done online tutoring. "Whatever it takes to survive," he says.

    His first short-story sale, "Baseball Memories," was reprinted in Year's Best Horror Stories 20 (1989). It was then short-listed for the Aurora Award, Canada's top honour in science fiction and fantasy writing. The book he's proudest of, however, is the recent Death Drives a Semi (Quarry Press), featuring 20 of his best tales.

    "I never had aspirations to be a `literary' writer," says van Belkom. "That kind of writing doesn't interest me. I have fears and I try and deal with them in my fiction. The only thing I want to do is tell a good story. It's as simple as that."

    Photo: Nadia Molinari