Two years ago, thousands of miles apart, two authors started a brand: Immortalis. Valkyrie Kerry and Brett Dyer, known for a broad approach to writing and content creation across multiple platforms and publishers developed their individual ideas as a collaborative effort. Initial their endeavours took the form of short stories, which were duly published by various magazines, and an elaborate form of role playing which merged multimedia, fanfiction, original stories and traditional role playing. Their role playing with RP group Legacy Tales resulted in the production of unusual and hilariously dark horror fiction, primarily; Jason Voorhees and Ash Williams, and Hannibal Lecter and Dexter Morgan, but the ideas developed therein contributed to the formation of their own original characters.
Kerry, also an academic specialising in horror movies and fandom practices, was in the process of creating demonic characters that later became known as Immortalis. She met Brett through Twitter fandom, and the two worked on fanfiction narratives that comically played on a vast range of tropes and franchises. Original stories and characters were allotted their own fandoms, a very risky move, but they took off.
Brett moved from Johannesburg to the west of Ireland in October 2020, and they married in August 2021. Ultimate Horrotica (2nd edition) and The Thorn and His Rose were released earlier this year. Ultimate Horrotica is a collection of short stories and verses designed to introduce some of their characters and concepts. The Thorn and His Rose is an innovative work in which the story is told through snapshot character reflections, and presented as a gruesome piece of theatre or work of art. The couple write themselves in as the two antagonists: Valkyrie and Dyer-Bolique. Serial killers who perfect their craft in the form of expressive art and cinema. It is a moving gallery that drags the reader into extremely gory depths, whilst addressing the psychological aspect of horror.
Kerry and Brett’s innovative ideas allowed the development of a multimedia Halloween story, told on Twitter in several chapters covering both The Rocky Horror Show and traditional horror movies. Interwoven, clever, well-adapted, and humorous. A similar project on Friday the 13th of May led to publishing deals. Brett Dyer, speaking on behalf of Immortalis informed us that, ‘we have a lot of projects in development, but they are a little clandestine at the moment. The Immortalis books certainly have the green light, and are in progress, but there is a lot more going on. Kerry has a sublime work ethos and both of us strive for melioration.’
The Immortalis are, by the Dyer’s definition, ‘seductive but dispassionate immortals that feed upon humans.’ Their story is driven by an ambivalent, destructive relationship between the Aten and Allyra. Aten is the son of Hek’Set and Amenhotep III. Hek’Set is a reimagining of Lilith and bride of Primus, the soul of antimatter. Allyra was born a nephilim to defeat Hek’Set under the auspices of the secret society known as Pauci Electi. Unfortunately, the magick required to defeat Hek’Set involves assimilation of the blood of the Immortalis, and the destined desire and power struggle between Allyra and the Aten. Kerry describes the stories as, ‘A Game of Thrones set in Hell.’
We look forward to the future of horror, and the future of Immortalis.
Follow Kerry and Brett:
@Ashy_slashee
@JasonVoorheesIM
@ImmortalisIM
