Q&A: Tim Hawken talks his murder mystery ‘The Apocalypse Will Still Have Coffee’

Books

Nov 11

The dark fiction author talks to Monster Complex about the apocalypse, coffee, and his novel’s bonus materials

“I have a lot of weird ideas. It’s hard to know which ones have legs, and which should go onto the scrap heap.”

Dark fiction author Tim Hawken writes wicked stories with a sense of humor. One of his latest projects—The Apocalypse Will Still Have Coffee—finds a rogue barista in post-collapse Melbourne framed for murder over some coffee beans. And you can read his brand-new fiction FREE. (Details coming below.)

Hawken’s first novel—Hellbound (which kicked off his Hellbound Trilogy)—was born while on the road, written on airplanes and in hotel rooms. Hellbound has since been followed by sequels, I Am Satan and Deicide.

Hawken has since won the AHWA ‘Flash Fiction’ Story of the Year twice (in 2013 and 2020) and been shortlisted for an Australian Shadows Award. His fiction also includes the cyberpunk crime novel Thrill Switch and the experimental YA fantasy novelette Spellraiser.

The novel The Apocalypse Will Still Have Coffee is being released FREE to digital subscribers—one chapter at a time, once per week. What really got my interest is how the author is also creating bonus materials for buyers who want to go deeper with the book.

What’s the book about? Here’s the official teaser blurb:

The Apocalypse Will Still Have Coffee

A rogue barista in post-collapse Melbourne is framed for murder over some coffee beans. With the help of a graffiti-artist/medic, he must prove his innocence or face execution. Good thing they’re both caffeinated...

Subscribe to the free book here: TimHawken.Substack.com

We talked to Hawken below about the new book—in particular this bonus content model…

Interview: The Apocalypse Will Still Have Coffee

1. If I read correctly, this issue mentions your upcoming book and then promises that subscribers get it free. What inspired that? (As opposed to waiting and then just telling us to go buy it?)

I like free things. You like free things. We all like free things. I already subscribe to a handful of non-fiction newsletters on Substack and have seen some great serialized stories on there too.

One that really caught my attention was Dracula Daily, which sends you the diary entries from Bram Stoker’s Dracula on the actual days they're noted in the book. Super cool.

Writing is a lonely business, so I figure by posting a chapter per week, it could be more fun and interactive when people comment on the story as it goes.

This book will still come out in print once finished, but this is a way to engage directly, give me weekly motivation to write more, and also (hopefully) drip in a little money along the way from the bonus content too.

2. Reading the plot description, it sounds to me like the book will be a post-apocalyptic murder mystery involving coffee.(Which hits all sorts of buttons for me.) What inspired you to put all these things in there together?

It all started with the actual title: The Apocalypse Will Still Have Coffee. That popped into my head and sounded fun, so I started to build a world around the concept and it ballooned from there.

I have a lot of weird ideas. It’s hard to know which ones have legs, and which should go onto the scrap heap. I texted this one, along with a few others, to my friends to see which piqued the most interest. Every single person chose The Apocalypse Will Still Have Coffee.

That either means all of the other ideas truly sucked, or there was something about this that makes people’s ears prick up. Maybe it’s the post-apocalyptic murder mystery, but it’s probably the coffee. Street legal drugs!

3. You also mentioned what you’ll actually be selling are bonus materials. (Which also presses buttons for me—I love that idea.) Can you share the nature of these bonuses? Are you talking about the book equivalent of like a movie commentary?

The main bonus content will be audiobook chapters, which I’ll record myself in my twangy Aussie accent. Those will go out as a subscriber-only podcast as the written chapters release. (I'll kick it off a few weeks in so people can listen to the first three all at once).

There’ll also be some behind-the-scenes commentary, world-building notes, and hopefully some art as well if I can afford to commission some.

I’ll also do a few livestreams, where I drink way too much coffee and answer questions too. We’ll see how it evolves and what people want. It’s all about adding extra value.

4. What inspired the big picture for all these pieces?

Melbourne itself is a big inspiration to me. It’s my favorite city in Australia and has so much depth and grit. There’s also a huge coffee scene there.

At the same time, Australia is going to get hit pretty hard by climate change. We’re already seeing lots of drought, floods, bushfires and more. It got me thinking how we’ll cope and what things might look like if things get totally fucked.

The small things help people through the toughest times. Friends, jokes, anything that allows a smile in the face of grim shit. This story explores that (along with murder, sex and a hilarious AI called FINCH).

5. What are the timelines for all the various parts of this project?

The first chapter launched November 5. There’ll then be a chapter a week every Wednesday until it’s done.

6. What are the technical parts of all this? I think you just changed your platform. And then how are you creating the various pieces? (How do you plan to make them available?)

I did have my newsletter on Mailchimp but have migrated across to Substack. It’s an all-in-one platform that allows blog style posts (chapters), podcasting, video, live stream etc. It also has a paywall for the subscriber bonuses, so basically everything needed on the technical side in one spot. There are lots of great creatives on there. Worth checking out.

7. How does this book fit into the bigger picture of your other books? Is this specifically to build more friendship with current readers, or would this also introduce you to new readers?

My last book Thrill Switch is dystopian sci-fi (cyberpunk). This is also dystopian with light sci-fi elements. It's a bit more grounded. So, I guess it fits in that way. It’s not particularly tactical. Just an idea that’s interesting and I think others will like too.

8. For people who are new to you—what are the best ways for new readers to start reading your fiction?

This new book is a good start. It’s free, easy to dip your toe into, and you’re joining the fun just as it gets going.

If you’re an audiobook person, you might also like to listen to Thrill Switch, which is free for Spotify subscribers. It’s definitely my most popular novel.

9. As for your newsletter, is subscribing to it as simple as going to your website? (Is there a specific link I should share here?)

There are links on all my socials and my website, but the easiest is just to go straight to it here: https://TimHawken.Substack.com

Drop a comment on the first chapter and tell me this is where you found it. I’ll say something stupid in response and we can all have a laugh at my expense.

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Chris Well

Chris Well been a writer pretty much his entire life. (Well, since his childhood.) Over the years, he has worked in newspapers, magazines, radio, and books. He now is the chief of the website Monster Complex, celebrating monster stories in lit and pop culture. He also writes horror comedy fiction that embraces Universal Monsters, 1960s sitcoms, 1980s action movies, and the X-Files.

https://chriswell.substack.com/