Craig W. Chenery Blends Dark Humour And Horror With Unforgettable Characters

PHOTO: Craig W. Chenery, acclaimed author and screenwriter, known for his twisted wit and genre-defying narratives, pictured at a recent convention appearance.

Award-Winning Author Reimagines Heaven, Hell, And The Undead

Craig W. Chenery shares insight into his irreverent Oceanview Trilogy, his roots in horror cinema, and how he crafts unforgettable characters across novels, comics, and screenplays with satirical flair.

Craig W. Chenery does not shy away from the absurd. With a creative compass that veers into dark humour, theological satire, and horror, he builds imaginative worlds that gleefully dismantle convention. His voice is one that not only entertains but also probes the strange juxtapositions between the sacred and the profane, the violent and the tender. At the heart of his work lies a rare kind of irreverence—one that is not reckless, but meticulously crafted with affection for the genres he both honours and subverts.

In God Just Wanted To Play Golf, the first instalment of The Oceanview Trilogy, Chenery offers readers a wryly comic universe where Heaven operates like a mismanaged corporation and God, flawed and weary, longs for escape. It is a brilliant high-wire act—balancing slapstick theology with moments of genuine pathos. Through this, he challenges us to reconsider the nature of divinity and the fragile absurdities of existence.

What makes Chenery’s work stand out is the seamless merging of his horror roots—so evident in Blood Splatter—with deeply human storytelling. Whether he’s crafting a screenplay, a comic, or a darkly whimsical novel, his narratives are underpinned by a visual richness and a deep respect for character. Even Lucifer, in Lucifer Just Wanted To Pet Kittens, emerges not as a villain but a misunderstood figure of wit and restraint.

As the final volume, Death Just Wanted To Eat Waffles, looms on the horizon, Chenery stands as a writer in command of his voice, unafraid to blur the sacred lines of genre, morality, and myth. His stories may begin with the undead or the divine—but they end, invariably, with something profoundly human.

What inspired the creation of God Just Wanted To Play Golf, and how did you develop its unique blend of dark humour and theological satire?

With my background in zombie cinema, I’ve always wanted to contribute to the undead literary world, but I understand that it can be challenging to bring something new to the genre. My other passion is writing dark humor, and I decided to merge them, and God Just Wanted To Play Golf was born. I thought the concept of Heaven being run in a similar way to a large corporation and God as the disgruntled CEO would bring an absurd story to a more relatable level for the reader. I gave God human traits that make him flawed, and he makes mistakes based on these flaws.

How did your background in horror and zombie cinema influence the tone and themes of the Oceanview Trilogy?

The zombie influences are felt the most in book one. Zombie kills obviously play a huge part in zombie cinema and shows like The Walking Dead, so I added a few visceral scenes of zombie kills, that still manage to make the reader laugh out loud at the same time. I’m also familiar with the ‘aim for the head’ rule, so I made sure to have some fun with that lore and add my own humorous twist to it.

Can you share the process of transitioning from writing detailed non-fiction like Blood Splatter to crafting complex fictional worlds?

There is considerably more freedom writing fiction over non-fiction. Blood Splatter was a fact-driven reference book on zombie special effects, so I owed it to the source material to be accurate. I didn’t have the creative freedom to build the world as I was restrained by the scope of the book. It was a massive undertaking for a first-time author, and it was a bit of a struggle at times. Switching to novel writing was like working on a blank canvas. I could control the story and develop it into something I’ve poured my heart and soul into, and my personality is far more present in my fiction works.

Lucifer Just Wanted To Pet Kittens features an unexpectedly charming portrayal of Lucifer—what drew you to reinvent him in such a way?

As I made the decision to make God more human, it made sense to make Lucifer human as well. I wanted him to feel misunderstood and the perception of him being the embodiment of evil should differ based on another character’s point of view. He was immensely fun to write. He has magical powers but is hesitant to use them. He has morals and ethics but occasionally knows how to be an antagonist. God and Lucifer are central to the trilogy, and I wanted to portray them in a completely different manner than the usual ways. The simple concept of good versus evil didn’t really fit for the story, so making them team up for a common good adds a fun dynamic to their relationship.

You’ve worked across multiple formats—books, comics, screenplays. How do you decide which medium best suits a particular story?

I’ve never changed the medium based on a story. Typically, the medium is determined first. Although it is three vastly different styles of writing. Novels provide insight into character’s minds and inner workings. A film needs to show everything on screen, and with a twenty-two-page comic, every word matters. I’m a very visual writer and every story I create I see playing out in my head as a movie, such as camera angles, lighting, and art direction. My current comic series Shadowblade is a prequel series to the upcoming movie we hope to go into pre-production early next year. It’s the same world, but the writing is vastly different.

What challenges have you faced while developing Death Just Wanted To Eat Waffles, and how is it shaping up as the trilogy’s conclusion?

Wrapping the final part of a trilogy that spanned over a thousand pages by its conclusion is a lot of pressure. You want to treat the characters properly and give them the endings they deserve, be it sacrifices, or rewards. You want to provide a satisfying ending to the series. I’ve received dozens of kind messages from readers asking for the conclusion, and I want to deliver something that doesn’t make people feel like they wasted their time. I also have to say goodbye to these characters, and some have been in my head for over a decade.

With your extensive convention experience and guidebook, what advice would you give to authors navigating their first major con appearance?

Treat everyone who visits your table with respect. Be present, make eye contact, stand up, and put your phone away. If someone walks by and your head is down, they will likely keep walking. Speak about your work enthusiastically. You are your number one salesperson. You know your work better than anyone, and excitement is contagious. There’s a thin line between enthusiasm and pushiness.

What’s the most important piece of advice you would offer to aspiring or emerging authors trying to break into speculative fiction or horror?

Be true to yourself and write what you want to read. Don’t try to fit into a current trend or genre. Believe and trust in the characters you create and the world you want them to inhabit. Challenge yourself.

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