We are very excited to sit and down and talk with Nicholas Matsas. He is the author “Midnight Sons,” which is a featured story in our Spring 2025 issue.

“Midnight Son” has an intense and atmospheric setting. What inspired you to set the story in the isolation of Antarctica?

I could not get the color white out of my head. That beautiful white. I wanted it everywhere. So, two things happened. I had to write a story where white was everywhere, and I stumbled across one of, if not my favorite, Wikipedia page, Crime in Antarctica. And then I was off running. 

The story delves deeply into themes of isolation, cabin fever, and psychological tension. How did you approach developing these themes in such a harsh environment?

These themes exist in us, and a harsh environment will not only bring them to the surface but go beyond what a place or person thinks it is capable of. I think it’s safe to say that we all feel isolated and psychologically tormented from time to time, but I could walk to 7-Eleven right now and talk to Jass, the cashier, who is also my friend. I don’t think you can do that in Antarctica. I could be wrong, though; maybe there is a 7-Eleven there now. 

The relationship between Jacob Moon and Hozemeir McMurtrey is complex and layered. What inspired their dynamic, and what do you hope readers take away from their interactions?

I care greatly for all of my characters. This is going to sound strange, but there is a big place in my heart for Jacob Moon. He is not finished, and I don’t mean that in my relationship to creating the character but his existence. He’s impulsive and controlling, and there is no reason why. He was born with a deep sadness. There is a deep sadness in him. I believe he is capable of empathy, with separates him from a psychopath, but perhaps he has me fooled, too. Sometimes, I want to hug Jacob Moon. I think I have. I want to tell him everything will be ok, but then I might be lying. 

Hozemeir McMurtrey knows what he wants and thinks he’s s the smartest guy in the room. Unfortunately for him, he’s a pawn in the game Jacob Moon is playing with himself. 

Many things inspired their relationship. From comedy duos, Bonnie & Clyde, and Dumb and Dumber, to sort of holding a mirror up to myself and traveling in time. If I was born in 1942, would I shoot up amphetamines in Tulsa? I can’t reiterate enough how much I care about Jacob Moon. I think I’m just drawn to very sad people, even if it does not appear that way on paper. 

The story is rich with suspense and unexpected twists. What techniques did you use to maintain tension and keep readers guessing?

This story started as a screenplay. A pilot, and a friend of mine who reads screenplays for a living, Eric Hehr, told me to load it with questions, which is one of the funnest things to write in fiction, screenplays, letters to loved ones, etc.

When I’m writing, especially in a first draft, I start to feel excited and ask myself, what is happening over there? Why are these two in a room? Oh my god, they love this person. It’s strange because you think you figure it out before the character knows it, and then the character reveals to you that they have known that all along. Sometimes, though, it is as simple as what would make my jaw drop right now and trusting you have good taste. 

Writing about Antarctica likely required some research. How did you prepare to write about the region’s unique conditions and challenges?

I have a book, and I can’t remember if it was a gift or if I bought it because I was very into photography at the time; that gives a visual and written account of the human history of Antarctica. Another book, the Crossing of Antarctica by George Lowe & Huw Lewis-Jones, was also a big help. Werner Herzog’s documentary, Encounters at The End of The World, and that goddamn internet that we all have. A lot of the murders in the story have actually happened in one way or another. Someone really did get killed for giving the way to the ends of all the books in the library in the 70s at a station. 

The characters in “Midnight Son” often grapple with moral ambiguity. How do you think the extreme setting influences their decisions and ethical boundaries?

“Midnight Son” is a story about people doing what they need to do to get to the next day, hoping it will be better. Thomas might be the only character living in the present, and he’s a drunk. 

Extreme settings and situations can reinforce the already existing moral ambiguity. Antarctica did not change any of my characters. It revealed them. I think it’s funny when someone says, “Man, money changed so and so.” It revealed them. They now possess “power” that gives them the confidence to do what they have always wanted to do. What they would have done before they had money, but now they feel like they have the means to reveal their whole self. 

The story doesn’t shy away from violence, both physical and psychological. What role do you think violence plays in exploring the characters’ humanity (or lack thereof)?

I think, unfortunately, that we are violent animals and that evil exists and will never, ever go away. Violence is the natural reaction if your notion of terror forces you into a corner. You can’t run. I don’t think violence explores humanity. I think it is humanity, but not all of it. The greatest human accomplishment was creating civilization that gave room for the more beautiful, good aspects of us to grow, and for most parts of the world, beauty and good outnumber violence. Violent characters are scared; if they are not, then you’re dealing with someone like Satan or the Grim Reaper, aka fantasy: the Michael Myers, Anton Cigurhs. I do like those characters, but they do not exist. In reality, if someone is perceived as cold-blooded, there is an emotional undercurrent that justifies their violence. It is the same for psychological violence (title of my next book?). It’s all about stepping on someone, or something will step on you. God forbid. 

Me? I just want to watch the flowers grow.