Issue 1 Author Interview: Joachim Heijndermans
In honor of NYGEL’s debut issue, we interviewed Joachim Heijndermans, author of Issue 1’s “Please Show Me Stars.”
NYGEL: What piece of media was your gateway into monsterfuckery?
JH: While some of the more risque European comics and Japanese anime had some monsterfucker coded themes, it was funny enough memes by people preferring the Beast over the prince from 'Beauty and the Beast,' which led me to deep dive how prevalent this was among readers and viewers of the story (my imprint 'Beautiful Beasts' takes its name from a Greta Garbo quote). This led to me writing novellas with this theme and, before long, I was introduced to many other authors who wrote in the same genre, hitting the same beats that I enjoy.
NYGEL: What creature or character is your biggest 'hear me out'?
JH: I recently sold a short story that features a massive sentient leech and their human partner, so that has been my most out there idea so far.
Buuuut…I do have a concept that is probably my most hear me out there because, at first glance, it doesnt seem that Monsterfuckery at all.
It stars a certain golden age of comics superhero.
It will be…something else.
NYGEL: Did anything in particular inspire you to write this story?
JH: My inspirations from Star Trek are probably pretty on the nose, especially as it has been a series rife with inter-species relationships since its inception. But, being a tv-show with human actors, there's only so much it has been able to do. Having been in a long-distance relationship myself, I'm more than familliar with the challenges of trying to maintain a relationship beset by obstacles.
NYGEL: If you could add a monster romance to any existing story, what would you choose and why?
JH: I'm not sure I'd add any monster romance to existing stories myself that aren't in the public domain (I did a Beauty and the Beast novella and all). At most, I'd make clear expy stories that are still somewhat original worlds.
That said, more Emily Brönte/Jane Austen style stories with monstrous paramours is always welcome.
NYGEL: What would you like to see more of when it comes to weird and spicy fiction?
JH: Robin Williams once did a bit on more Shakespearean quality pornography is needed. I would say massive, vast years-to century-sprawling epics with spice and smut as part of it are warranted. Space operas. Fantasy epics. Doorstopper sized tales where the complex world-building and smut are equally important.
Check out Joachim’s story “Please Show Me Stars” in Issue 1 for sapphic, scifi smut with tentacles and jellyfish goodness!
Joachim Heijndermans is a writer, artist, filmmaker and SFWA from the Netherlands. His written work has been published in a great number of publications and in several languages, including as audio stories and comic books and adapted for film and television (Netflix's 'Love, Death + Robots).
He publishes erotic science fiction, fantasy and horror through his Beautiful Beasts imprint, with the fourth installment recently announced.
In his spare time he reads, draws comics and collects toys and books.
BlueSky: @jheijndermans.bsky.social
