ISSUE 1 AUTHOR INTERVIEW: SELKOS
Show of hands: who’s interested in some Eldritch horror/Void fucking erotica? Author Selkos joins NYGEL to discuss “Mage’s Bargain,” a sexy gem of a story from NYGEL’s first issue!
NYGEL: What piece of media was your gateway into monsterfuckery?
Selkos: It's safe to say that the animated Gargoyles show was an early awakening for me as far as being able to appreciate the more monstrous. We grew up with a lot of media that was hinting at monsterfuckery, like Buffy's various vampire affairs, but it was reading one of the Anita Blake books that lovingly described a full on werewolf snuff film that it finally clicked in the 'okay, they don't just have to be humans with lumpy foreheads, we can get WEIRD.'
NYGEL: What creature or character is your biggest 'hear me out'?
Selkos: How are the Borg not considered more sexy than they are? It's like an intro to dronification and hive mind scenarios. And you've got the Borg Queen right there! The phrase 'Resistance is futile' should need to come with a wet floors warning. That every character ISN'T making mewling little moans when they get injected with nanites is cowardice!
NYGEL: Did anything in particular inspire you to write this story?
Selkos: There's a Robert E. Howard poem about delving into the depths for power that I always liked, but really, wizards and warlocks making dark pacts for power is CLASSIC. Usually it's a succubus or incubus that shows up for the deal if it's being sexy. I just enjoyed turning the dials up; More eldritch, more queer, more tentacles. And, any opportunity to make the characters more androgynous or non-binary is always a plus.
NYGEL: If you could add a monster romance to any existing story, what would you choose and why?
Selkos: This is more to a genre of stories. So, I am always a sucker for the Age of Sail, Hornblower or Aubery-Maturin in space/fantasy world type stories, and a lot of times the adaptations come out feeling sanitized to preserve the feel of the social mores of the era they're trying to emulate. Let there be more weird alien fucking going on. Yes, raise the solar sails, align the broadside on that alien frigate at the edge of the known universe, but don't forget to rake her stern afterwards. You know, after you've taken her captain captive and learned that your rivalry over the years hid an intense and undeniable attraction despite differing physiologies of course.
NYGEL: What would you like to see more of when it comes to weird and spicy fiction?
Selkos: Ohhh, this is a tough one, because there is much weird and wonderful stuff coming out from so many talented people, just because I don't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist in a thriving community hidden away in a corner of the web. That being said...very non-human protagonists. Let your viewpoint characters be unabashedly weird and wild, not just humans trying to contain monstrous urges.
Check out Selkos’ super steamy story “Mage’s Bargain” only in NYGEL’s first issue (on sale until the end of 2025!)
A kinky cryptid hailing from the sodden lands of Florida, Selkos spent half of their life training to be evil, in service to the Dark Lords of Capitalism, but escaped through the power of radical empathy. Now, redeemed by the forces of queer joy and depraved erotica, Selkos writes speculative fiction, tabletop games, and exquisitely filthy bespoke smut for discerning readers like you.
