Interview with Sean Casey, Author of 'Dance of the King in Yellow'

Sean Casey, author of the novel *Dance of the King in Yellow*, recently discussed his writing journey and inspirations following a review of his work. Casey expressed excitement about connecting with readers through his new story.

In the interview, Casey shared that he began writing in high school, where he penned his first novel in a spiral notebook. He continued to write as a form of stress relief before deciding to publish his work. His first published piece was *Crow Lake Intergalactic Airport*, a science fiction novel.

The idea for *Dance of the King in Yellow* originated during Casey’s college years. He recounts a night with friends where they mused about challenges the devil might accept, jokingly suggesting he could cook a frozen pizza better than the devil. Years later, the inclusion of breakdancing as a controversial Olympic sport in the 2024 Games inspired Casey to write the novel, which took him about six months to complete.

When asked about the characters in his book, Casey noted that Bobby reflects some of his experiences growing up, as he was never particularly popular. He also mentioned drawing inspiration from a charismatic classmate who often made crude jokes, embodied in the character Harold, who is depicted as a demon.

Casey indicated that his favorite scenes involve Harold. He has written several other novels, including *Under the Forest*, where mannequins come to life in a small-town mall, and *Slasher in the Desert*, which follows a film crew encountering an alien. Other works include *Ui Bhreasail*, about a man who inadvertently causes a zombie apocalypse while safe in Hawaii, and *Naturally Artificial*, a sci-fi noir murder mystery.

When asked about his favorite work, Casey stated that *Under the Forest* stands out as his best novel due to its length and experimentation. He cited Stephen King, R.L. Stine, and Kurt Vonnegut as influential authors in his writing journey.

In a fun twist, he named his top reads: *Slaughterhouse-Five* by Kurt Vonnegut, *Ubik* by Philip K. Dick, *Catch-22* by Joseph Heller, and *The Stand* by Stephen King, the last being his personal favorite.

Casey, who plots his books before writing and enjoys carbonated drinks while working, currently has a full-time job at a factory producing fiber optic cables. He concluded the conversation by sharing his favorite horror films: *The Shining*, *The Thing*, and *Alien*.

Readers can explore Sean Casey's works on his website.