Viggy Parr Hampton Author Interview: Medical Horror, Favorite Book, Birdwatching and More
Balancing motherhood, medical expertise, and a deep fascination with horror, Viggy Parr Hampton brings a uniquely grounded perspective to the genre. An epidemiologist by training and a prolific horror author by passion, Viggy draws inspiration from real medical history, personal fears, and the unsettling truths buried in the past. In this interview, she talks about family life, science, comfort watches, creative burnout, and the real-world horrors that shape her fiction.
What’s a typical weekend like for you when you’re not writing or podcasting?
I’ve got a four-year-old and a two-year-old, so weekends are always busy! If I have any work to do, I try to get it done between 4:30am and 7am, when everybody wakes up. After that, we usually do family brunch, go on bike rides or walks with our dog Tater Tot, play board games, and watch movies.
You’re an epidemiologist by training – how does working in public health shape the way you think about horror and fear?
I’ve always been interested in science and biology, but one of my biggest fears is germs. Getting into epidemiology was interesting for sure, but it was also a ‘know your enemy’ situation for me. My fascination with disease has always been tied up with my own personal fears, because I’ve always thought that the more I know about something, the less I fear it. That doesn’t always work out, and that push-pull dynamic has definitely infiltrated all of my writing and helped build some serious tension.
What book (by another author) has stayed with you the longest, and why do you think it left such a mark?
I absolutely loved The Radium Girls by Kate Moore. It’s the true story of the women who worked with radium paint in factories during World War 2 and subsequently grew gravely ill with radiation poisoning. Moore does an incredible job telling the story in an engaging way, but I think the reason this has really stuck with me is that this is a completely true story. I always like to bring a bit of reality into my horror books, and there is so much real life horror in history. The Radium Girls also piqued my interest as an epidemiologist, given that it’s such a heart-wrenching portrayal of medical horror.
What’s a comfort TV show or film you always find yourself returning to?
My comfort TV shows are Scrubs, The Office, and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. My comfort films are IT (the original with Tim Curry), Heathers, The Stuff, and Total Recall (the original with Schwarzenegger).
Do you collect anything, or have any unusual interests that might surprise readers?
I live in the low country area of Georgia, and I’ve become a huge bird nerd. My husband and I love to go birding, and we’re always trying to identify all the birds around us. My absolute favorite (currently) is a Great Blue Heron!
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Where do your story ideas usually come from – are they rooted in real-world anxieties, science, or sudden ‘what if’ moments?
I usually find a lot of inspiration from history, especially medical history. My novels The Rotting Room and A Veritable Household Pet were both inspired by actual history. I think one of the scariest aspects of a book is being able to point to the horror between the pages and say ‘This particular story may be fiction, but this event really happened.’
You host Horror Humor Hunger. How does talking about horror compare to writing it?
I absolutely love talking about horror, because I find it endlessly fascinating how horror manifests differently to different people. We all have a wide range of unique fears—I call them ‘horror funny bones.’ Breaking down what is scary and why also helps me better understand fear, which helps me become a better writer.
Do you ever struggle with creative burnout, and how do you know when it’s time to step back and recharge?
Most of my burnout comes from feeling like my human battery is low due to the everyday tasks involved with having two young kids. When that happens, my creativity and motivation go out the window. To get back in the right groove, I try to find some quiet and space, go for a walk, and, most importantly—wait until my kids are at school!
For readers discovering your work for the first time, which book would you recommend starting with?
I get this question a lot, and because my books are so different, I always say ‘it depends.’ If you want something fun that reads more like a thriller, try A Cold Night for Alligators. If you want psychological horror filled with feminine rage, try Much Too Vulgar. If you want terrifying demonic possession in a Gothic historical setting, try The Rotting Room. Finally, if you want real-life medical horror, pick up A Veritable Household Pet. But, if you asked me my favorite, I’d have to say my most recent—A Veritable Household Pet.
What are you working on next?
My fifth novel, Ripped Up the Middle in Two, which is motherhood-meets-cryptid horror, will publish in August. I’m currently working on getting that one ready for beta readers. I’ll also start working on my sixth novel, which will be a twist on a haunted house story.
Viggy Parr Hampton’s work sits at the intersection of science, history, and deeply human fear, making her stories as thought-provoking as they are unsettling. Whether she’s exploring medical horror, psychological terror, or cryptid-infused motherhood, her curiosity and compassion shine through. With new projects on the horizon and an ever-expanding body of work, Viggy is an author well worth watching — and reading.
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