By Sara Atencio-Gonzales, The Paper. – For Scotty Milder, horror has never been just a genre. It has been a lifelong fascination that has shaped his work as a writer, filmmaker, podcaster and educator while helping connect horror fans and creators across New Mexico.
“I’ve been into horror since I can remember, since I was a little kid, before I even really knew it was a genre,” says Milder.
Growing up in Los Alamos, he spent hours wandering into the video store next to his mother’s beauty salon, captivated by the eerie VHS box art that lined the horror section. As he got older, authors like Stephen King transformed that childhood fascination into a creative ambition.
“When I started reading Stephen King, I got kind of serious about it, like, this is what I want to do, I want to be a writer,” says Milder.
Today, Milder has built a career that spans multiple creative disciplines. He is an award-winning filmmaker whose feature film Dead Billy earned Best Drama at the New Mexico Filmmaker’s Showcase. His short films have screened internationally, including at the Cannes Film Festival and the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival. His fiction has appeared in numerous horror magazines and anthologies, and he also teaches screenwriting and film production at Santa Fe Community College and the University of New Mexico.
Yet despite those accomplishments, Milder remains deeply invested in fostering a stronger local horror scene.
New Mexico itself plays a major role in his creative work. Growing up in Los Alamos left him fascinated by both the history and mystery surrounding the birthplace of the atomic bomb. “The bomb looms large,” says Milder, describing how that influence continues to appear in his writing.
More recently, Milder has become interested in what he calls “southwestern gothic,” blending traditional gothic themes with New Mexico’s unique landscape. “The horror of isolation of the big wide open spaces,” says Milder, offers something entirely different from the densely populated environments often associated with classic horror stories.
Beyond writing and filmmaking, podcasting has become one of Milder’s most effective tools for connecting with the horror community. He co-hosts The Weirdest Thing with Amelia Ampuero, a podcast exploring unusual stories from history and culture, and hosts Horror from the High Desert, where he interviews horror writers and creators from around the country.
“I started it for fun, and just because I like talking about the genre,” says Milder. “I wanted to talk to some of my favorite writers.”
What began as a passion project has evolved into something larger. “The podcast has gotten really popular, specifically with other horror writers. So, you know, now my name is kind of known in that world,” says Milder.
Milder has also witnessed significant changes within horror itself. One of the most encouraging developments, he said, has been the growing diversity of voices within the genre. “A lot of queer voices, lot of different racial and ethnic perspectives, lot of cultural perspectives, and it’s just been really exciting to see that kind of evolution,” says Milder.
While Milder continues developing his own work, including a southwestern gothic vampire novel set in Albuquerque, Milder hopes his lasting contribution to New Mexico horror extends beyond any single story or film.
“I would like to be part of really creating our community for fans,” says Milder. “I’d like to be part of that, making something cohesive out of that.”
That goal will be on display July 11 when Milder joins fellow local authors Jeff C. Carter, TL Bodine and Bradley Nordell for Wicked Whispers: Summer Slashers at Painted Lady Bed & Brew (1100 Bellamah Ave. NW). The event will feature live readings, book signings and an opportunity for horror fans to meet some of the writers helping shape New Mexico’s growing horror scene.
Milder describes the evening as a “spooky campfire night” where authors gather to share stories with an audience. For readers curious about local horror, it offers a chance to experience firsthand the community Milder has spent years helping build.
If you go…
Wicked Whispers: Summer Slashers
- Saturday, July 11, 7 to 9 p.m.
- Painted Lady Bed & Brew (1100 Bellamah Ave. NW)
- Free!