Luke Dumas
The Paleontologist
A haunted paleontologist returns to the museum where his sister was abducted years earlier and is faced with a terrifying and murderous spirit in this chilling novel.
DOSSIER: With your debut novel, A HISTORY OF FEAR, The Dossier has learned that you were partially inspired by your personal experience spent in Scotland. Do you have anything you’d like to tell us about your time creeping around a haunted museum that may have inspired you to write THE PALEONTOLOGIST? (A story that won the 2024 Thriller Award for Best Paperback Original and was named a 2023 Best Horror Book from Esquire).
DUMAS: There’s a line in The Paleontologist: “Anyplace containing the bones of the dead is bound to be haunted to some degree.” Well, if that’s true, I’ve definitely seen my fair share of haunted museums.
This book was inspired by my lifelong love of natural history. I’ve been obsessed with dinosaurs and paleontology for as long as I can remember. One of my happiest childhood memories is of visiting the Yale Peabody Museum, with its iconic Brontosaurus skeleton and The Age of Reptiles mural (a poster of which adorned my wall for many years—I wish I still had it). I had every intention of becoming a paleontologist one day or, failing that, opening my very own Jurassic Park.
It turns out paleontology wasn’t a great career choice for me; apparently it requires a lot more than just memorizing every species in Simon & Schuster’s Children’s Guide to Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals. But I still love a jaunt around my local natural history museum. Sadly, no ghosts have presented themselves yet, but I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.
Hollywood is calling
DOSSIER: With the option for television you’ve received for your writing, what can you tell us about that whole process? When will see something on the screen? Do you have any creative control? OK, wait. Let’s be honest. The biggest thing most people want to know is, have you gone “all Hollywood?”
DUMAS: Having my books optioned for film and TV is awesome, and very exciting in fits and starts, but for the most part, the process involves a lot of waiting around for others to tell me what’s happening. The teams I’m working with are great and have been very kind about inviting my input throughout the process, but ultimately I trust them to handle that side of things—and cross my fingers that eventually something will get made. The large majority of books that get optioned never do make it to screen, so I try not to invest too much emotionally in that outcome (and frequently remind my parents to do the same). For now, it’s just cool that really smart, talented people care enough about my stories to try to bring them to life.
Bad pop music
DOSSIER: When and where do you like to write and what environment works best? Is there speed metal playing, total silence, a cat on your lap?
DUMAS: Because I still maintain a day job in the nonprofit sector, I primarily write in the evenings and weekends. I prefer to have the whole day to devote to it, but I’ve learned to make the most of the time I have available. Often I have to drag myself to my desk after dinner to get my words done for the day, but I find that once I’m there, I get into the flow of it and enjoy the process. Mostly I write in my home office, but once in a while it’s nice to take my laptop to a coffee shop and feel like part of the world for a few hours, especially now that I work from home. In that case, I have to have my noise-cancelling headphones. Coffee-shop chatter and bad pop music are no bueno for my productivity. Depending on the day and the scene I’m writing, I either prefer quiet or a film score to set the mood—oh, and I’m a sucker for a good scented candle.
A fiend for book covers
DOSSIER: Since getting your master’s degree in creative writing in Scotland and publishing two books with Atria, what’s the best part of your writing experience these days? Be honest, it’s your publicist David Brown, isn’t it? You can say anything here. It’s a safe place. Besides, he’ll never read this interview.
DUMAS: David is definitely up there. I recently met him in person for the first time at Bouchercon in Nashville, and he was more hilarious and iconic than I ever realized. He has such an infectious laugh. And as a short guy, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that he is, shall we say, of moderate stature. #ShortKing. Okay, now I really hope he never reads this!
But to answer your question: My favorite part of the writing process is outlining. Although it has a reputation for sucking the fun out of the writing process, I actually find it the most creatively exciting part. That’s where I get to invent and play and throw stuff at the wall without the pressure of having to make everything word-perfect. In terms of the overall publishing process, I especially love seeing and collaborating on the creative elements that go into producing and selling a book: interior layouts, marketing copy, covers—I am a FIEND for book covers, and Atria’s are some of the best in the business. It’s not uncommon for me to mope around the house complaining about wanting to see my cover for books that I haven’t finished writing yet. It’s unhealthy.
Nothing Tastes as Good as …
DOSSIER: Do you have any news or announcement you’d like to disclose in your Dossier?
DUMAS: I’m really looking forward to the publication of my next novel, Nothing Tastes as Good. It’s a book I’ve wanted to write for years, following an obese man who enters a clinical trial for a miracle weight loss treatment that melts the fat off his body but transforms him into a ravenous killer with a taste for human flesh. Think Stephen King’s Thinner as reimagined for the Ozempic era. Release date TBD, but it’s looking like early 2026.
Discover more about Luke on Instagram | X | Threads | Luke Dumas and Amazon Author Page