Javier Sarabia, a native of Madrid, is a chemist by training and a salesman by profession, who is currently focused on teaching. After participating in the Relato48 competition, organized by the publishing house ExLibric, he was invited to publish his book La oscuridad interior (The Darkness Within). Sarabia notes that we’ve all faced fear at some point. We’ve felt its foul breath, its power to make our blood run cold, to leave us completely paralyzed. Fear takes many forms and arises from many sources, but the most terrifying are undoubtedly those within us, as they stay with us wherever we go.
Why did you choose thrillers and psychological horror as the genre for your first book?
I like thrillers because they mirror real life. Things almost always end as badly as expected, and there are no heroes or heroines to save the day. Happy endings have always seemed bland to me. In psychological horror, there are no happy endings—the anguish is always there. That’s what I love about it.
Of all the stories in La oscuridad interior, which is your favorite, and why?
It’s always difficult to choose from among the stories you’ve written. Each has something that resonates with me—a phrase, a situation, a memory. But if I have to pick just one, I would say La hija del sepulturero (The Gravedigger’s Daughter). I think I was able to create the heavy atmosphere I was aiming for when I wrote it.
Which authors have influenced your writing?
I try to draw ideas and insights from every author I read. Stephen King is one of my favorites. I love his plot twists. With Poe, it’s the delicacy and sobriety with which he writes about the darker aspects of life; with Hoffmann, his imagination and creativity; with Marc Pastor, his ability to send chills down the reader’s spine; with Juan Jose Millás, the ease with which he brings incredible worlds to life in the minds of his readers.
Could you share an anecdote about when you were writing these stories?
Most of my stories (I won’t say which) are inspired by events, big or small, that I’ve experienced in my life. One that stands out is Vecinos (Neighbors). When I was living alone, I had a neighbor whose room was right next to mine. I knew every detail of her lovemaking sessions. But the worst part was that her partners could never remember her apartment number. They would always buzz my intercom in the early hours of the morning. I think this explains why I felt compelled to write that particular story.
From the grim future of a young girl in La hija del sepulturero, to the extra-dimensional terrors of Dos es multitud (Two is a Crowd), to the harshness of prison life in Susurros (Whispers), La oscuridad interior (The Darkness Within) explores situations that connect us to our inner, often primal fears—fears that are very difficult to escape. The collection examines the boundaries between the morally acceptable and the forbidden. It challenges the reader to confront the shadows that reside within each of us through narratives that weave together suspense, mystery and deep reflection. It invites us to immerse ourselves in stories that reveal how personal choices can lead to unforeseeable consequences, forcing us to face our fears and our insecurities.
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FOR YOUR DIARY
Javier Sarabia will present La oscuridad interior (The Darkness Within) in Geneva on Thursday,
21 November 2024, at 19:30, at the Ferme Pommier (7, chemin du Pommier, Le Grand-Saconnex).
This event is organized by the Association of Spanish International Civil Servants and Palabras+ and will be moderated by Gemma Capellas Espuny and Jesús Guerrero Buitrago.