Malaysia's 'Stephen King' is scared of poodles

It just happens that when I write fiction, it almost always goes in this gothic, paranormal, dark-thriller-type direction. If you asked me to write a romance, it would be something I just wouldn't be able to do,' says Tunku Halim. Photo: Filepic

He has conjured demons and dark fates in his creepy tales, but Malaysian horror writer Tunku Halim is scared of dogs.

"I'm not talking just about big dogs which might bite, but cute little poodles too," says the self-avowed cynophobe in an e-mail interview.