Page 37 - Reader's House Magazine

Captivating from cover to cover! This book delves into the depths of human emotion with exquisite prose and unparalleled insight. A literary masterpiece that will linger in your mind long after you’ve turned the final page.
What inspired you to create the intricate world of The Commons, and how did you approach building its unique mythology?
I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of being trapped in an alien world. I suppose I’d have to blame the Krofft brothers because I grew up on ‘70s American Sa- turday-morning fare such as H.R. Pufnstuf, Lidsville, and Land of the Lost, which all involved a kid or a family from our world ending up in a strange land they couldn’t escape. And I was drawn into just how weird it was. I mean, you’re stuck with a bunch of talking hats because you fell into one?
I’d also hold Stan Lee and Step- hen King responsible because I moved on to more intricate, more dangerous worlds as I grew up reading Marvel comics and King’s novels. And I thought that layering on a world drawn from the ima- ginings, dreams, and nightmares of everyone who’s ever passed through it made it even more interesting.
As far as its mythology goes,
I wanted it to look like somet- hing that emerged from chaos
and created its own sort of order (as much as there is one) out of necessity. It was never supposed to be the world that it became. The dead—”real” people, or bona fides in the lingo of The Commons— were meant to move through
it to determine their ultimate destination. They were supposed to take their Essence—or life force—with them when they went. And the mythicals—the imagi- ned beings and entities from the bona fides’ former lives—should have disappeared once those who created them moved on. When Mr. Brill took over and started stealing all of the Essence for himself,
the works got gummed up, so to speak.
What does a world that wasn’t meant to have such a population look like when it’s filled with made-up creatures and beings that can’t move on? That’s what I set
out to build.
The characters in “The Journeyman” are diverse and complex. Can you share your process for developing their personalities and arcs?
Mainly, I wanted to explore what happens when you take a certain trope or expected type of character and put them into a situation outsi- de of the story they’re supposed to live in. Paul is a street kid whose life has been about determination in the face of helplessness. He’s never had much, and now suddenly he’s potentially one of the most power- ful beings in this world he’s landed in. But he doesn’t know how to use that power and isn’t sure what he’s supposed to do with it.
equation, it’s your fault. You weren’t strong enough or good enough at the game.
Brill is what happens when we ignore our empathy and genero- sity. Or, worse, when we let it curdle and transform into the opposite of what it’s supposed to be, where we blame those who suffer in such a system. We know the differen- ce between right and wrong. We just have
The novel explores themes of redemption, sacrifice, and the power of hope. What message or takeaway do you hope readers will gain from these themes?
You have more power than you think you do. They need you to believe you don’t. They want you to think the decisions should all
be left up to them because they’re better and smarter than you. That’s why they have all the money, right? Because they deserve it, and you don’t. Nonsense. We have hope and love. And hope and love are power.
The journey through The Commons is filled with sur- real landscapes and imagi- native creatures. How did you go about crafting these fantastical elements, and were there any particular influences or inspirations?
If I had to choose one strong influence, it would be Neil Gai- man’s Sandman comics. I wanted The Commons to feel much like an American version of The Drea- ming. A fantastic landscape should resonate like a dream does—as something very strange and dyna- mic, with weird combinations of landscapes, inhabitants and obje- cts. And things can change at any time. The strange and ridiculous can have weight, meaning, and
The mythicals are standard types who become their own type of being when they’re allowed to
go their own way. Po is a shaolin monk who’s angry because he’s
a stereotype from an old kung-fu movie. So he has a temper. And he doesn’t speak because his voice is an offensive cliche, which he can’t help. Ken is a monster, outwardly, but is one of the kindest and most philosophical of the characters. Zach is a special-needs kid who’s
a lot stronger than he appears to be. And so on. I wanted to take conventions we think we know and turn them on their head a bit. I’m three books in, and they have a lot more surprises in them to come.
Ultimately, human capability is the most we have to offer. It’s a double-edged sword, of course. We can use that capability to destroy each other, our home, ourselves. Or we can bring it to bear in order to help one another and build ourselves up by building everyone up. It’s all a matter of what motivates you. Do you want to use that capability to further only your own ends, even if it’s
The concept of Mr. Brill as a corporate raider controlling the afterlife is both fasci- nating and chilling. What inspired this antagonist, and what message or themes were you exploring through his character?
Mr. Brill and the antagonists who succeed him are toxic corporatism personified. You see him in the real world. Greedy and powerful types who justify taking everything for themselves by trying to tell everyone that’s the natural way of things, ie: it’s your job to grab all you can. And if you end up on the wrong end of the
at everyone else’s expense? Or do you want to use it for good? In the end, it’s people choosing to do the right thing, to help one another, even at great cost to themselves. Selfishness is an easy choice because so many people are doing it. Sacrifice for the greater good
to remember it—and want to.
poignance, and what seems to be important and momentous in the waking world easily fades away in this imaginary place.
There are rules, but they change, and they don’t necessarily match the rules we’re used to in the “real” world.
The Journeyman touches on the idea of unseen potential and the depths of human ca- pability, particularly through characters like Zach. What motivated you to incorporate this aspect into the story, and what significance does it hold for you personally?
is hard. That’s why so few people choose it.
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