Our next anthology, Tales from the Ruins, is going to be a cataclysmic one! It will be released on the 25th of February but the Kindle version is available for pre-order today at just 99c instead of $3.99. To celebrate the imminent publication of the first Black Beacon Books anthology exclusively dedicated to post-apocalyptic fiction, we’re interviewing the contributing authors. Behold the maniacal workings of their troubled minds!
Let’s make the first question a lighthearted one...hmm...okay, got it! Is your story simply an entertaining piece of fiction or are you giving us a peek at the terrifying fate tomorrow will unleash upon us?
A bit of both! My story is more of a snapshot rather than a larger, linear tale. I wanted to describe a "normal" day in the life of someone trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. So I suppose it's less entertainment and more "oh gosh, this must be really lonely".
What is it that makes post-apocalyptic fiction so appealing? Would the world be better off if more people read this genre?
I started reading the Obernewtyn Chronicles by Isobelle Carmody when I was in high school, which instilled a respect for nature and conserving things that may one day be taken away. I know a lot of people who read the series grew up with a similar mindset, so I definitely think the world would be better if more people had read the genre. I don't know if the world would be better off now, since there are many people in power who have the ability to focus on climate change issues and choose not to. But there are many younger people who will one day replace these relics and bring about change.
Do you have a favourite post-apocalyptic author?
Did I mention Isobelle Carmody? For those who haven't read the OC, it's set in a post-apocalyptic world following a global nuclear holocaust called The Great White. Because of this event, people were born with enhanced mental abilities, called Talents. They include Empathy, Healing, Futuretelling, Farseeking, Beastspeaking, Teknopathing, and Coercion. Some characters even have the Killing power. These people are condemned by the religious council, the Herder Faction, and sent to Obernewtyn, a place initially built as a prison, but which over time becomes a sanctuary. I think it's such a powerful story because it's all about resilience, especially when it seems the world is against you. I recommend it to everyone!
Some people like to listen to music while reading. Which song can you imagine providing the soundtrack to your story?
Major Tom by Peter Schilling. But in the original German. It's got the right amount of hope and resilience. And it's so catchy.
If you woke up in your story tomorrow, what would you do?
Wish I wasn't so antisocial! I'm pretty headstrong, but I think I'd try and find a group of people and stick with them. People who know how to survive in the wilderness – and know how to rock-climb! Also cry because there's no more music. Music is life.
There are no firearms or ammunition. You have to choose an everyday object from the home or garden as your weapon of choice—what’s in your hands?
I'm actually an avid gardener, so I have a solid axe. It's good for cutting down trees, and I'm assuming good for chopping up zombies.
Time to get more personal. Tell us three interesting facts about yourself.
I was almost crushed to death by a giant stone pot plant as a child. I deliberately broke another kid's arm when I was a kid cause he was mean to me (I swear I'm not a psycho). And I once took off all my clothes and let strangers paint me.
What do you aim to give your readers?
Food for thought. I like exploring what it means to be human, and all the facets that make us so unique. I want people to read my stories and think about their connections to their bodies and who they are as individuals. What makes them unique? What seems like a detriment but is actually a superpower?
What are you working on now?
I'm currently working on a short story about the bone fairy, a more twisted relative of the tooth fairy. She takes the bones of people with cancers like chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. It's kind of like darker version of "Through A Glass, Darkly" by Norwegian author Jostein Gaarder.
Where can we find you online?
You can check out my website at www.clairefitzpatrick.com.au, my Instagram at
throughaglass_darkly91 (I post a lot of pictures of my garden, my cats, and my chickens), and
my Twitter at CJFitzpatrick91.
Thanks for playing along. Good luck in the wastelands!
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