I’m so happy to be able to bring to you an interview with McKenna Reubush, author of Enter a Glossy Web. She was a fantastic guest and has released her debut novel recently, a beautiful and interesting children’s book. You can find her on her website or on twitter (@McKennaRuebush).
Watch my review of Enter a Glossy Web:
So let’s start with the basics. Can you give a quick summary of Enter a Glossy Web?
Oh that’s actually a hard one, I’ve always had trouble with being brief as I’m somewhat relentlessly thorough.
Enter a Glossy Web is about three kids who come together when they most need each other, and then set out to save the worlds, as there‘s nobody else but them to do it.
The story follows George, a girl who’s moved in with her aunt and uncle. Is George based on anyone in particular?
Not at all. George developed independently of any external influences I think. I can’t say the same about other characters, like Nero, who is partially based on my cats.
No, that’s not correct exactly. She developed independently of any living external influences, but she was of course influenced strongly by other books I’ve read I’m sure. I’ve never personally known anyone like George, but she’s probably a conglomeration of different traits that I’ve admired in other characters.
What authors do you consider influential to your reading and writing life?
Piers Anthony was one of the first fantasy authors I read, and as a result I’ve developed a weakness for puns.
That’s a difficult question because whereas certain authors inspire me greatly, such as J. R. R. Tolkien, William Goldman, Patrick Rothfuss, and so on, I can’t say that I am anywhere near that level of creativity and writing.
Though I suppose they count, as they do influence and inspire me.
Do you mind telling me more about Nero and your cats?
Snoot wearing a mischievous smile.
When I first began truly developing Nero as a character and a person, rather than a catch-all villain, I remember writing a note down about the behavior of my cats and how it might apply to Nero.
“A character who does something just to see how it turns out, just to see if the same awful thing happens every time.”
Which is how my cat, Snoot, operates in general.
So Nero was inspired partially by my cats in that he has a truly scholarly and curious purpose behind some of his misdeeds. There’s actually a scene near the beginning of Enter a Glossy Web where Nero knocks some things over just to see them fall, which is a direct homage to Snoot.
Ha! That’s really funny
I think one of the really interesting things is that Nero should in theory be a good guy. He’s fundamentally a Judge. But you go into giving more complexity to that role. Were you doing this on purpose? How did you imagine that playing with kids?
Nero is a person who has been influenced by his past and the things that have happened to him, often due to his own decisions. Nero has been good in the past, and part of him is still good, I’m sure, as few people (I hope) are ever 100% truly evil. Having a character like that was important to me because any of us at any time could be a single decision away from being somebody else’s villain. I think kids know that. Being on the playground someone can be your best friend one day, and the next day they can be your worst bully. Sometimes you can be the best friend/worst bully combination. It all depends on how you decide to proceed.
I really loved George’s friends in the story, especially Caleb and Mikal. The three of them all work together to make one another stronger and do it very consciously. Did you mean to target this? and what kind of “weaknesses” did you want to draw on?
I wanted them to be a team, and I wanted each of them to be important and to bring something unique to the group. I think the main “weakness”, the one that all three experience, is fearfulness. George is afraid of messing up, of the consequences of messing up; Caleb is afraid of not being loved; Mikal is afraid of most things. Of course, fear isn’t a weakness, but it’s dangerous to let fear make your decisions for you.
How old were you when you started to write?
The answer I always give is eleven. I have a bad memory, but I think that’s about right as it was in between living with my father in Illinois and my mother in California.
My grandmother told me I was writing stories as young as four, but I have no memory of that.
So eleven is the safe and most honest answer in my opinion.
I told you I was ridiculously thorough!
This is your debut novel, though. But you’re contracted for more. How many books are planned? And are you using the same artist for the next book?
Only one more book is planned to follow Enter a Glossy Web. As far as I know we are using Jaime Zollars again. I absolutely love what she did with Enter a Glossy Web, and can’t wait to see what she does with the next book.
I’m so excite for the sequel. I’m glad that Zollars will be working with it again. It must have been so exciting.
It was incredible. I think I actually cried when I saw the first mock-ups. I don’t have kids, but seeing that first picture of George, in black and white, was like seeing my own children for the first time. I had been working with these characters for almost fifteen years, and had never seen them.
Oh, and the way Jaime imagined George was more perfect than I could have dreamed. She took everything that had been happening in my head and made it real and better. She’s amazing.
Where are you in the process of book 2?
I’m about 1/3rd of the way through the first draft. I should be finished with the first draft in about three months, and then we’ll move on to revisions.
Awesome! So, the last thing I always ask is what you’re reading at the moment.
I’m currently in the middle of The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, and about to start The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett, though my inner perfectionist is insisting I start properly at the beginning of DiscWorld with The Colour of Magic.
It seems like every week (or more) another person lists the “history” or “best of” science fiction and fantasy while failing to mention women, people of color, or LGBTQIA+ contributors to the genre. Surprise.
I’m not going to mention the particular posts prompting this. Suffice it to say that the past two weeks have been surprisingly full of them ranging from well-established bloggers to bookstore lists.
While I find it difficult to imagine a full picture of science fiction and fantasy that doesn’t (at the least) include the works of Mary Shelley, Margaret Atwood, or Ursula K. Le Guin, the argument continues to be made that the “highlights” of SFF are largely male.
Rather than raging against the machine, though that certainly has its place and I’m prone to do it, I’m going to highlight some authors you should try out to broaden your SFF horizons. Huzzah!
Nnedi Okorafor is a Nigerian-American woman with a sense of the spectacular. Her most recent novella, Binti, is a fantastic examination of humanity at its most complicated. It takes the examination of race, gender, and their intersections to space and succeeds in every possible way. Plus, once Binti makes you fall in love with Nnedi, her backlist will make your soul scream (in a good way).
Genevieve Valentineis an American author and comics writer. She has a wide range of stories, including The Girls at the Kingfisher Club, a retelling of the twelve dancing girls set in the 1920s and Persona, a futuristic political thriller. She’s a highly acclaimed author well worth the check out.
Rachel Pollackis a transsexual woman who has had a large influence on feminist science fiction and fantasy, the women’s spirituality movement, and a wide variety of authors like Neil Gaiman. On top of her novels, she also wrote for DC comics. Her work is pretty surreal, mixing spiritualism with futuristic and fantasy elements. Her Temporary Agency is definitely the place to start for a temperate taste of Pollack’s works.
Angela Slatter is an Australian author. While most of her works are short fiction, included in a number of short story collections and anthologies, you can also snag her stand-alone novella Of Sorrow and Such. She’s fantastic at creating heart-wrenching stories with complicated characters all in a short period of time. She’s got all the awards to prove it, and a contract for a full novel release this year.
N.K. Jemisinis just fantastic. I’m just going to gush about her for a minute. N.K. Jemisin is an African American author with some amazing talent. Her newest book, The Fifth Season, is easily one of my favorite books of 2015. She blends non-western settings and characters with fantastic magic and world building. Her characters are ridiculously well developed. I can’t get over her. Go read The Fifth Season. You’ll see.
Angelica Gorodischer is an Argentinean author whose works have been translated into English through Small Beer Press. She came into the scene in 2003 by way of Ursula K Le Guin, so you know it’s got to be good. Her stories focus on more than just the typical character and plot driven stories. They are fairytale like, with settings that act on the story as well as on people and a sort of wide-view of fantasy that’s hard to describe. Her Kalpa Imperial and Trafalgar collections are fantastic. I’ve yet to read her newest, but it’s on my list.
Now, I know what you’re saying, “But, Bree, this list is only seven authors and all are women.”
So true. This is far from a comprehensive list. This is only really the authors who came to mind in the 30 seconds following me reading one of the aforementioned articles about SFF being a male domain. More comprehensive lists are definitely out there. In fact, here are links to some fantastic lists of authors:
Or, hey, maybe you know those guys. Here is a list of people on twitter (mostly bloggers and authors who promote, read, write, etc. diverse books. The list is short, but I plan on adding to and maintaining it.
lowteabooks.com 