INTERVIEW: author Anna Stephens
We got a chance to sit down with Anna Stephens, the author of the epic fantasy series Godblind and Songs of the Drowned. Read along as we talk about writing, Marvel, martial arts, and all things dark and depraved.
[GdM] Hey Anna, thank you so much for doing this interview! To get things started, can you give a quick pitch of your works for the lovely sickos reading this?
[AS] Sure can. Hi, sickos!
I’m the author of the Godblind and the Songs of the Drowned trilogies, both epic, military, gritty fiction dealing with invasion, conquest, colonialism and mad gods.
The Godblind trilogy follows the lives and fates of people on both sides of the conflict as the country of Rilpor, whose people follow the Gods of Light, is invaded by the Mireces, who follow the Red Gods. What follows is a titanic struggle for control as battles are fought, sieges are laid, heroes are killed, and even the gods go to war.
In the Songs of the Drowned, I took the concept a step further, with the war-mongering Empire of Songs attempting to colonise the entire peninsula of Ixachipan, and the last two free lands standing against them. Again, we follow people on both sides of the conflict, but this time with added shamanic magic and horrifying water monsters.
[GdM] The Dark Feather, the conclusion of The Songs of the Drowned trilogy came out last year. How’s life been since then? What are you working on now?
[AS] It’s been great, thanks. I’m working on two new things, neither of which are military fiction because that series really wore me out. I was mentally exhausted by the time I’d pulled all the threads together to finish Songs, making sure the ideas around religious freedom/zealotry, class and caste, and colonialism and collaboration were all done justice.
I’ve currently got one novel – a stand alone with series potential – out on submission and I’m working on revising another in line with editorial comments. I’m also signed up to contribute short stories to two new anthologies, both of which should be out next year.
[GdM] This question is a two-parter about The Nail Scene
in Godblind. Number one: how dare you? Number two: how many notes of “Anna, what the fuck is wrong with you?” did you get?
[AS] Ha! To take your question in order: I’m old enough to remember the massive number of “edgy, powerful” films that came out in the early 00s that were considered horror because they didn’t pull the camera back from explicit scenes, whether of violence, torture, or rape. I can’t tell you how many scenes of graphic rape that went on for minutes I sat through as a young person, but every one of them filled me with rage. I wanted to turn the tables, so I thought, what’s the most horrific and also humiliating thing I can think of? And that was the hammer scene.
As for the number of comments, I still get them! Strangers come up to me at conventions with variations on “WHY?” and “I had to stop reading and go for a walk” which is always gratifying.
If it’s any consolation, there’s a scene in The Stone Knife, book one of SOTD, that has freaked people out far more than I was expecting. And it doesn’t even involve nails!
[GdM] If you lived in a world where books cost nothing to write and publish, but also they made no money, would you still be writing?
[AS] Hell yes. You can pry my pen/keyboard from my cold, dead hands – and I’ll still come back and haunt you about it.
Writing stories has been the one constant since I was a kid. The dedication in The Stone Knife is to my best friend, also my sister-in-law. We’ve known each other since we were five, and when we were fourteen, she asked what I wanted to do “when I grew up”. I put that in quotes because despite what my birth certificate and my knees insist, I don’t feel like an adult. I digress. She asked what I wanted to do with my life and I said be an author. It took a while, but here I am.
[GdM] You’ve gotten to write for Marvel before! Can you give us your Mt. Rushmore of superheroes?
[AS] Oh, that’s a tough one. I didn’t actually know too much about Lady Sif before writing her and Brunnhilde the Valkyrie for two novels, but I really love her now. She’s fierce, independent, reckless, loyal, brave and canny enough to be trusted by Thor… so I’d definitely say Sif. I’ve always had a soft spot for Spidey, because he’s just a kid trying to do the right thing.
And, while they’re not canonically superheroes, I grew up watching Thundercats, and they were amazing!
I really don’t like billionaire playboy heroes, so a big no to Ironman and Batman, and Superman has always left me cold. I like heroes who aren’t so superpowered that nothing is difficult for them, basically. I enjoy the struggle.
[GdM] What are you reading right now?
[AS] I’m currently reading an early ARC of Stewart Hotston’s forthcoming fantasy novel, the announcement for which hasn’t been made, so I can’t even tell you the title! It’s very good, though.
And I’m listening to Titanchild, book 2 in the Talon Duology, by Jen Williams, who continues to be one of my favourite authors.
[GdM] What’s the strangest thing you’ve taken inspiration from?
[AS] The character of Xessa in Songs of the Drowned came directly from a fragment of a dream. Actually, most of the setting of Ixachipan came from that fragment. All I could remember when I woke up was the image of a pair of bare feet standing in fertile soil at the edge of a river. From that, I knew that water was going to be important, and that the climate was warm enough that you didn’t need shoes. The rainforest setting came from there, and so did Xessa, who is an eja – a warrior who faces down the Drowned each day in order to get water to the city to keep it alive.
[GdM] Do you listen to music while writing? If so, what kind?
[AS] I do! It’s nearly always movie soundtracks, because they’re big and epic and don’t have lyrics to distract me. I’m a big fan of the soundtrack to My Country, The New Age, a Korean historical drama on Netflix that I have watched, uh, too many times? It’s just got everything – warring states, family rivalry for the crown, ruthless princes who will stop at nothing, peasant soldiers rising to greatness, love, epic battles, crushing betrayals, buckets of blood… everything you could possibly want. I love it. It helps, of course, that everyone is extremely attractive and they all look even better spattered with gore.
[GdM] How’s your martial arts training going these days?
[AS] Ah, unfortunately, I’m not in formal training at the moment. My club closed down some time ago and there’s only so much you can do in the back garden with an excitable poodle attempting to spar with you. We’re also looking to move house in the next year, so I don’t want to join another dojo only to immediately leave depending on where we move. So I’m going to wait until we’re settled and then find myself somewhere to train. I really miss it.
[GdM] Who’s the meanest, nastiest god in fantasy?
[AS] I mean, I’d like to make a strong case for the Dark Lady herself. Demanding, all-consuming, ever-hungry for love, obedience, power, dominion… she asks much of the worshippers who walk her path, and gives not a huge amount in return.
I’m going to go slightly off on a tangent here, but the best book I read last year was Chain-Gang All Stars by Nana-Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, in which capitalism was God, and it was definitely the meanest, most brutal deity I’ve read in some time. Everyone should check out that book!
[GdM] That about does it! Any last messages you want to give to the readers of this interview? Tell them where to buy your book, wish them a horrific day?
[AS] Thanks so much for the questions, and to you lot for reading! You can find out more about me and my work at https://anna-stephens.com, where I run writing courses, or visit www.thewriteadvice.co.uk if you’re looking for editing or mentoring support.
If you do pick up my work and can afford to do so, please, please shop independent! If not, go to the library – it’s free.
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