This is the ninth edition of The Voice In Your Head Is Mine. The date is July 6th, 2020. If you're receiving this email and have no idea what's going on, well, fuck. I guess I blew it. Or maybe you blew it. Either way, you're here and this is Zac Thompson's weekly newsletter.
It’s the late morning on Monday. I just woke up to the passing of Ennio Morricone. I’m sure his film scores mean the world to many and it’s no different for myself. I have fond memories of watching Once Upon A Time In The West for the first time, and seeing the score match with the images was unrivaled poetry. His work is beyond compare and he’ll be sorely missed. I’ll be listening to him all day as a result.
This past week was a melancholic one. The art and writing for Lonely Receiver has completed. There’s still a lettering pass on the final issue but the project is entirely complete. Which is an odd feeling given #1 hasn’t even hit stores yet. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever done, experimental tonally, formally, and more surreal. I’m excited to see what folks think.
On the flip side, we’ve officially completed writing No One’s Rose. Which couldn’t be more different. A hard science fiction book that blends environmental research with social and political commentary. Every day that co-writer Emily Horn and myself worked on the book, the fiction on the pages marched closer to reality. That’s both comforting and scary.
Now both are done and a year of my life has effectively wrapped. I can’t say much about what’s next just yet but I’ve got two new projects to dive into right away. Which is exciting and terrifying.
So with much to do, this will be a short one.
On The Natural World
Over the past 18 months I’ve become a vegan and read more non-fiction and philosophy about our current climate crisis than I care to mention. (Though, perhaps I’ll compile a reading list if people are interested). Anyway, this has changed me and it’s changed my writing.
I used to think of the natural environment as this passive thing that exists completely outside of us, mostly as a backdrop to whatever it is we’re doing in the moment. This obviously excludes the odd trek in the woods, camping trip, or whatever. But the more I’ve been thinking about it, the more I realize that we don’t really have much fiction that presents the natural environment as it is.
I suppose what I mean by that, is plants, animals, and trees are often used as a catalyst to a larger story or a setting. But rarely does fiction wade into the complexities of the natural world and the processes that make it work. Nature is a deeply complex mechanism like a clock, it’s made of infinitely tiny pieces that require an intricate construction in order to work. Humans like to think they understand that complexity, but much like taking apart clocks and putting them back together again – those who truly understand are operating on a completely different level. And even they’ll be the first to admit they don’t know enough.
This is a long winded way of trying to explain that I’ve found a love for nature and it’s complexities of the last few years. And I’m dedicating part of my work to exploring that complexity in earnest. We don’t have a lot of fiction that doesn’t anthropomorphize the environment. Most of our fiction is very anthropocentric. Which means, it continues to purport this idea that humans are separate and distinct from the natural world. That we, and we alone, are the ones who can control it. But, that’s hubris and it’s what got us into this mess in the first place.
Our existence is interwoven into the natural world and cannot be understood without it. That’s something I’ve promised myself will be part of my work going forward. I want to responsible for stories that help us see and understand more of the world around us. To help us be more present.
Anyway, No One’s Rose #3 is out this week you can get a preview of it here. It’s the most important issue of the bunch.
The Girl From the Other Side Vol 1
Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of reading Nagabe’s beautiful, brilliant, and moving manga about a young girl who lives with a monster. It’s a calming and engaging read that subtly builds a complex world with gorgeous art throughout. I couldn’t put it down and have since ordered every other volume. Do check it out.
Tiny Scabs
I’ve had a few folks ask me about my worldbuilding process. It’s not a simple thing that can be easily broken down into a bite sized takeaway but I’ve found a good place for people to start: This podcast with N.K. Jemisin is a brilliant thought experiment that puts you through the rigors of building a complex world down to the granular detail. Check it out.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been obsessively rewatching Hannibal on Netflix. God damn, it’s brilliant. Even after all these years it feels profoundly ahead of its time. Shot, edited, and performed like an HBO show but somehow aired on NBC back in 2013. We didn’t deserve a show with this much brooding and homoerotic subtext but fuck yeah, we got it. And the world is better for it. If you haven’t checked it out, dear God, what are you waiting for?
Bye
Deep breaths, it’s the start of a new week. Don’t forget to treat yourself. Read a book. Watch a movie. Log off and practise some self care.
Z