At last, we reach the next conversation in my indie author interview series! I'm enjoying picking the brains of these folks, and I hope you are, too. This time, I'll be talking with the multi-talented Adam Bassett about adding a fantasy novel, Copper Skin, Oaken Lungs, as a new notch in his belt, as well as maps, indie publishing, and the balancing act of being both an author and a reviewer.
This interview is spoiler-free!
Tamara: The first thing I have to know is: what inspired Copper Skin, Oaken Lungs?
Adam: The original inspiration came from the song “Bur man laimi” by Tautumeitas, a Latvian ethno-pop group. Music has always been a big inspiration for me, and that song’s lyrics and music video reminded me of fantasy books and films. Over time, the ideas blended with other themes and tropes that were interesting to me: the isolated small town such as in Stephen King’s Under the Dome, and the mutated wilderness as in Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation.
I also took a few notes from things like cozy fantasy—the book is not cozy, but the first part showcases what normal life is like in The Old Town and I think cozy fantasy does that sort of thing very well. I really wanted to show the reader the sense of community and safety that was falling apart before Justīne’s eyes, without just telling the reader that was happening.
There are little bits and pieces of the story taken from Latvia or Latvian folklore as well, mostly in honor of that original inspiration of Tautumeitas’ music. That’s why almost every name and some of the in-world terms are Latvian. There are also small references to the song’s lyrics, not just in the story but also in the title: “Ļaudis dara vara tiltu / Es ozola darināj.” Translated: “Others are making a bridge of copper / I’m making one of oak.”
T: I'm glad you mention wanting to explore the Old Town, because I appreciated the honing-in on the realities of managing a town, for lack of a better way to put it, and that the catalyst of the plot was an economic one. Sometimes SFF can be accused of either going too far into the gritty details or, contrastingly, painting with too broad of strokes. Was it difficult to strike a balance between realistic storytelling and keeping the pace?
A: Part I is really a “trust the process” moment. I wanted The Old Town to feel plausible, and to show the main characters interacting with the world. Each scene in that section pulls double- or triple-duty to help us get a better sense of these people and the place they live. Hopefully, as they continue past those scenes, they’ll see how those experiences influence later events. Even something as simple as a dinner with family can be meaningful to a story.
T: Speaking of trusting the process: would you call yourself a gardener or an architect, of the writerly archetypes, or neither?
A: Both. I’ve gotten much better at planning stories over the last few years, but I still “wing it” often. I don’t fully understand a story or character until I start writing it. For my latest project, I found that I hit a wall with my planning and decided to spend a few months writing it off-and-on so that I could get a better sense for the cast and themes. That took longer than usual, but it was super helpful. Afterward, I reworked the novel plan, and now I’m cruising. Still making up some things along the way but the current draft mostly follows the new plans.
T: So with CSOL specifically, for example – because I also loved, as many have, that we had two sisters as our primary protagonists, and that they had unique roles in the Old Town that evolved by the end of the story – did one sister come first, or did they develop in tandem?
A: A sibling relationship was always going to be important to the story. This was another thing that I was borrowing from the story’s original inspirations, from the band Tautumeitas. Their unique roles developed naturally based on the needs of the story. The main character, Justīne, was actually originally going to be a young man. However, partway through writing the story, I found an amazing narrator who I wanted to work with: Veronica Rotar. I figured it would be easier for her to voice a femme character—and that actually let me lean into the sisterhood themes much more, which felt appropriate considering the origins of this story and Tautumeitas being made up entirely of women.
T: This is your first foray into fantasy, having previously written sci-fi/cyberpunk and nonfiction: how do you feel your experience with these influenced the story or your approach to CSOL, if at all?
A: This is the first fantasy book I’ve published, but I actually got into writing with fantasy. From my perspective, CSOL was kind of a homecoming, a return to what made me fall in love with writing.
That said, my foray into cyberpunk absolutely flavored this book. Anna is an engineer, and the technology they use has been described as solarpunk—which I didn’t intend but I also don’t disagree with. I think it’s fun to imagine how technology and magic interact in settings where the two exist in tandem.
T: Your fiction is notably accessible because of its shorter length; speaking as a long-form writer myself, I know keeping things short can be difficult! Do you start out with an ideal length in mind, or write the complete draft and then figure out how to trim?
A: Sometimes I have an ideal length in mind, but really the stories are just however long they need to be. I don’t write or edit for a specific goal most of the time, it just so happens that a lot of the stories I write tend to be between 200–300 pages.
However, the non-fiction book will break that streak later this year, and I already know that the sequel to CSOL will be quite a bit longer.
T: On the subject of non-fiction: you also have An Author’s Guide to Setting Design coming out this year! Have you found moving back and forth between writing nonfiction and fiction to be second nature by this point?
A: I have really enjoyed having a nonfiction project alongside my fiction books. They require such a different approach that when I was tired of one, it was always easy to pivot and work on the other. I’m honestly kind of sad that AGSD is coming to an end—it’s releasing this summer—but I know that if I don’t publish that I’ll just keep tinkering with it forever.
T: So which part of the writing process do you enjoy the most? Which do you dread?
A: This actually changes for each book. With Digital Extremities I most enjoyed the editing, because that was where I felt those stories came to life. For Animus Paradox, I most enjoyed the planning, because it was my first time that I created a plan and stuck to it (about 90% of it, anyway). For CSOL I most enjoyed the writing, because that story just came so easily once I found the time to sit down and put it on the page: I’d written the entire first draft in just shy of one month. Everything just clicked in a really satisfying way.
AGSD has been a totally different experience because it’s non-fiction, so the research for that book was actually my favorite. It forced me to really dig into some topics I knew a little about, and learn much more. It also gave me the chance to talk to other authors and cartographers, get their input on some things, which was really inspiring.
T: Do you have an ideal writing session?
A: There is no ideal writing session. I used to think there was, but lately I’ve adopted the idea that any writing is good, whether it’s fine minutes jotting down an idea or an entire day dedicated to writing the book. I don’t really care about how writing gets done, just that progress gets made each week.
That said, I will not work without music. I know some writers get distracted by it, but I cannot function without something playing.
T: This spirit of "getting things done" is something I can empathize with and leads me nicely into my next questions: What led you to choose the indie route? What did you expect and not expect from undertaking it?
A: I’d been writing since a young age, and around 2023 I became irritated that I’d spent so much time writing for the right story and the right Those things clearly weren’t going to come. To keep it short, I made a pivot into a project which would become Digital Extremities, and pushed hard to polish it up as much as I could. As time went on, the goal shifted from publishing to building a catalogue of books that I would be proud of—and perhaps to return to attempt traditional publishing once I’d proven to myself that I could do this. And if I could build something of an audience along the way, even better.
I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. It’s hard work, sure, but it’s also rewarding. The community is also generally fantastic as well. I’ve made so many amazing friends by writing and reviewing books, and I just want to keep doing it.
T: Yes, you're an active reviewer as well! Have there been any pleasant surprises from your TBR so far this year? Do you find it tricky to switch gears between reader-reviewer mode and writing mode?
A: I’ve really enjoyed reviewing books, and find that taking the time to write reviews actually helps me remember each book better, despite the fact I’m treading more than I ever have before right now. So far this year, I’ve especially enjoyed Boudicca’s Daughter by Elodie Harper, and Vispilio by Audrey D. DeBoer, both of which surprised me with how they approached their stories. Honorable mention for The Violin by Odella Howe, which has an endearing classic-ness to it, which reminded me of stories like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
T: Thinking about the rise of indie publishing, and now hybrid publishing, with trad-pub trying to adapt to both, do you have any thoughts about what the future landscape of publishing might look like? Over the course of your reading and reviewing, do you find the line between self-published books and trad-published books is becoming blurred, or is it still fairly distinct?
A: There’s no longer one viable path, because there is no longer a monoculture where all fantasy readers read X and all non-fiction readers read Y. Some people will find success with traditional publishing, others will go independent and do well. Kickstarter has shaken up things for both parties. Brick and mortar bookstores have proven resilient, because people enjoy shopping at them, but shopping online will remain very popular too. Certain genres do better in certain formats as well, like how so many LitRPGs and cozy fantasy books got started on places like Royal Road or Patreon, releasing episodic stories.
I don’t think the question is “what’s the future of publishing” anymore. I think the actual question is “what path do you want to go down?”
T: As we round up, I have two questions. The first: Hardback, paperback, eBook, or audiobook?
A: Audio has been saving my butt. It’s hard to find time to focus on a book right now, but I can put an audiobook on at the gym, while I’m driving, or while I’m illustrating a map. They’ve been a ton of fun, and I really enjoy when they are produced with added effects or music—everyone needs to listen to The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar in audio right now.
T: And finally, if you had to hold up your top three SFF maps not your own, what would they be? What has been your favorite map to design so far?
A: I have to throw an honorable mention to Tolkien, who laid the groundwork for a lot of what we think of as what a fantasy book’s map should be. I’ve got a deep respect for everything he accomplished.
I’ve got a soft spot for the maps of books that I loved growing up, or which came at a specific time in my life. For example, the maps from the Warriors series, A Song of Ice and Fire, and the Powder Mage series. I don’t know if these are the best maps but they are perfect for the stories they’re in and mean a great deal to me.
I also think there are a lot of incredible cartographers working right now, many of whom I have been fortunate enough to speak and work with on AGSD. For example, Isaac Stewart, who created Brandon Sanderson’s maps (and the maps in Powder Mage). Jack Shepherd has also done some incredible work with The Broken Binding and Curious King; and Misty Beee has some absolutely gorgeous illustrations in hers.
My favorite maps are usually whichever ones I’ve done most recently! I really like the map I illustrated for CSOL, but since then I’ve worked on a few (which I haven’t revealed yet) that I think are even better. Generally, the maps where I get to try something a little different are the most interesting.
Big thanks to Adam for having this conversation with me! Copper Skin, Oaken Lungs is out now – see below for details!
Copper Skin, Oaken Lungs is a delightful short fantasy read with solarpunk and horror flavors. I love a plot propelled by a lingering mystery, and when it's wrapped up in deft worldbuilding, so much the better! This is an ideal entry point to the fantasy genre but sure to compel more veteran readers – and with a sequel to be announced later this year, now's a great time to dive in!
For a thousand years, The Old Town has stood as humanity’s last bastion against the maalkonis, malignant black mists that reduced the rest of the world to ash. They are kept at bay by rusty machines on the town’s walls. In order to survive, the dwindling population depends on one another.
Since a young age, Justīne has embraced the harsh responsibilities that accompanied her apprenticeship on the last farm in existence. Her younger sister, Anna, is beginning her own apprenticeship as well. Learning engineering was not Anna's first choice, but the town's last mage fell to the maalkonis years prior, leaving nothing behind but confusing books and strange runes.
When food runs low during a particularly harsh winter, distrust spreads like a plague, and Justīne is blamed for it. As hunger leads to violence, she and her siblings are forced to flee The Old Town, embarking on a perilous journey into the very mists that had formed their cage. Their fight to survive in the dark develops into a hopeful mystery as they follow the breadcrumbs of a mage’s efforts to save the world. Meanwhile something pursues them through the maalkonis…
Tamara receives no compensation, financial or otherwise, for these interviews. Neither is she responsible for the content contained in external links.
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