Interview with E. Heroldbeck, author of Finch Henry’s Air Fish

 

Today it gives the Speculative Fiction Showcase great pleasure to interview E. Heroldbeck, author of Finch Henry’s Air Fish.

That’s a wonderful title. Who is Finch Henry, and what is the Air Fish?

Thank you! I hoped it would spark a certain level of intrigue. Finch – well, he is a striking, yet troubled, twenty-something cellist who experiments with make-up and suffers strange episodes that become increasingly suggestive of psychic phenomena. Finch is emotionally intelligent and has huge integrity and wit, but he’s also desolate on his native island – an island that has chosen to exist in a dreary anachronistic post-war era. It’s beyond bleak there, not to mention socially regressive.

The Air Fish – now they are harder to explain without dropping a spoiler. I wonder whether they will differ in significance for individual readers, but for me they are symbolic of the world Finch soon finds himself in, having left the archaic island. These impossible creatures are a wonder, and bring a surreal, dreamlike filter to Finch’s new world – an enigmatic delight that reflects the story as it flows. I couldn’t resist threading the fish motif throughout the narrative but I’m aware that it’s perhaps more understandable in retrospect when considering Finch’s emotional evolution. That doesn’t satisfy, does it? Sorry. You’ll have to read it!

You say “I personally gained permission to reference the work of Monty Python and neuroscientist Anil Seth, within the book...” Can you tell us how the work of Anil Seth and that of Monty Python come to occupy the same book?

That is one excellent question and the sheer polarisation of it made me laugh out loud because essentially, you are right to question it – these two worlds have absolutely no business fraternising within the same novel. Perversely though, this unlikely combination might go some way to presenting the perfect illustration of Finch Henry’s Air Fish – a study of how we perceive existence thrown in with a bit of colourful British humour and a touch of surrealism, then muddled together and poured out to produce the weirdest cocktail that, I hope, doesn’t taste too much of hat stand.

Anil Seth is a prominent neuroscientist and one of his main focuses has been to explore and explain how we perceive reality, a subject that sets sparks flying for me. In the novel, Finch is questioning how it is he appears to be capable of higher level perception while others aren’t, and his mentor’s reply is, in part, influenced by Anil Seth’s work – in essence, ‘that our brain hallucinates our conscious reality’. The Monty Python element is part plot device, part world and character building. On Finch’s miserable island the technology is pre-internet. The limited TV offerings are controlled to feature only brain-numbing sitcoms and game shows, with the exception of a couple of censored episodes of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, which Finch relates to and adores.

The book is listed on Amazon under the category of Metaphysical Fiction. What does that mean to you, and how does it differ from Speculative Fiction?

For me, metaphysical fiction includes philosophical concepts and the paranormal. My book sits at the metaphysical end of speculative fiction. It is almost a thought experiment contemplating how our world might look, should certain scientific discoveries be made in the near future; it imagines England around forty years from now, recovering from a philosophy-shaping breakthrough in science that shook the world back in the 2020s, and Finch’s generation is born into this new, adjusted reality. It’s worth mentioning that some feel this is a real possibility as there are several long-term studies out there focusing on the very subject explored in my book.

The novel has been compared to Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror, which I think is Dystopian SF, satire and a whole lot more. What are the similarities and, in your eyes, the differences?

Interestingly, some readers have found my book ‘scary’, which is a description I have genuine trouble identifying with, probably because I feel the novel has a strong message of enlightenment and warmth. Perhaps a comparison could be made with regard to the exploration of futuristic technology, pushing ideas to their unnerving extremes, but aside from that I would say Black Mirror is far darker and more satirical than Finch Henry’s Air Fish, which is ultimately uplifting.

This is your first book. What prompted you to write it?

The concept of the mainland philosophy presented itself and I had no choice. I just had to write it down. I had never planned to write a book, although over the years I’d had many ideas that might have been novel-worthy and probably wanted to be written. I’ve spent twenty years working as a commercial fashion designer so all my creative energy was utilised by that demanding world, leaving me no creative verve for anything extracurricular. The timing of this idea coincided with a quiet period at work, so I was able to focus on it, foolishly thinking, ‘Hey, I’ll just knock the book out in a couple of months – no problem,’ with no real idea how enormous the project would be. Fortunately, I’ve been obsessed and fascinated by all things metaphysical since childhood so I’d already done plenty of inadvertent research in my own attempt to understand the unexplained and grasp the nature of existence (although, perhaps I’ll come back to you on that one).

You designed the cover art yourself. Please tell us a bit about that.

Finch was larger than life in my mind, as were all the characters – as real as living people and just as connected. During writing I even had dreams that the characters were all waiting impatiently in a greenroom for me to get on with the next chapter so they would have something to do! My experience as a designer meant I’d naturally developed an idea of how the cover should look, so I was able to design it myself, bringing my strong vision of Finch to life.

I’ve received mixed opinions on the fact that Finch has no eyes on the cover; some think it’s odd and others like the suggestion that he doesn’t need eyes to see what’s important, that his perception exists beyond the mundane. I couldn’t resist a flourish of air fish as I’m partial to the flair and extravagance of koi carp imagery (it must be all that fashion flamboyance I’ve soaked up). I hope I’ve managed to achieve an appropriate visual pitch for the book, but I’m sure a pro would do a better job! I understand that it stands out as far as contemporary book covers go, and this was intentional; I was leaning towards a retro sci-fi graphic style, possibly reminiscent of the Douglas Adams era.

How do you see your readers and what do you want them to take away from the book?

My book refuses to fit neatly into any category because it blends some unexpected elements, rendering it pretty difficult to define. The integral love story and background theme of parenthood will hopefully appeal to most. In keeping with futuristic ideals, my depiction of blurred gender boundaries and social development may interest forward thinking, open minded readers. However, I like to think the main theme is universal – after all, pondering the nature of existence and reality is surely crucial to all of conscious humanity and an ancient pursuit, central to well-being. I wrote the novel in a light, easy style in order to balance these weighty themes, so I’m also optimistic that it’s an entertaining page-turner, as well as thought-provoking.

What writers have influenced you, from inside and outside Speculative Fiction?

Kurt Vonnegut, Richard Bach, Douglas Adams, Bruce Robinson, Carl Sagan.

How did you find the process of starting out as an indie writer?

Like climbing a mountain, blindfolded. You think you’re at the top, you’ve finally published the book! But, no. You’re still at the beginning. Having just learnt writing, editing, swearing bitterly at Microsoft Word, formatting, cover design, reformatting, swearing bitterly at the cat who loves to dance on the keyboard, all the zillion technicalities and actually, finally publishing it, now your job is to become a marketing and social media expert or NO ONE WILL EVER READ IT! I’m still on the mountain but the view is better. Dreaming up Finch and his world was one of the most enjoyable things I’ve ever done and I’ve loved writing his inner experience. The process of self-publishing has been exhilarating, painful, overwhelming, liberating and rewarding. Luckily, I love getting my teeth into a project and I’m incredibly grateful that we have the option to be independent.

What are you reading now?

Picnic Comma Lightning by Laurence Scott. Like all the best reads it encourages a contemplation of life and an appreciation of the here and now.

2020: is truth becoming stranger than fiction?

Attempting a definition of ‘truth’ in 2020 would be one brave move. Besides, hasn’t truth always been stranger: Giraffes. Bats. Quantum physics.

Are you planning a sequel?

Yes, and no. I have ideas for a sequel and other unrelated fiction, and I’m pretty sure Finch and co. are back in the greenroom waiting to be written again, but I’d like to see how this goes before I write anything else. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the creative element and felt, at times, that the book almost wrote itself – the process is fascinating – the way that ideas miraculously emerge and end up fitting together, but I would like to see Finch go mainstream before I embark on any new writing; that is the next project! Saying that, I’m constantly having new ideas, and honestly, they seem to be in charge.

Thanks so much for this opportunity to talk about my book, and for your brilliant questions.

Thank you!

Amazon

About E. Heroldbeck:

E. Heroldbeck is a sci-fi minded author with a record of aggravated fashion design and a multi-dimensional third eye that sees you reading this. In another life, E. Heroldbeck designed collections for many well-known brands. Finch Henry's Air Fish marks the author's debut novel and first entry into book cover design; while stories have always been running through the author's mind, the international design work came first. This time the story had to be told.

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