Today it gives the Speculative Fiction Showcase great pleasure to interview Gregory A. Wilson, author of Grayshade.
Your latest novel, Grayshade, has its debut on May 31. What can you tell us about the book?
Grayshade, on the surface, is a book about an individual versus an organization attempting to bring that individual down. It blends the energy of a modern elite assassin story with the intrigue of a city much like 15th century Venice, in which a faithful Acolyte is trained in fighting techniques and sonic magic to kill in the name of his god. From a young age, Grayshade was given a strict dogmatic code to govern his every move. When he runs into the limits of that code, he begins to understand that he must find his own path. More specifically, when a mission goes wrong, Grayshade finds himself working against the organization he once served without question—and must come to terms with finding who he really is. It’s ultimately a story of morality, loyalty, free will, and a search for redemption.
The crisis for Grayshade begins when he questions his orders for the first time, an act that makes him a target in his turn. How much can you tell us about the event that sets everything in motion? Why does he change his mind?
While the novel starts with a final event that sets things in motion, for Grayshade himself, it is the culmination of a series of events during which things don’t go the way he expects. Now, someone who has lived almost entirely by ritual and routine has that routine broken, and, feeling that crack to the entire foundation of his identity, he begins to wonder why.
Apart from Grayshade himself, what are the crucial themes running through the novel?
I think Grayshade revolves around three main themes. First, dogma versus free will—not taking one’s beliefs from others, but generating them based on one’s own experiences. Second, redemption—in Grayshade’s case, based on forgiveness from others, something he would not have expected. This concept of redemption is important to me, as I have always believed that no matter what we have been through, we control the ability to write and rewrite our own stories, and we can use that process to find our own power even in the shadows of a dark world. Third, Grayshade is a rejection of binaries—in Grayshade’s case, the question is not having faith or losing faith, as he does, but learning there are other ways to have faith, that there is an alternative to the morally black and white world in which he’s been raised. These themes hold deep meaning to me personally, and I hope that they will touch readers as well.
Your first SFF novel, The Third Sign, came out in the summer of 2009. The award-winning graphic novel Icarus followed in 2020, and your D&D 5E adventure and supplement Tales and Tomes from the Forbidden Library in 2020, together with short stories, academic articles, and books. What first drew you to SFF and what can you tell us about your work in different mediums?
I found speculative fiction as a child. My father read me a good deal of fantasy and science fiction, things like Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Mars books and the like, which were absolutely fascinating to me. I also discovered Lord of the Rings, still my favorite work, which got me reading and fascinated by fantasy writing and its potential. I’ve always read and taught widely, but of all genres, I’ve often found SFF to be the most exciting and dynamic, with the most potential to inspire change. Nothing asks “What if?” better than speculative fiction does. As for my work in different mediums, they are all connected: my academic work in drama (specifically Renaissance drama) and related academic topics, my work as a musician in a progressive rock band, my game mastering, game writing, and prose writing all tie directly in to my love of story and narrative, and especially my desire to share that joy with others.
Is there a common theme or shared world in the stories you create?
Hope.
Will Grayshade be a standalone novel or are you working on a sequel?
Grayshade is the first volume in The Gray Assassin Trilogy. A Kickstarter campaign will be launching on June 14th to fund books two and three: Renegade and Heretic, published by the amazing Atthis Arts, as well as a tabletop role playing game (TTRPG) in this world by Alligator Alley Entertainment. I’m really excited about the future of the Gray Assassin world, and have many other related projects in the works, provided we get good support for the campaign.
You co-host the critically acclaimed podcast Speculate! with fellow speculative fiction authors Michael R. Underwood and Brandon O’Brien. Tell us about that. What led you to set it up and how has it developed?
Speculate! started twelve years ago with author Bradley P. Beaulieu, arising from an idea we had to talk to authors, editors, and agents across the speculative fiction field. It was initially focused on SFF literature, but over time it shifted, especially as Brad moved on because of schedule constraints, and Mike and then Brandon joined in. With their influence, we have shifted to an actual play podcast, still centered on story and narrative, but now playing live sessions of TTRPGs with those authors, editors, and agents from across the field.
You also host a highly successful Twitch TV channel under the name Arvan Eleron, focusing on story and narrative and featuring a number of tabletop role-playing campaigns. What can you tell us about this and what started your interest in tabletop RPG and D&D?
I’ve been GMing for about 35 years. I got into it in 6th grade and immediately found it fascinating—I was starting to struggle at that age with bullying and other issues, and through D&D, I found a way to both connect with people and to imagine my world differently. As time went on, I was always the GM finding new people to bring in to my games, and to share that joy of collaborative storytelling. I started the Twitch channel in 2012 because I wanted a way to connect more directly with that long-standing love of games, share my interests in story and narrative across multiple mediums, and of course, find a way to play on a more regular basis!
You’re Professor of English at St. John’s University, New York, where you teach speculative fiction, creative writing, and Renaissance drama. How do you organise your time?
That’s…a good question, and I’ll let you know when I find the answer! In all seriousness, the academic schedule and its structure of assignments and deadlines helps with this; in general, academia has taught me motivation and self-discipline to balance the activities in which I engage. But finding that balance remains a work in progress.
Does your academic work and your research feed back into your writing? How different is it to write a novel, as opposed to a work of literary criticism?
My academic work absolutely feeds into my creative work. In academic writing, I’ve learned how to present ideas with clarity, to build plot and structure, and to ensure layered themes get across to the reader, and all of that has huge benefits for creative work as well. That said, novel and short story writing is different, because creative work needs to be allowed to be messier, more vulnerable, and more emotional, and to deliver those emotional stakes beyond just the concepts of an interesting plot or engaging characters.
What writers influenced you when you were starting out?
I was influenced by many writers, from W.E.B. Du Bois to Ursula K. Le Guin, but my two favorites were J.R.R. Tolkien and William Shakespeare…even though when I was younger, a lot of it went over my head (especially with Shakespeare!). But I knew there was something there which spoke to me, and getting the chance to study and teach those works (and many others) as I’ve grown older has been a great pleasure.
Which novels or novelists do you enjoy reading now?
It’s funny you ask, because I am currently reading a novel by one of Grayshade’s editors: Night Ivy, a really enjoyable book by E.D.E. Bell. Before that it was You Sexy Thing, by Cat Rambo, and I’ve been devouring Martha Wells’ incredible Murderbot Diaries series. I also want to give a shout out to Brandon O’Brien’s debut book of speculative poetry, Can You Sign My Tentacle? It’s amazing work, and I’m looking forward to reading more work like it.
What are your plans once Grayshade has been launched?
Big plans! One reason that the world of the Gray Assassin is so important to me is that it ties all these story and narrative elements we’ve been discussing together, into a world I have long envisioned and am excited to finally share with others. On the same day of the Grayshade release, we’ll be opening a sign-up to a Kickstarter campaign to hopefully fund books two and three, an audiobook of Grayshade, and also what I think is a unique and very fun TTRPG set in the Gray Assassin world. If your readers would like to learn more, I’d encourage them to follow along on Twitter (@GregoryAWilson) where I’ll be keeping everyone updated. Also, to support my streaming work, I’m very appreciative of no-cost follows (just click Subscribe) to my YouTube channel (YouTube.com/ArvanEleron), and on my Twitch channel (twitch.tv/arvaneleron).
How would you feel about Grayshade in a video format, and what would you like to see with it?
I would love to see Grayshade in film—movie or series wouldn’t matter to me, but I’d want it to capture the visual elements, the shadows, the darkness, the dynamic quality of the city. I would love to see the city of Cohrelle as a living thing, like Ian McDonald's Istanbul in The Dervish House–seeing Cohrelle come alive would be an incredible experience. I’d also like solid casting; for Grayshade himself, to be not dour and brooding like so many dark city heroes, but thoughtful and interesting, nuanced, so we can follow his emotional journey. Even more important would be the casting of the people he connects with, like Caron and others. As we’ve discussed, this story is not just about one man, but about the connections and community we all need to make it through the darker shadows of this world.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I want to thank you for this wonderful interview, and the opportunity to talk about a story that is very dear and personal to me. I hope your readers have enjoyed our chat and will give this novel, and all the worlds we hope to build around it, a look.
Preorder Grayshade here
About Gregory A. Wilson:
Gregory A. Wilson is the author of the novels Grayshade and The Third Sign, the award-winning graphic novel Icarus, called “fluent, fresh, and beautiful” by critics, and the 5E adventure and supplement Tales and Tomes from the Forbidden Library, along with a variety of short stories, academic articles, and books. He is also Professor of English at St. John’s University, where he teaches courses in speculative fiction, creative writing, and Renaissance drama. He is the co-host of the critically acclaimed podcast Speculate!, and under the moniker Arvan Eleron he runs a highly successful TwitchTV channel focused on story and narrative. He lives with his family in a two-hundred-year-old home near the sea in Connecticut; his virtual home is gregoryawilson.com.
