Volumes from the Void Ebook I: The Prospected Household by Mike Ekstrom
What do music, historical mythology and Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman all have in frequent? All three impressed creator Mike Ekstrom to craft his sequence Volumes from the Void. Ebook one, The Prospected Household, offers us the grand introduction to the messy, sophisticated and fully otherworldly beings all tied collectively by destiny. And it asks the query of what penalties await when six omnipotent siblings set their indicators on their dad and mom’ thrones.
We received an opportunity to speak with the creator himself in regards to the inspiration behind The Prospected Household, what recommendation he offers these trying to develop on their very own worldbuilding and what’s subsequent for Volumes from the Void.
Q: What first impressed you to put in writing The Prospected Household?
A: April, 2009: I used to be seventeen. It began with a standalone venture. A narrative I largely made up as I went, however the narrative compelled me to think about the reply to the query what if there was this choreographed orchestration of Life, Demise and Reincarnation. I’ve had this fascination with Non secular Research for many of my life, and these imaginings led me to create this fictional household that noticed to the location of people all through existence. As I listened to music, sure songs, sure melodies would encourage these characters and assist me outline who they’re and what they might do in pivotal moments and the way the plot would revolve round them.
Q: Inform us just a little bit about your primary protagonist. What’s it about Davias, his household and his personal function because the Thinker that made you select him to be the primary character, a minimum of for the start of the sequence?
A: Davias, the Thinker is the primary character as a result of he embodies this innocence and morality that not one of the different characters exhibit, however his feelings, particularly his jealousy, present that he isn’t with out fallacy. As a center little one, I made certain that his character felt ignored and under-developed within the first story, as his development and transformation change into a part of the engine that drives the narrative additional into the plot.
Q: The household pantheon in your story harkens again to historical legends and mythologies, in addition to fantasy books recognized for his or her wealthy lore (Lord of the Rings, Sport of Thrones, and so on.). Was there any inspiration, both from the true world or from literature, that influenced the best way you crafted these characters?
A: Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman performed a substantial, early function within the inspiration of The Prospected Household, primarily in how I deliberate to design the characters. For his or her personalities, I borrowed extra from mythology than something: Madrina is a likeness of Athena, Hunter and Helena have roots in Norse mythology in Loki and Hela. The Twins are a reimagination of Charon and Mom and Father are impressed by extra Jap traditions like Japanese and Indian mythos, that have a tendency to emphasise concord in nature and stability in existence.
Q: What recommendation would you give to different authors trying to work complicated worldbuilding into their writing?
A: It goes with out saying: it’s worthwhile to have an concept. That’s the simple half. The onerous half is letting that concept develop and being okay with the adjustments because it takes on a lifetime of its personal. A part of the constructing course of is that rising part. The ultimate product will at all times stray from the origin; that may give your world and your story the historical past and parts it must thrive. It’s on this rising course of that the author can be taught the size and scope of their world, and perceive the roles that their characters have to tackle and the way they’ll make use of the message and themes they hope to convey.
Q: You point out in your bio that you’re autistic. How does this offer you a novel perspective in the case of this venture?
A: In all equity, everybody’s perspective is exclusive; nonetheless, I really feel that my neurodiversity helped me take note of my characters, to the purpose that I needed some sense of familiarity and tangibility in the direction of their beings. As an Autistic particular person, I discover it troublesome to speak verbally, so after I first started this venture, I needed to problem myself by utilizing dialogue particularly to drive the narrative ahead within the first e-book. It’s helped me to develop as each a author and a speaker, although I nonetheless discover it onerous generally to place my ideas and intentions into significant, impactful statements. I discover it simpler for my characters to try this for me.
Q: You additionally point out that your “tales [are] primarily based on the collision of musical inspiration and real-world eventualities.” How does music play a hand?
A: I had written from a younger age. All the time. The initiatives had been normally unsuccessful and lacked ambition. I didn’t discover the correct motivation to create till a very troublesome chapter in my life. It was presently I actually discovered learn how to lean into music and embrace the amalgam of melodies and messages to assist soothe me. This adaptation in my life, in my perspective, was at all times the catalyst that led to me first placing concepts to paper with a correct imaginative and prescient. Music was the muse I used to be attempting to appease. Music was the gasoline within the lantern that helped me write late into the night time. Music was the heart beat that bled the ink from my pen.
Music taught me to really feel my feelings; writing taught me to precise them.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from The Prospected Household?
A: I hope somebody, someplace, only one individual reads this e-book and understands that there really is a stability to our existence. We do have to work collectively and have some sense of unity to make issues work. While you worth one thing so strongly with such excessive regard that it lords over your viewpoint, it hinders the flexibility to discover a wholesome center floor, the place compromise and success are sometimes discovered. That is one thing I’m studying to just accept in my very own life. What my characters lacked was a literal center floor upon which they might meet, converse, and keep the Stability.
Q: You’ve talked about that Volumes of the Void might be a five-book sequence. Is there something you possibly can share with us about e-book 2?
A: Ebook 2 was the place the journey started, fifteen years in the past. This was the standalone venture that I wrote in my faculty years. Nevertheless, I’ve executed the justice of rewriting, and conforming the manuscript into the universe I’ve created. The sequel might be titled The Void of Unattainable Issues and it’s set within the fictional city of Crooks, Oklahoma. It focuses primarily on the three brothers of their aftermath of the primary e-book as they’re compelled into shut proximity with one another throughout the Vessel. We be taught extra about and discover the capabilities of the Void and the implications of getting a Vessel, all seen from the mortal perspective of David Prince.
The Prospected Household is on the market for buy right here.
A fantasy author born and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, Mike Ekstrom creates tales which might be sure to the mystic and ethereal whereas intertwined with the human situation. What started as a private venture going into school, The Volumes from the Void, has taken him over fifteen years to craft right into a growing five-part sequence.
Having written since a younger age, he has been capable of mix his schooling of World Religions and his perspective as an Autistic particular person to create distinctive characters, worlds and tales primarily based on the collision of musical inspiration and real-world eventualities. When he isn’t writing, Ekstrom finds his tranquility and escapism in quite a lot of mediums, whether or not these be video video games, fencing or the latest LEGO set.
Style: Fantasy, Science Fiction
Creator: Mike Ekstrom
Web page Depend: 199 pages