112: Eliza Chan (Fathomfolk)

Charlie and Eliza Chan (Fathomfolk) discuss many questions of immigration in both reality and her fantasy fiction, the different mythological creatures she used and decisions in regards to location inspiration, and Fathomfolk's controversial ending.

Please note there is a spoiler in this episode for N K Jemisin's The Fifth Season.

For live show tickets, click here.

A transcript is available on my site

General references:
The Witcher
Jessica Jones
The Untamed

Books mentioned by name or extensively:
Eliza Chan: Fathomfolk
Eliza Chan: Tideborn
N K Jemisin: The Fifth Season
R F Kuang: Babel
Rhonda Parrish (ed.): Sirens

Buy the books: UK || USA

Release details: recorded 14th August 2024; published 23rd December 2024

Where to find Eliza online: Website || Instagram

Where to find Charlie online: Website || Twitter || Instagram || TikTok

Discussions

02:25 The initial inspirations
04:34 More about the topic of immigration
06:57 World building and the world outside of Tiankawi
09:05 Creating Mira, Nami, and Cordelia
14:56 Having started with one narrative and changing it to three
17:44 Using different countries' mythologies, originally planning to set Fathomfolk in a British city, and the possibility of historical settings
25:25 Kai's significance and his relationship with Mira
28:59 Writing and pacing
31:23 Eliza's 'use' of The Drawbacks and the response to the book
37:06 The Onseon engine
39:20 Dragon pearls
42:25 The themes of motherhood and friendship
46:18 The use of gods
49:46 The controversial ending!
51:25 Book two, Tideborn
52:23 Harbour Of Hungry Ghosts
53:52 The game of Wulan

Photo credit: Sandi Hodkinson

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