New Book Spotlight
Out of the Drowning Deep
A mini-interview with A.C. Wise
Tell us about your new book?
Out of the Drowning Deep is a novella that mashes-up more genres than a novella possibly should, but I did it anyway. It’s a little bit murder mystery, a little bit noir, and a little bit science-fantasy, with dashes of horror, and you could even make an argument that there’s some romance, though the relationship in question isn’t a particularly healthy one. Scribe IV is an automaton who feels obsolete, watching over a crumbling fortress that used to be a center of worship, scholarship, and debate, and has now been largely forgotten. However, the Pope chooses the Bastion to host a Conclave, where he intends to put forth a controversial proposal. As Scribe IV oversees preparations for the Conclave, the Pope turns up murdered. Scribe IV calls on a private investigator named Quin to help solve the case. They are joined by an angel named Angel, and the three are forced to race against the clock as the Sisters of the Drowning Deep, nightmare creatures who occupy the waters below the Bastion, try to take over the investigation for purposes of their own.
What aspect of the book was the most fun to write?
Mashing up all the genres was one of the most fun aspects of the novella, but I also really love all the characters as well. I’m biased, but I find Angel in particular charming. Xe’s an incredibly powerful and ancient creature, but also very young in a lot of ways, impulsive and prone to following xyr whims, which made xem a lot of fun to write.
If there is one emotion or theme that you would hope that the reader connects with, what would that be?
There’s a lot going on in the novella, but one theme that runs throughout is friendship and people trying to figure out how to care for each other amidst horrible circumstances. Hopefully that’s something that resonates with people, and gives some degree of hope to balance out the darkness in the story.
Out of the Drowning Deep releases on September 3rd.
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