The Speculative Shelf is thrilled to welcome Mike Shel to the blog to discuss his upcoming novel West of the World, the first book in The Chronicles of Jerebad Madder series (pre-order here).

You can find our full review of the book here.

Book summary: Young Jerebad Madder fled his stifling life as an aristocrat’s son back in old Hanifax for the distant colonies of Nethe Mundis, the New World. He found adventure and romance, even learned to speak with the dead and summon fire during his time living with the Chokonee, the indigenous people of the continent. But now, Jerebad’s prospects are death, madness, or something altogether worse: he has unwittingly released an unclean spirit into the world, a devil that brings terrible suffering to anyone and anything it touches.

As a dirt witch and demon hunter, Jerebad pursues his quarry across the wilderness. But this devil is on Hell’s business: a secret, diabolical purpose that means catastrophe for all. Jerebad alone can stop the demon now…if he’s willing to make an unspeakable sacrifice that will imperil his very soul.

Q&A with author Mike Shel:

You’ve made a bit of a genre pivot from the dark sword-and-sorcery fantasy of the Iconoclasts Trilogy to a “weird western” that is somewhat lighter on the fantasy elements. Was that a conscious move on your part, or simply what the story necessitated after jumping two hundred years into the future, when sorcery is no longer in vogue?

MS: Well, the novel opens with our protagonist conversing with the corpse of a man recently hanged, so I might challenge the assumption of your question. It’s true that the colonists in this new world no longer have access to sorcery in the way they did back in the Hanifax of the Iconoclasts Trilogy, but sorcery is very much alive with the indigenous peoples whose lands those same colonists have usurped. And there are supernatural elements aplenty. I would still call this new series very much a dark fantasy tale.

But going from sword-and-sorcery to a weird western, yes, that is a pivot. I wanted to tell a story set in the world of the original trilogy, but long enough after those events that we see something of what the world has become. It’s not uncommon in fantasy for the stories to exist in a permanent, unchanging medieval or Renaissance era. I wanted to subvert that. I happen to love well-told westerns, such as Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove novels. I thought I’d try my hand at such a story.

Honestly, the biggest change and challenge for me was to write this novel in the first person, which I had never done before.

The Indigenous groups that populate the western frontier seem to draw from existing Native American cultures. Were there specific cultures or traditions that influenced you while crafting these groups and their customs?

MS: I’m originally from Michigan, a place inhabited by the Anishinaabe peoples (tribes such as the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi) when French and English settlers arrived. I drew from their cultures, as well as those of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (AKA the Iroquois around Lakes Huron, Erie, and Ontario). Being an American who has consumed a considerable amount of folklore, novels, and TV, other Native American elements found their way into the depiction of West of the World’s indigenous people. For instance, the trickster deity known as Coyote (called Yoteh in the novel), is actually found in the mythology of the Diné (Navajo) people of the American southwest. I tried not to assemble a generic native people from a grab bag–that was certainly one of the risks; there are as many distinct cultures and traditions as there are distinct native tribes of North America. But it was challenging–the western is an almost inherently racist genre, told as it is so often by colonizers who either demonize or idealize the native peoples. I engaged a sensitivity reader for the purpose, and with her help I hope I was successful in making the Chokonee of the novel a three-dimensional people and culture.

This book tells a complete story but also functions as a jumping-off point for further adventures starring Jerebad Madder. Do you have a specific number of books planned?

MS: At this point I see two more novels. The second, which I’ve already begun, is called Thou Unclean Spirit and focuses on the calamitous, world-shaking fallout from the events of West of the World. The third is tentatively titled A Death Song and focuses more directly on resolving Jerebad’s personal travails (for some cheeky context: it takes place mostly in Hell). My hope and plan is that both are out within the next 18-20 months.

You’ve built a dedicated readership without putting out books through a traditional publisher, as evidenced by the more than $120,000 in combined backing for your three hardcover Kickstarter campaigns. How do you view your unique position in the publishing world?

MS: When you put it that way it makes me sound like a much bigger fish than I actually am! I’m certainly proud of the success I’ve managed with my novels, and greatly appreciate the support I’ve received from readers, reviewers, and my peers. Indie fantasy is a rich community with some awfully talented folks. I’m jazzed by the idea that I’m part of this cohort. But it’s important that you understand that I still have to work my day job to pay the bills–I’m nowhere close to doing this writing thing full time. (As for those Kickstarter figures, the vast majority of that money goes into paying artists, in addition to the design and production of the hardbacks–late pledges can be made here.) My assumption is that this will remain a glorious side gig for me til I can retire from my professional career.

With that said, I think what I bring to the game are the eclectic skills of an RPG adventure designer and one whose day job provides a lot of insight into human emotion and trauma. I strive to bring a gritty realism to a genre that can sometimes drift into escapism. Now there’s nothing wrong with novels that transport you to magic worlds that do a little wish fulfillment. I just think my strength lies in telling stories about survivors rather than golden heroes. 

What have you read recently that you would recommend?

MS: I don’t have much time to read these days. What I’ve been reading most recently is the beginning of a new series by J. Zachary Pike (he of the Dark Profit Saga): it’ll be some time before it’s available to the public, but it’s clever and hilarious. I’ve really enjoyed Dorian Hart’s five book Heroes of Spira.

Thank you so much for taking the time to offer such great insight into your work, Mike. I’ve loved all of your books and I think West of the World is another winner!