Interview- Storm Constantine

Anmerkung:
Storm Constantine ist eine englischsprachige Autorin, daher ist das Originalinterview in englisch geführt worden und anschließend wurde es von mir übersetzt. Da ich nicht sonderlich sicher in Übersetzungen bin, besteht die Möglichkeit hier auch das englische Original zu lesen.

Name: Storm Constantine

Contact: -

Homepage: -

Wirk: Author, Publisher

Publications: Wraeththu, Shortstories, Novels

You aren’t known by the fans of Manga and Anime, so please introduce yourself to the readers.
I am a writer of fantasy, science fiction and dark fantasy with over 30 published books to my name. I also write esoteric non-fiction, and am founder of the publishing company Immanion Press. 

When did you start writing?
I have written all my life, ever since I was a child.

How did you start writing? Was there a special day or situation?
As a child, I used to make up stories in my head all the time, so it was just a natural progression to one day start writing them down. There was no particular moment.

Wraeththu has been your first novel. How did you get the idea of writing about it?
‘The Enchantments of Flesh and Spirit’ was my first novel, the first of the original Wraeththu trilogy. I was inspired by ideas from alchemy, magic and angelic lore, and was particularly intrigued by the idea of the hermaphrodite as the perfect union of male and female aspects.

Are there real people the characters from Wraeththu are based on?
No, they are all fictional.

How long does it take to create the world of Wraeththu?
I began writing Wraeththu stories when I was very young, probably 17 years old or so, but I didn’t finish the first novel until I was 26. So it’s been with me for most of my life.

The characters are like the japanese Bishonen (beautiful men) from mangas a lot. Do you know mangas and even read some?
No, I’ve not read any, although a lot of Wraeththu fans have talked to me about them with much enthusiasm.

The Shonen-Ai/ Boys Love Genre pick up a lot of themes, that also take part in Wraeththu- love, dramatic, erotical acts between men. Are you surprised that especially young woman reading that kind of books?
Not at all! It’s always been accepted that men find the idea of beautiful gay women intriguing, so it’s not surprising that women feel the same way about beautiful gay men. However, Wraeththu are not gay men – they are androgynes, male and female in one body. A lot of people look upon them as  gay men because outwardly they appear like effeminate men but I prefer people to look past that.

Why are these books that fascinating in your point of view?
The Wraeththu have always fascinated me, since they are my idea of perfect beings. They have a male dancer’s body, yet the psyche of a female. It’s also been really interesting for me to explore the concept of gender and gender politics from a fictional point of view.

The Wraeththu are hermaphrodites, still the maskulin aspect is larger then the feminine one. Did you intend a homosexual relationship between the characters or did you ever wanted to write a story in this genre (gay literature)
I have written quite a lot of stories that could be termed gay literature, or gay relationships have featured in my novels. Wraeththu are just a bit different.

Could you imagine your books (especially Wraeththu) as a comic or a manga?
I would love to see Wraeththu become a graphic novel or a manga. Many people have talked to me about it over the years, and some have even offered to adapt the stories, but so far nothing has ever come of it. I’m still hoping!

You support fanfiction writers creating stories in the wraeththu world and also published some of the stories. Could you imagine a project like that with drawers and comic artists?
Yes, I would certainly consider publishing a Wraeththu comic book if the right artist and writer came along, preferably in the same person! I am unfamiliar with comic book writing so would prefer someone who really knew what they were doing to adapt my stories, rather than attempt it myself.

The photobook of Wraeththu is such a project. How has been the work with Marja Kettner and the models of the characters?
That was a really fun project to do, and amazing to see the characters brought to life. The book was really well received by the fans, who can be very protective of their ‘Wraeththu friends’!

Do you imagine your own characters the way they are presented in the photobook? Are there some models that really are/look like Pellaz, Cal and the other characters of the books?
Sven was perfect for Pellaz, as were some of the other models for their characters. I thought the choices Marja made were good, but Cal looks very different in my head to how Gerrit portrayed him. He did a wonderful job of the role playing though! Marja had to work with the people she found and it was unlikely she’d find 20 models who all looked exactly how I visualise my characters. All the models did a great job bringing Wraeththu to life.

How was the impression of the german locations, where the photos where made? How did you like Germany?
I really love Germany, and I thought the locations Marja chose were excellent. Very atmospheric.

Are some other photobooks intended or do you want to make something like the photobook again?
If Marja wanted to do another one, I’d be happy to collaborate with her!

There are some rumors about an upcoming movie of Wraeththu. Is it true, and if so, could you give us some details about it?
The option for a TV series was taken out by Brad Carpenter, a director/producer in America. He is still trying to find a studio to finance him to make the series, and he recently renewed the option. It’s taking a few years but he hasn’t yet given up! Wraeththu was always going to be a challenge to sell to the movie/TV industry, and I really hope Brad one day manages to realise the dream. He’s been a Wraeththu fan himself for a long time, and understands the mythos and magic behind the stories, so would be the perfect person to convert the Wraeththu world into a new medium.

Why did you continue the story after a break of 15 years?
For a long time, I was under constraints of the publishing industry to produce books that weren’t set in the world of Wraeththu. The original trilogy wasn’t a massive seller when it first appeared, so publishing houses were reluctant to publish more. However, Wraeththu amassed a loyal army of fans over the years, who kept it alive on the internet and through fanfiction writing. It was them more than anyone (or rather their dedication) who eventually enabled me to present a new trilogy to my American publishers. The original trilogy has never gone out of print, so they were happy to take on a new one.

Are you satisfied with the continuance of Whraeththu? Do you have more ideas or plans to write more about the Wraeththu?
I will probably write more Wraeththu stories, since I love immersing myself in that world. I am also publishing Wraeththu Mythos novels written by other writers, who have been drawn from the realms of fanfiction.

In the books you handle with political and social problems, also critisize  them. Did some of this crits changed in the last 20 years. Are people more tolerant (f.e. homosexuality), than 20 years ago?
I would say that yes, Western society is far more accepting of homosexuality than it was when I first wrote the Wraeththu stories. But in other ways, things are not so good. I like to explore political, social and religious concepts in my work, and will continue to do so. There’s always something to have a rant about, isn’t there!

Did the audiences also changed the last years?
I think that a lot of fans were drawn into the world of Wraeththu through the fanfiction, since these writers communicate a lot with one another and share their work on the internet. That contributed to an expansion of the world.

Could you identify yourself with a character from the books. Is there a person that is like you, that have the same personality for example?
Any writer inevitably puts bits of themselves, if only through their opinions, into their characters, but I wouldn’t say any one character represents me entirely.

Which characters do you like most, and which do you hate? Are there preferences or repugnances?
I don’t really have any particular dislikes, although I am very fond of Pellaz and Cal.

Please give a retrospect to the Wraeththu books and the fans.
The Wraeththu stories are set in our own world, but in an imagined future when humanity has damaged the earth so much, it retaliates. A new race arises from the ruins of civilisation, and these are the Wraeththu. They derive from humans, so have to battle with traits left over from humanity and avoid making the same mistakes.

Let’s leave the world of Wraeththu. You also wrote and write other books. What genres do you like most?
I work in fantasy, science fiction and dark fantasy, and I don’t think I could write a truly ‘mainstream’ book that doesn’t have some elements of the mystical and wondrous.

Are there any genres you always wanted to write?
No, I think I’ve covered all the ones I’m interested in.

Do you have favourite books or authors you like?
My favourite author is Alice Hoffman, who wrote Practical Magic, amongst many other fine novels. Practical Magic was made into a film that didn’t do it justice at all. Her command of language and her style amazes me and I find it very inspirational. My other favourites are Tanith Lee, Jack Vance, Jonathan Carroll and Steven Millhauser.

What are your plans in the future?
I’m currently working on an idea for a fantasy novel, but it’s in a very early stage of development at the moment. This year, I intend to republish my novel ‘Burying the Shadow’ through Immanion Press, and also a collection of short stories called ‘Mythangelus’. 

Did you start writing on your own and also learned how to write on your own?
Yes, completely self educated in that respect.

 How long does it takes you to write a book. Are there some steps you always go through when you write, or is it different with every book? How do you usual work on a book?
It’s very different for each book and I can’t really say how long it takes me to write one. Until a few years ago, I was writing one or two novels a year, but recently, with running Immanion Press I haven’t been able to do as much.

Immanion Press has been founded by you. Is it difficult to found and run a publishing house and why did you start it?
I founded Immanion Press simply to get the original Wraeththu trilogy back in print, but it grew from there. I ended up publishing the back catalogue of other writer friends and also some new authors. Our most successful books are the non fiction titles on magic and esoteric studies, under the imprint Megalithica Books. It isn’t difficult to run but it does take a lot of time and commitment.

Please tell a bit about yourself? What are you doing in your free time?
In my free time, I’m a movie addict and also a World of Warcraft addict. My husband Jim and I spend most of our social life online.

Is there something you want to tell the german readers?
Only thanks to those of them who have supported my work over the years, and hello to any potential new readers. J

Many thanks for this interview.

In diesem Sinne bedankt sich "Like a Dream" recht herzlich bei Marja Kettner, die nicht nur dieses Interview ermöglichte, sondern auch unbekanntere Bilder von Wraeththu für dieses Interview zur Verfügung stellte.

Bildcopyright:
Die im Zusammenhang mit diesem Artikel verwendeten Bilder und Coverscans unterliegen dem Copyright von Storm Constantin und Marja Kettner