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Chris Abouzeid's Anatopsis is his first novel for children, although he's previously
published both poetry and short stories. The tale of Anatopsis was actually begun twenty years ago, but it has only just been
published by Dutton (New York).
The Edge of the Forest: First of all, I'd like to say how very much I enjoyed reading Anatopsis. What made you
decide to write a novel for children after years of writing and publishing poetry and short stories?
CA:Thanks, Michele. I started Anatopsis over 20 years ago, so the real question is why did it take me so
long to get a children's book published when I was already publishing fiction for adults? Part of the answer is that the
novel needed a lot of work. (The first full draft was over 600 pages long.) The other part of the answer is that, prior to
the Harry Potter phenomenon, it was much more difficult to get editors and agents to consider a fantasy book that was geared
towards both children and adults. In fact, I think fantasy was a little bit out of favour then, except with the "hard core"
fantasy publishers.
The Edge of the Forest: Despite the immortal nature of many of your characters, they are still very human. I'm
intrigued to know why you chose to make some characters immortal or semi-immortal?
CA: The immortal aspect of the witches and warlocks was there from the very beginning. In all but the most recent
drafts, the King and Queen were 10,000 years old and Barnaby and Ana were 300 years old when the novel starts. But what
drove me to create immortal characters was that adding eternal life to all the usual advantages of magic gave me a
society that was supremely selfish. The Immortals were immune to death, and because of this, they could neither experience
nor understand the pain that comes with death. They also had far less reason to worry about the consequences of their
actions. This seemed an apt metaphor for the dynamics between the powerful and powerless in our society.
The Edge of the Forest: As I mentioned in my review of Anatopsis you, like Philip Pullman, seem to feel that
Humanity's gifts of knowledge and imagination were not intended for us. Is there anything in particular which prompted you
to that conclusion ?
CA: I'm not sure I came to the conclusion so much as "riffed" on an ancient idea. Whether it's Prometheus stealing
fire or Adam and Eve tasting the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, our myths tell us time and time again that we (as a species)
are not sure we deserve our gifts or were meant to have them. With that doubt comes the fear that whoever gave us the gifts
(God, the Olympians, etc.) will punish us—either by taking the gifts away or by condemning us to eternal penance, or
both.
The Edge of the Forest: Early in the story you mention that "by the age of five, [Ana] could set a cat to running in
circles so tight it would explode with static electricity." (p. 4) I trust she wasn't permitted to do this too often?
CA: Only if the cat peed on the couch. ;-)
Actually, I never pictured Ana doing this so much as just learning a spell that would allow her to do it if she wanted. But
the line was mostly meant to highlight her skill and the Immortals' general lack of empathy for other creatures.
The Edge of the Forest: In chapter 22 you switch the Point of View between Ana and Barnaby every few paragraphs,
which seems to increase the tension and the pace of events—was that a deliberate choice?
CA: Yes. At first, I did it in broader sections—alternating chapters or half-chapters. But my editor, Julie
Strauss-Gabel, thought the tension would be heightened if I interleaved shorter and shorter sections. She was right.
The Edge of the Forest: I was intrigued by the idea that athen, the metal by-product of curse-casting, has a spirit
and is alive, and in particular that it likes to be told stories or sung to; what gave you that idea?
CA: I wanted the metal to be different from anything we know. I also wanted a reason—beyond simple
craftsmanship—why the mortals and Barnaby would be able to smith athen when the Immortals couldn't. The idea of the
metal shrieking popped into my head almost at once, and from there, it was a simple jump to the idea that the metal wasn't
just tough—it was alive. So, if it was alive, what would it take to make it "co-operate" with whomever was trying to
forge it? I could have had Barnaby feed it M&Ms, but singing and telling stories seemed more plausible.
The Edge of the Forest: In the penultimate chapter, Ana thinks that "Mr Pound would find a way [to hatch the athen
egg in which he's trapped]. Beings like him always did." (p. 317) Is this a hint towards a sequel to Anatopsis?
I'm sure I'm not the only reader who would like to see more of Ana, Barnaby and Uno.
CA: I don't have any plans to write a sequel and didn't have one in mind when I wrote the ending. But I did cut a lot
of things out along the way, and I think there's at least one thread that could make for an interesting sequel, if there's
ever enough interest. But, in any case, I don't envision anything beyond a second book. No trilogies or heptalogies for me.
The Edge of the Forest: Your view of Ana's Earth is quite bleak: "In its youth, it had been a bright blue, like a
marble, but had since turned the colour of badly mixed paint. And if you were to draw near it, you would in fact see that
its waters were composed of a mishmash of pigments—rust, algae, methane, phosphorous [...]" (p. 3) Do you believe that
our Earth will end up as badly polluted and as uninhabitable in the near future?
CA: If we don't make radical changes, yes. But, unfortunately, we (meaning all the people of the industrialised world)
are a lot like the Immortals in my novel. Most of us still have potable water, fertile land, mild weather, breathable air.
We can still go about our daily affairs without worrying too much about the environment. So we're not likely to make changes
any time soon.
The Edge of the Forest: Who are your favourite writers, and who has influenced you the most?
CA: Favourites in children's books: Eva Ibbotson, Iain Lawrence, E. L Konigsburg, E. B. White, Lloyd Alexander
Favourites in fantasy: Lloyd Alexander, C. S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Robin McKinley, Anne McCaffrey
Favourites in adult fiction: Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Charles Dickens, Charlotte & Emily Bronte, George Eliot
Of all of those, I would say Lloyd Alexander has influenced me the most in writing for children, and Dostoyevsky and
Dickens have inspired (it's too presumptuous to say "influenced") me most in writing fiction for adults.
The Edge of the Forest:Which books did you most enjoy as a child ?
CA:The Chronicles of Narnia (C. S. Lewis), The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett),
Call It Courage (Armstrong Sperry), The Swiss Family Robinson (Johann Wyss), The Phantom Tollbooth
(Norton Juster), Carry On, Mr. Bowditch (Jean Lee Ratham), Horatio Hornblower (C. S. Forester),
Tom Brown's Schooldays (Thomas Hughes).
The Edge of the Forest:What are you currently writing, and are you going to write any more children's books?
CA:I'm in the second re-write of a young adult novel about a boy who burns down the woods in his home-town. The novel
begins with him entering high school already branded a pyromaniac and "psycho". There's a ghost and a lot of family drama,
so it's not just another would-be Speak (Laurie Halse Anderson's wonderful book).
I also have a murder mystery that I began a while ago. Whether that will end up being for young adults or adults, I'm not
sure. I don't tend to write for a specific audience. I just write the book and let the publisher decide who it's for. But I
hope to continue writing books that will appeal to children. I get more pleasure and satisfaction from them than from any
adult works I've written.
If you're interested in learning more about Chris Abouzeid, check out his website: www.anatopsis.com
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