In a chat with the Shine & Shadow group, author and editor Clarence A. Haynes explains how the project "Nubia: An Awakening" came to fruition, the core ideas and intents behind it and anything you might wonder about the book he co-authored with actor Omar Epps. In order to make full sense of this conversation you may want to read the book or some detailed reviews.
In terms of reactions, firstly, I've noticed that some people are picking up on some of the elements of the book that defy expectations of the genre, for instance Zuberi being a girl character who's really unapologetically determined, willful and powerful in the decisions she makes, what makes her feel strong, etc. This was something Omar and I purposely did. In the same way, Uzochi is more sensitive and emotional, internal, overtly frightened, is growing into his role as protector in a way that Zuberi already knows how to handle. Most of the cast we wanted to play with expectations in some way and make them very human, especially considering they're young Black characters.
It was also
really important to give the Nubians a rich community life and interior lives,
to make it clear that these traits are not the domain of the wealthy. Both Omar
and I are Native New Yorkers, coming from more modest means, and so when we
were developing the story, it felt relatively easy to give the characters the
type of vibrancy that we knew from our teenage years in what was considered a
rough place by many.
This also helped to inform the world-building, thinking about how NYC could
change over the coming years if we lived in a more fantastical universe where
powers could be a reality and the rich would have access to extremely advanced
tech. (Keep in mind the idea is being put out
there that humans will eventually begin to change their bodies with devices, so
the idea that most Up High residents are walking around with cybernetic
implants isn't so farfetched perhaps.)
Also, regarding the creation and positioning of the Up High, as we worked on
novel it became clear that everything would need to revolve around modes of
wealth...your access to get to this place in the sky that will supposedly keep
you safe from rising sea levels, crumbling infrastructure, and poorer city
residents, including refugees. The military, again connected to wealth, in this
case being operated by what's essentially a private company run by one person.
We see parallels today in terms of the amount of privilege and power given to
the wealthy because of their riches as opposed to being democratically elected
to hold positions of influence. So in Nubia, this idea is taken to a disturbing
extreme.
To touch on
a few other items; Nubian powers directly
mirror an individual's core personality, so the expression of a gift is always
a major clue as to who this person is. So for instance, in Vriana's case, with her persuasion powers, it's meant to convey how
enthralling expressions of desire can be when not limited by shame.
Lencho is indeed quite damaged and the expression
of his gift mirrors that damage, as do his choices. In terms of his home life, we wanted to show what happens to a kid who's been
routinely emotionally and physically abused and left to fend for himself, even
though he has other family members nearby along with other members of his
community. Nubians were able to band together to make a life under harsh
conditions but are far from perfect, which we'll go into even more in Book 2.
The idea of parental legacy is also extremely important to Omar in terms of his
original draft and our conversations, so it was my job to help bring that to
the fore.
The book
came into fruition through Omar. The concept of Nubia, the kids awakening to
gifts, the story's underlying premise, including its future setting...all Omar,
as he had an original book treatment and draft that he had worked on before I
came on board. A publishing colleague referred me to his team to serve as
co-writer, and my job was to finesse the narrative as needed, create cohesive
language, and be sort of the rule-maker when it came to world-building and the
characters' powers, as I'm the sci-fi/fantasy genre person.
We didn't have a strict division of responsibilities though I increasingly
would be responsible for getting Omar's ideas onto the page as we would be on
the phone for hours and hours figuring out which characters were going to do
what, key elements of the story, how to best incorporate publisher's feedback,
etc. Again, I'm more the genre guy and also very good at intricate
world-building. Omar is big picture person who presents lots and lots of ideas
to try out, and is also quite adept at infusing the story with twists and turns
and a cinematic feel.
And by the way, about the
process of assimilation and integration you've mentioned, it's complex,
definitely informed by real world scenarios. But the mode of integration
presented in this world for the poor is generally through ascension, which
implies you're supposed to turn your back on your home community and "integrate" into a super
wealthy community. Or, really horribly, you can imagine you're becoming
integrated by using Elevation...
And Book 2 is going to be a wild ride that answers lots of questions.
About the author: Clarence A. Haynes is a book editor and author from Brooklyn, New York, who took some Europe time during the last five years during which we met. He was not only a constant participant of the OSF book club, he even created and moderated the Otherland Mythic Fiction Book Club until the pandemic hit. Which was only the beginning for him since Clarence wrote two books during these times; one is Nubia, the other is "The Legacy of Jim Crow", institutionalized US racism explained to middle-graders. The pandemic was also a weird time in which Clarence was often my only social contact, my best friend and support who could so effortlessly put up with my weirdness and awkwardness around people. His leaving Berlin for his native New York City in December has hit me hard and he is missed. But I also believe he will have the space he needs to spread out his wings in all their glory.
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