Capacity for Greatness
Answering the Human Question: A Gnome’s Essays On Mankind is a story that imagines a world where humans coexist with mythical creatures like gnomes, elves, and dwarves. This is an intriguing setup for a novel that is high in social commentary. What was your moral goal when writing this novel, and do you feel you’ve achieved it?
Our goal with Answering the Human Question was to explore cycles of imperialism, oppression, and humanity’s will to triumph over adversity through a rich fantasy lens. At its core, we wanted to inspire readers to hold faith in humanity and themselves and to keep moving forward no matter what challenges life brings. Through this story of mythical creatures and humans living side-by-side, narrated by an immortal being who observes humanity across centuries, we aimed not only to entertain our readers but to also encourage reflection.
Through the Gnome’s musings on humanity’s resilience, contradictions, and potential for greatness, we invite our readers to see a mirror of their own lives, with echoes of history woven throughout. While the message is ultimately uplifting, we also emphasize caution. As seen in both the story and in our own history, such triumphs often come at a significant cost.
While it’s ultimately up to readers to decide if we’ve achieved our goal, we believe that by staying true to these themes and letting the story unfold authentically, we’ve come close to realizing this vision.
What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?
One of the most fascinating aspects of the human condition—one that lends itself well to fiction is our capacity for resilience and reinvention. Humans are remarkably adaptable, and exploring how characters respond to adversity—whether they bend, break, rebuild, or some combination of such—remains endlessly compelling. From our point of view, this very human trait is at the heart of stories that ask what it truly means to be human.
Another interesting facet that makes for some powerful storytelling is our ability to dream and imagine a future beyond our current circumstances. Characters who grapple with visions of a better world or who dare to push the boundaries of what is possible often lead to stories filled with wonder, hope, and transformation. Such a trait is not limited to personal ambition, it is about confronting fears, learning from failures, and still daring to reach further. At the same time, these aspirations carry the weight of personal sacrifice and unforeseen consequences, reminding us that pursuing progress and success often demands caution and discernment.
Finally, and perhaps most obvious and most significant in the novel, is our paradoxical relationship with time—that is our awareness of mortality yet longing for permanence. We humans are often driven by the desire to leave something behind, to matter, despite the inevitable end. That urgency in turn shapes our passions, our choices, and our relationships. Across fiction, it remains one of the most poignant aspects of ourselves to explore and thus makes for stories that feel both deeply personal and universally resonant.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The themes we consider central to the book are humanity’s conflict with nature, capacity for greatness, and will to overcome adversity as well as the enduring legacy of those we hold dear. These themes are deeply significant because being history nerds, we’ve seen countless examples of them throughout human history. From our biblical fall from Eden to our evolutionary struggle to dominate the natural world, humanity’s rise to where we are now in spite of the odds is an inspiration of its own; as such, these themes continue to resonate, connecting to many on a personal level, making the story poignant and relevant.
Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?
Indeed, we are excited to share that we have several ideas for follow-up stories within the universe of Master Gnome, with one already in progress! This next project is shaping up as a memoir from an ensemble cast of mostly new characters, each offering their own perspective as they navigate the trials of a wartime era. Through their lives and reflections, we’ll delve deeper into the world and its history, exploring the impact of the conflict and the choices people make when confronted by upheaval and uncertainty. We hope it brings readers a fresh perspective on the themes we began exploring in Answering the Human Question and offers an even closer look at resilience and courage in times of hardship.
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To aid in their decision, they summon a Gnome to give testimony. He is the only Elderkin to have witnessed and chronicled humanity’s rise, observing them since their first steps nearly ten thousand years ago. His essays, later compiled into a single text, distill those millennia—from humanity’s humble beginnings in the Stone Age to the brilliant and terrifying present.
“Answering the Human Question” is a tale that chronicles the rise and fall of empires, ages of dark lords and heroes, and the birth of ingenuity in the face of strife—and its consequences. Will Mankind falter and submit to a hostile world, or will it dare to dream of a better one?
Posted on November 24, 2024, in Interviews and tagged action, Action & Adventure Literary Fiction, Action & Adventure Short Stories, adventure, Answering the Human Question: A Gnome's Essays on Mankind, author, book, book recommendations, book review, Book Reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, ebook, fiction, goodreads, indie author, kindle, kobo, literature, nook, novel, read, reader, reading, short stories, story, The Brothers K, writer, writing. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.
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