Silanur
asked
S.A. Chakraborty:
Hello! I'm Turkish-American and I'm super excited to be able to read Saints and Misfits. There aren't many books set in the Middle East and it always makes me happy to see them. What was your inspiration for your novel? Also, how did you research for it? Thanks so much!
S.A. Chakraborty
Haha, I'm not sure if this is for Saints and Misfits or The City of Brass, but I'll happily answer! (and also Saints and Misfits is fantastic and I wholeheartedly recommend it)
The research for The City of Brass actually came before the book was even an idea. I've always been a big history buff, and I studied the classical Islamic world in college (and then continued to after graduation because I'm a nerd) TCOB started then as basically an experiment in historical fan-fiction. I wanted to recreate the worlds I loved reading about and mix them up with some of the magic and fantastical elements present in regional folklore.
In particular, I focused on djinn, sticking to and then elaborating on the stories we already tell about them. For example, traditional texts tell us that the Prophet Suleiman used them to build his temple, so I dug into the how and why of that - as well, as what (in my story anyway) happened after. We talk about them living in human ruins, so I had them influenced then by some of the empires and cultures they watched rise and fall. I took particular influence from Abbasid and Sasanian history and culture though others will be showing up as well :)
The research for The City of Brass actually came before the book was even an idea. I've always been a big history buff, and I studied the classical Islamic world in college (and then continued to after graduation because I'm a nerd) TCOB started then as basically an experiment in historical fan-fiction. I wanted to recreate the worlds I loved reading about and mix them up with some of the magic and fantastical elements present in regional folklore.
In particular, I focused on djinn, sticking to and then elaborating on the stories we already tell about them. For example, traditional texts tell us that the Prophet Suleiman used them to build his temple, so I dug into the how and why of that - as well, as what (in my story anyway) happened after. We talk about them living in human ruins, so I had them influenced then by some of the empires and cultures they watched rise and fall. I took particular influence from Abbasid and Sasanian history and culture though others will be showing up as well :)
More Answered Questions
Nadja
asked
S.A. Chakraborty:
I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the book! I can tell already that it'll be my Book of the Year, and I really wish the sequel would be out a little(a lot) sooner! This book was what I've been looking for in a very long time, and I'll have to look long and hard to find something that'll satisfy my addiction until the sequel comes out. One question: will we come back to Cairo? I miss it already!
Debdip Chakraborty
asked
S.A. Chakraborty:
Hey! I am really excited to read "The City of Brass". I have to say what sparked the interest of using the Islamic culture as a background for your world setting? Were you always influenced by it? (It's really offbeat, and I loved it, cause fantasy is filled with Medieval British setting) P.S.: Not wanting to sound racist, but your surname really suggested that you were from India, is there any connection?
Nimrod Daniel
asked
S.A. Chakraborty:
Hey Shannon! Which authors have influenced you the most and how?
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Jul 03, 2017 03:47AM