"Even profound ideas benefit from a little bit of humor." - Fernando Torres
Fast-paced fiction, cinematic in scope, and featuring unforgettable characters is this author's mission. During over a decade in network television at ABC/Disney, Inc., Fernando was fortunate to have worked closely with many of his generation's most talented writers and producers. Time spent on the sets of numerous iconic sitcoms led to a light, humorous writing style unique in modern literature. At ABC/Disney, Inc., Fernando also participated as a judge and mentor in the writing development program, which inspired additional contributions in education. Many of his stories are inspired by his travels, though he has more permanent roots in the United States and Japan. An instrument-rated pilot, he also enjoys writing music and photography.
More Than Alive: Death of an Idol:
"Four years ago, I came across an old house in Kyoto, located in a very historic neighborhood, but falling apart and in need of considerable attention. My Japanese friends thought I had lost my mind, but I bought it anyway. Since then, it has generated a wealth of material that helped form the basis for my latest book, More Than Alive: Death of an Idol. Known primarily as an author of European literature, I'm aware that this latest effort might not be in keeping with my readers' expectations. That said, it has now been sixteen years since I first arrived in Japan, so it is only natural that those many experiences would finally germinate and bear creative fruit."
"I've actually been writing sci-fi stories for decades, but none of those efforts have ever been published. During graduate school, I was fortunate to spend time with Forrest J. Ackerman, who is credited with coining the term "sci-fi." He sat on a chair that Abraham Lincoln once used and told me how he was inspired by hearing "hi-fi" on the radio. At any rate, I had plenty of inspiration and encouragement to enter the sci-fi genre but felt the need to wait until I had something particularly unique to offer."
"At first glance, More Than Alive might seem like merely a comedic exploration of anime tropes, but it is actually a rather meta investigation of the nature of reality, using the entertainment industry as an anchor for that discussion. The story, however, is written to stand on its own, and also appeal to those only interested in action, romance, and humor. Still, anyone willing to dig a little deeper will be suitably rewarded. Writing a novel that is simultaneously commercial and philosophical, is substantially more challenging than merely writing a literary work intended as high-art, but that is what made the project so rewarding."
"When I was working at the Disney lot, I would wander over to the archives and see props, like the multi-plane camera they used to film Pinocchio. Dave Smith, who was the archivist at Disney at the time, always delighted in showing me exciting things like the wind-up bird that Walt bought on vacation that inspired the field of animatronics. Walt always hid high art within commercial endeavors, and it's unfortunate that some people still don't see Walt Disney for the serious artist he was. Still, it isn't coincidental that he hung around Salvador Dali, who considered Walt a great surrealist. In many ways, More Than Alive represents my bravest work as the subtext and themes are also easily overwhelmed by its commerciality. Having exerted the full-extent of my abilities, my faith now rests in the reader, that they will successfully dig beneath the surface for any greater meaning that can be found. Most of all, I hope you enjoy More Than Alive for its entertaining story full of characters that I never grew tired of spending time with and that made this such a pleasure to create."
A Habit of Resistance:
"I think the reason A Habit of Resistance has been so successful is because it delicately handles a particularly dark moment in history, in an instructive, yet humorous, way. The inclination of most writers would be to do a 'nuns with guns' story, because it's always easier to be shocking than charming. Achieving a proper balance was the greatest challenge in writing A Habit of Resistance. Chaplin certainly set the standard with his film, 'The Great Dictator,' and that influenced me greatly. I think humor instructs more than brow-beating."
"The characters and situations are fictitious, but based on actual history. It has been largely forgotten that the clergy were, in fact, a critical part of the resistance movement in Europe. It is a travesty that people like Father Marie Benoit, Irena Sendler, and Father Alexander Glasberg, are now largely forgotten. I felt that if I made the story as interesting and entertaining as possible, perhaps I could remind people of some of the things that they had fought for."
On his fantasy novel, The Shadow That Endures:
"I wanted to write a fantasy novel that played-off many of its tropes, which I have also been keen to do in other genres. I had been driving around the Lake District and into Scotland, visiting places like Windermere and Glencoe. Warwick Castle, one of my favorite sites, was also a form of inspiration. I always admired the sincerity that Tolkien used with details like language in his novels, and I have tried to use a similar care with the physics within my world. One of the constructs, within the novel, is the possibility that God is using a many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics as a way of resolving free-will versus predestination. A casual read of the Shadow That Endures could easily gloss over many of these details, and one might simply enjoy the story, but when you are building a world for characters to interact in, good world-building makes everything else more sound. It's also the reason why there are so many unsatisfying fantasy novels and especially movies today; too many effects, but no underlining substance."
"Ian MacDonald is a college student, from a small Scottish town, but he really lives like an old man. He still enjoys reading his newspaper, with his tea, and stopping in at antique stores, which is where he finds the globe. The globe is the catalyst for our adventure, because if he wouldn't have found that mysterious sphere, he wouldn't have found the stone."
"I knew that just because a story was accessible, humorous, and moved quickly, didn't mean that it lacked the potential to touch people. Authors like Jonathan Swift, who wrote Gulliver's Travels, and C.S. Lewis, have shown us that a novel could both entertain and reveal greater truths."
"The world he finds himself, is occupied by civilizations that are at different places, in their development. While one kingdom has evolved to almost a Baroque style, the one Ian finds himself in, at the beginning of our story, is a type of medieval theocracy. This allows for storylines that contrast the struggle between science and religion, but more importantly how our mortality defines us and gives context to our actions. In the novel, there are creatures that look down upon our human characters for their weaknesses, but overcoming those very shortcomings are what elevate them above those whom consider themselves gods."
"A great deal of time and care went into the creation of the Shadow That Endures; to bring to life the world that you can now experience. I hope you will give it the chance to live within your imagination, and enrich your life, as it has mine."
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