All about the debut fantasy Fathomfolk

Who is Eliza Chan?

Eliza Chan writes about East Asian mythology, British folklore and reclaiming the dragon lady, but preferably all three at once. She likes to collect folk tales and modernise them with a twist of lemon, pinch of pepper and a kilo of weird.

Eliza’s work has been published in The Dark, Podcastle, Fantasy Magazine and The Best of British Fantasy 2019. Her debut fantasy novel FATHOMFOLK will be published by Orbit in Feb 2024.

What is Fathomfolk?

Welcome to Tiankawi – shining pearl of human civilization and a safe haven for those fleeing civil unrest. Or at least, that’s how it first appears. But in the semi-flooded city, humans are, quite literally, on top: peering down from shining towers and aerial walkways on the fathomfolk – sirens, seawitches, kelpies and kappas – who live in the polluted waters below.

For half-siren Mira, promotion to captain of the border guard means an opportunity to help her downtrodden people. But if earning the trust and respect of her human colleagues wasn’t hard enough, everything Mira has worked towards is put in jeopardy when Nami, a know-it-all water dragon – fathomfolk royalty – is exiled to the city. When extremists sabotage the annual boat race, violence erupts, as does the clampdown on fathomfolk rights. Both Nami and Mira must decide if the cost of change is worth paying, or if Tiankawi should be left to drown.

Interview

What was your inspiration for Fathomfolk?

I love reading books of different mythologies throughout the world and noticed a common theme of women as damsels or seductresses, e.g. sirens, mermaids, selkies etc. At the same time, I was also thinking about multicultural cities: the prejudices against immigrants and conflicting identities in diaspora communities . It felt apt that the fathomfolk underclass literally come out of the water to look for a new home. These ideas mixed together to become a story about different fathomfolk women navigating a complex relationship with identity and change.

What drew you to writing fantasy?

I’ve been a fantasy reader since I was a child and there’s nothing more magical than inventing a world complete with fantastical creatures and magic. Also dragons, who doesn’t want to write about dragons?

How did you choose which character to centre the story around?

Originally, I planned for it to be Nami’s story alone. Nami is new to the semi-submerged city, a water dragon from an elite family who is impatient for change by any means. I quickly realised I was restricting myself with only one flawed point of view, and by including others, I could show the differing opinions in the community. Mira was the obvious second choice, a half-siren born and raised in the slums of the city who has slowly worked her way up the ranks and hopes to change the system from within. Cordelia was a brilliant antagonist whose role got bigger and bigger as I redrafted. I had a lot of fun with her!

What was your process for writing Fathomfolk?

Writing Fathomfolk was a very chaotic process and evolved over time. I had the idea from two short stories I wrote a while back set in semi-flooded cities. My first proper attempt was 50,000 words during Nanowrimo. It was incredible to know I could write that much, but I couldn’t even bring myself to open the document after. It was such a mess. Years later, I signed up for a mentorship with another British-Asian author Maisie Chan: her feedback and accountability pushed me through a proper first draft. The world, characters and plot all evolved through another four or so drafts before I queried to agents, and another two with my agent before we went on submission. It’s definitely been a long and winding road.

What is your approach to world and character building?

I’m not sure I have an approach I can articulate. Messy? Organic? My characters came first, with their motives, strengths and weaknesses. World-building wise, I thought I had avoided doing the work by keeping away from epic or historical fantasy! This isn’t true at all, it was just different. I started writing with my knowledge of water mythologies and real life sea creatures, but along the way I continued to research, reading articles on housing and farming in areas prone to flooding etc. Most of it never made it onto the final page, but as someone who wastes a lot of time scrolling through random facts on the internet, it felt good that it was actually useful for once.  

How would you describe Fathomfolk in five words?

Angry diaspora seafolk change world

Did you have a favourite moment in the book to write?

It has to be the bargain scene. I don’t want to spoil too much as it’s in the second half of the book, but there’s a moment when a bargain comes to bite Mira in the arse. There’s a number of characters that work together and lots of viewpoint switches flipping from above and beneath the water, rain and lightning, fights and twists. It was so satisfying to write.

What was your favourite book growing up?

That’s such a tricky question! The book I wanted to live in, which really got me in the feels, was Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce. It really spoke to my young self feeling out of place in the world. Close runners up would by Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey and The Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper.

Do you have a favourite genre to read?

Mostly fantasy! No surprise there. I love anything with a bit of a speculative edge. Depending on mood this can vary from cosy to bleak, historical to modern fantasy and also crossover novels. I love fantasy as allegory as well as escapism.