[Interview] K.C. Alexander on Mass Effect, Genderqueer Badasses, and the Gratuitous Use of the Word F@#&
K.C. Alexander is the author of Necrotech—a transhumanist sci-fi called “a speed freak rush” by NYT bestseller Richard Kadrey and “a violent thrillride” by award-nominated Stephen Blackmoore. She co-wrote Mass Effect: Nexus Uprising with NYT bestseller Jason M. Hough. Other credits consist of short stories to Fireside magazine and a contribution to Geeky Giving, as well as personal essays regarding life between gender and neuronormative lines. Specialties include voice-driven prose, imperfect characters, and reckless profanity. Also, creative ways to murder the deserving—in fiction. Probably.
She writes sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and anything she wants. Prefers animals to people, and enjoys binge watching anime and science shows; basically, activities that allow her to be a hermit. She champions mental health and combats gendered expectations(*). Often, Alexander is accused of being too aggressive—see: (*) for her views on this.
She writes a lot. Check it out
Anthony Vicino: I interviewed Jason Hough a couple days ago and we chatted about the Mass Effect: Nexus Uprising collaboration you two did back in March. How did you find yourself wrangled into such a situation?
AV: Hearing that you were writing for Mass Effect: Nexus Uprising was a bit surprising at first because you have a hard-hitting, bared knuckles, here’s-a-shovel-for-your-face style of writing which isn’t necessarily the first thing that jumps to mind when one thinks of stories set inside a well-establish IP like Mass Effect. What was this process like for you? Both in terms of collaborating with Jason, but also in working with Titan Books?
K.C. Alexander: The funny thing about the first part of your question is that I get it a lot. Listen, there’s this thing that happens when a book or series becomes popular (or even known): readers assume this is your thing. That you write like this all the time. For some, this is true. People find a cozy place and stay there. But for me? I have many, many styles of writing, even if most only know me by way of Riko.
Writing Mass Effect was a great experience, both with Jason and with Titan (though to be honest, our main points of contact came from Bioware). With direct access to the game writers, we had a lot of fun bouncing ideas and questions back and forth, and getting their feedback was invaluable. Jason and I figured out this hybrid blend of both our styles of plotting that worked amazingly well, so it ended up a lot easier than one might think. We work well together!
AV: Did you ever feel as though you were having to compromise a bit of your artistic vision?
K.C. Alexander: Not really. I know that’s weird to say, but I went in to this project knowing full well that it was somebody else’s intellectual property (and one I love!). There were a few details I wish they’d’ve let us explore, but ultimately that’s just nitpicks. I’m pretty mercenary about my career choices, too, and when given this project, I knew what to expect.
Basically, artistic vision can be a compromise when it comes to somebody else’s world. I get free reign in my own work, so why push it on somebody else’s?
AV: I first came across you last year when you wrote an article on transhumanism for SF Signal. In there, you said:
“When we as a species have no more limitations, what are we most likely to do? To ourselves? To each other? To anyone not “one of us”? Adapt or die.”
This seems especially prescient in light of all the shit that’s happened in recent weeks. I can’t help but feel like you jinxed us.
No, I’m just kidding, we’ve been on this path for awhile, it seems. As somebody who’s very vocal in the community about writing to represent those “between the lines”, what’re your thoughts on recent events?
K.C. Alexander: Fuck fuck fucking fuck fuckity fuck fuck shit fuck fucking hell on a fucking fuck fuck.
K.C. and Frankenstein
AV: There’s certainly been an uptick in the last few years, but do you think we’ll see a surge of fiction in response to the themes so prevalent in recent news: social equality, race relations, LGBTQ rights, etc…?
K.C. Alexander: Oh, yes. I firmly believe we will. Though some may see the publishing industry as a small portion of the greater, the greatest change comes about from the street-level education and the arts. What I love most about writing is that it can be subversive in ways few actually think about. Whether subtly or otherwise, it shapes how we view so many things.
Have a book about alien contact? What are aliens? We used to call immigrants aliens. Interesting fact, right? Is the book about the fear and hatred that aliens have for us, and thus we must destroy to save our planet? That says a lot. But what if it’s about the nuances of aliens, of alliances and friendship? The metaphor of aliens to “other” kinda sucks, and it’d be nice to find less comparisons there in stories.
So, let’s look at more:
What about SF/F books that don’t mince around the fact that we treat those different from us like shit? What about the ones where we treat them well? People of color exploring space and being the amazing heroes they are? Neurodivergent protagonists settling colonies and protecting the human race? Genderqueer badasses, trans genius scientists… it goes on.
What about fantasy? Right now, there is a prevalence for white fantasy wherein rape is the primary threat to its powerful women. What does that say? Even if the women overcome this, what does that mean for every woman who comes into contact with a reader taught to believe that only a Very Strong(tm) woman can be expected to escape—escape, mind—the threat of violence.
The more we write about acceptance and equality, and the more we make it no big deal that somebody is gay or Hispanic or disabled or trans, the more this subconsciously sinks into the readership. Our generations have been shaped by decades of old books written by old white men whose view of the world no longer applies. I think that we have the opportunity to change that, and as long as we all keep fighting for marginalized voices and characters, the more and the greater the change.
There are authors and readers pushing equality, both in current events and in writing. The harder we push, the greater the uptick.
AV: As a genre, do you think we’re moving in the right direction? If so, how do we get there faster? If not, how do we reset the ship’s course?
K.C. Alexander: There is no reset button in life. None. We can’t change course at the drop of a hat, and no one person can grab the wheel to do it. It will take more of us, as many of us as can shout, and all we can do is make better choices for the future. How do we get there faster? I don’t know. I can’t control anyone else in this world, only my choices and how I react to things. I’d like to see more white, straight folk lend their ears and their actions. I’d like to see publishers lift up and support marginalized writers, and I’d like to see established authors wholeheartedly raise up these folks, too.
But I can’t force anybody. So I do my best, and I get it wrong sometimes, but I try to learn. I hope to lead by example. And the fact that I see more books fighting back against the status quo, and more authors being recognized for it, gives me hope.
We’re moving in the right direction. But we have a lot of work to do, and the bulk of that falls on those of us who have the voice and platform to make sure those who deserve it are heard. Normalizing those voices is the first priority, because I’ll be damned if it always comes to the privileged having to pave the way for the rest. That’s bullshit. I want to help change it.
AV: Alright, let’s talk Necrotech. One of the things I love about Riko is the fluidity of her sexuality. Many times when authors try handling this topic, they do it with a big flashing neon sign over the character’s head that says, “Look, my character is *insert whatever label the author wants*!” It feels as though they are trying to tick a box on the holy altar of diversity, without actually understanding the thing they’re writing about. Riko, however, feels very authentic. Do you have any advice for authors out there who want to tackle these issues in a non-cliché way?
Here’s my flashing neon sign: I’m a pansexual genderqueer human being. I am Type II Bipolar, and I have non-combat PTSD.
Okay, now you know. Awesome! But I don’t run around and introduce myself to everybody that way. Why? Because my actions are what they are, and anybody with any sense at all would recognize it when I say something like, “Goddamn, I’d jump them in a heartbeat.”
Your characters should be the same way. It’s not an “issue”. You don’t have to pop up that neon sign in in the pages of the book, or on the book cover, or anything. You can, and for marketing you should if it’s a specific genre such as gay romance, but when it comes to embracing diversity, you really don’t have to slap labels on these people. I mean, they’re people, for chrissake.
Because as I said above, the more we make it no big deal in the pages of the book, the more we make it no big deal to a reader. I mean, unless that reader is an asshole, and then honestly, they can gtfo. The only asshole you need to worry about is yours.
AV: Your website says:
“I’m asked what writing between the lines means. I explain that I tell stories about the people erased in the middle; the ones that don’t fit the labels. I tell them I write about me, too.”
I’m curious, how do you see yourself in Necrotech?
K.C. Alexander: Ha! I’m a pansexual bitch often called too aggressive by people who don’t like aggressive femmes. I don’t give a shit about saving face, especially other peoples’ faces, and if I could, I’d set fire to so many things. I’m a bridge burner, though unlike Riko I do it on purpose, and I just cannot be assed to play to gendered stereotypes. Like Riko, I suffer from PTSD. And yeah, I suffer from it. (Though unlike Riko, I don’t ignore it.)
Honestly? Riko is me, cranked to 13 and a half.
In a future book, I will be writing about gender identity and exploration. About gender stereotypes. About the family you make. These are things I am intimately familiar with. And so, I tell that story wrapped in layers of theme and setting and character. That’s my contribution to the Own Voices movement.
AV: Were you able to thread any of your themes of invisible disabilities into Mass Effect: Nexus Uprising?
K. C. Alexander: Not very openly, and that only because I didn’t give it a lot of thought at the time. That is my regret about Mass Effect (I did say I get it wrong sometimes). I ended up writing about a same-sex couple, and we added different cultural names and appearances, but the invisible disability aspect was not included. At least, not that I remember.
When I reflect on it, I was in a very bad mental place at the time. Nexus Uprising was the first book I’d managed to write in something like two years, thanks to so many things. In many ways, I credit that book—and Jason’s collaboration—for setting me on the path to something resembling stability.
I guess I was too busy struggling through my own mental illness to think about adding it to the page.
AV: You’re amazingly open about a lot of the struggles you’ve faced in your life, both in terms of gender identity and mental health. Your article “We are not your backstories,” is incredibly powerful. At the end you talk about what we as individuals can do to help support and push towards this world where people who’ve been marginalized for so long can finally have their voices heard. Can you refer us to some authors, stories, and publishers you feel are really killing it in this area?
K.C. Alexander: Oh, honestly. There are so many. I mean, all you have to do is a little research. Here’s a few, but goddammit, readers, open your eyes. They are far more front and center than you’re letting yourself see!
-
K.C. ALexander speaks truth. Pick up anything by N.K. Jemisin. You won’t be disappointed.
N.K. Jemisin
- Fireside Fiction
- Alyssa Wong
- Uncanny Magazine
- Strange Horizons
- Daniel José Older
- Angry Robot Books
- Shimmer Magazine
- Zen Cho
- Amal El-Mohtar
- Nisi Shawl
- Every “Destroy” anthology ever
- …and so many, many more. Go look!
AV: Thanks so much for your time, KC. Where can readers find you lurking out there on the interwebz?
K.C. Alexander: Hey, always happy to get a chance to talk loudly at people! Thanks for having me, too. Y’all can find me at my three favorite places to pontificate:
Should you want to sponsor this genderqueer, invisibly disabled author to write more and faster, feel free to check out my Patreon at: www.patreon.com/kacealexander
Cheers, delicious souls. I look forward to hearing about the awesome, diverse stories you’re picking up.
[button link=”https://www.anthonyvicino.com/book-review-necrotech/”] Looking for your next great read? Click HERE to check out my review of K.C. Alexander’s Necrotech![/button]