Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: Fortune-telling combined with wide open spaces give us an open canvas for our imaginations to write fascinating stories. Eli Horowitz is here to tell us about his latest novel, The Final Days of Kobold Kody’s Frontier Exposition and Tonic Show, which is a fantasy inspired by the myths of the Wild West. Eli, can you tell us the blurb?

Eli: The end is near for Kobold Kody’s Frontier Exposition and Tonic Show, but Andra, the show’s fortune-teller, is the only one who knows. As the seams come undone and the curtain falls for the last time, it’s up to her to save as many of her friends as she can—and, if she can find a way, herself.

Sabitha: What inspired you to write this book?

Eli: This book was inspired by three main threads: the Wild West, trashy fantasy from the ’60s through the ’80s, and the antiwork movement. I was reading a bunch of pulp fantasy when I realized that the barbarian trope felt a lot like the colonialist idea that Native Americas were so-called “noble savages.” In both cases, the characters are thought to be fearsome warriors who obey a simpler, less refined, and somehow purer moral code. So I wanted to write a barbarian character whose real life and personality were less sensationalistic than his reputation in the dominant culture. And from there it just expanded: who would the gunslinger be? What could I do for a lion tamer? If the Wild West was when America colonized the breadth of the continent, how would that translate to a fantasy context? What would all of these familiar characters look like if we tried to let them define their own experience instead of seeing them through a growth-oriented, colonial-type lens?

Sabitha: How much research did you need to do for your book?

Eli: To help flesh out my world, I wanted to build a magic system that had a scientific flavor so that it connected in some way to nature. That way, we could see how all these different cultures use magic differently in light of their different beliefs and values. So I used a system of sympathetic magic based on the consumption of animal products (meat, organs, secretions, etc.). That was probably the most intensive part of the research, because it gave me an excuse to learn about both real and mythical creatures that have cool, unique abilities. I ended up referencing everything from the cockroach wasp and the kangaroo rat (made famous by Dune) to dragons and salamanders, so that was a lot of fun.

Sabitha: Do you have any suggestions to help people in our community become better writers?

Eli: If anyone is looking for writing advice, I’d say two things. First, it’s important to realize that different people need different advice depending on their strengths, goals, and development as a writer. And then second, to go along with that, I’d strongly suggest finding people you can trust to listen to you and give you the advice that’s right for you. It can be really scary and even painful to ask other people for help or feedback, but it’s so incredibly important. Finding the right community, even if it’s just one person, will unlock a lot of doors.

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Eli: You can find Kody here and my first novel, Bodied, here. I’m also on Mastodon, where I’m always eager to connect with other writers and help to build the Masto writing community.