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Fantasy author A. S. Tamaki talks about this epic fantasy debut, The Book of Fallen Leaves, Book 1 in “The Autumn Empire” trilogy.
Alex talks about how this story is a reimagining of an ancient samurai legend, and how it influenced him growing up. “The Tale of the Heike” (Heike Monogatari) is considered a piece of foundtational Japanese literature, and he talks about how the heroes in that epic influenced the characters that had been in his head for so long.
He realized early on that the scope of the story in his head would need a trilogy to tell, and how many of the fantastical and magical elements he uses came from traditional Japanese folklore. His main desire was to have a world where magic, gods and demons are real but presented in a more practical fashion than typical wizards and supernatural creatures.
He also goes into his writing process in both screen writing and writing novels, and what he looks forward to in bringing all the story elements together.
Alex also receommends the newer Alex Bennett translations of Eiji Yoshikawa’s Musashi, various books on medieval Japanese history by Karl Friday, and translations of ancient Japanese literature by Helen Craig McCullough.
The Book of Fallen Leaves by A. S. Tamaki (The Autumn Empire, Book 1)
Website: astamaki.com
Instagram: @alex.tamaki
Bluesky: @astamaki.bsky.social
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