The Inspiration Behind Fid's Crusade
By David H. Reiss
I didn’t intend for Fid’s
Crusade to be the first book in an ongoing series. I didn’t even intend for
it to be a novel!
I’d been working on another (still unfinished) novel and had
written myself into a corner; at that point, I hadn’t yet found a tool or
method to effectively organize my thoughts for longer projects. At an impasse,
I was becoming increasingly frustrated…and thus decided to work on something
else for a while: a short story to act as a mental palate cleanser.
I’d been a comic-book geek in my youth, and it has been
thrilling to see some of my favorite childhood heroes successfully make the
transition to the big (and small) screen.
A bit of superheroic prose seemed as though it would make for a fun
diversion.
But I didn’t start with a hero. I started with a villain.
Generally speaking, heroes are reactive. They struggle and
sacrifice to stop the villain’s plan…but the true origin for all of that
conflict is the villain’s choice. It would be interesting, I thought, to
explore the thought processes and motivations behind a supervillain’s actions.
The project was coming along well and I was having fun…but
then I made the ‘mistake’ of approaching a new-to-me writers’ group. One member
asked what I was currently working on so I explained my project…and was gently
told that perhaps I would be more comfortable if I found a different group.
“We’re trying to be REAL authors here,” I was informed in a
gentle and earnest voice. “We don’t write comic books.”
Since I’m far too passive-aggressive for my own health, I
immediately raced home to re-write my story with the intent to prove that
capital-L-Literature wasn’t limited to any one genre. Instead of a relatively
light-hearted character piece, I constructed a deep-dive into the mind and
heart of the superhero story’s traditional antagonist: a non-linear stream-of
consciousness with a style informed by the works of Faulkner and Vonnegut. What
I ended up with was chewy and technically well-written…but, unfortunately,
squeezed dry of any of the original concept’s joy.
So I tore it apart and re-wrote it. And then I tore the next
draft apart and re-wrote it again.
All of this poking and prodding led to the gestation of a
larger story. My passive-aggressive
stubbornness slowly faded and subsequent drafts were looser. And while all of
this was occurring, I’d stumbled across a piece of software that helped me to
orchestrate larger works and to maintain a birds-eye view of my overall
plotlines.
Before I knew it, I had finished my debut novel.
About the Author
While growing
up, David H. Reiss was that weird kid with his nose in a book and his head in
the clouds. He was the table-top role-playing game geek, the comic-book nerd,
the story-teller and dreamer.
Fortunately,
he hasn't changed much.
David is a
software engineer by trade and a long-time sci-fi and fantasy devotee by
passion, and he lives in Silicon Valley with his
partner of twenty-six years. Until recently, he also shared his life with a
disturbingly spoiled cat named Freya.
(Farewell,
little huntress. You were loved. You are missed.)
David's first
book, Fid's Crusade,
has just recently been published; this was his first novel-length project, but
it certainly won't be his last—he's having far too much fun!
Website Link: https://www.davidhreiss.com
Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/davidhreiss
Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/davidhreiss
About the Book:
Consumed by grief, rage, and self-loathing, a brilliant
inventor rebuilt himself to take on a new identity: the powered-armor-wearing
supervillain, Doctor Fid. For twenty violent years, Fid has continued his quest
to punish heroes who he considers to be unworthy of their accolades, and the
Doctor has left a long trail of blood and misery in his wake. After a personal
tragedy, however, Doctor Fid investigates a crime and uncovers a conspiracy so
terrible that even he is taken aback.
Haunted by painful memories and profound guilt, the veteran
supervillain must risk everything to save the world that he once sought to
terrorize. Every battle takes its toll…but the stakes are too high for retreat
to be an option.
In the end, it may take a villain to save the entire Earth
from those entrusted with the Earth’s protection.
Praise:
"Fid's
Crusade by David H. Reiss is one of the most refreshing and lively
takes on the superhero genre I've seen in years. His title character's crusade
is colorful, compelling, and takes wonderfully unexpected turns, and the novel
delivers an impressive emotional punch (to go along with the super-powered
ones). It stands easily alongside other character-driven superhero novels like
Austin Grossman's Soon I Will Be Invincible, Carrie Vaughn's After
the Golden Age, and Paul Tobin's Prepare to Die!." - Hugo
award-winning author Tim Pratt
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