Meet Brandon M. Easton, creator and writer of
Shadowlaw - the new Arcana comic book series with stunning art by Scott Kester.
ShadowLaw is the first of the new Vampire-Mech genre and will change the way you view sci-fi/horror comic books. He also hosts
Writing for Rookies, a podcast show for novice sci-fi writers .
When did you begin writing?
I wrote a couple of short stories in high school that really were awful, but I wanted to see what kind of story I could tell. I didn't take it seriously until I got to college and met fiction writing teachers who encouraged me to develop my talent.
What drew you to this particular genre?
I always liked stories that weren't grounded in day to day reality because if I want reality, I will go outside for a walk. Spec Fiction was always something fun and easy to escape to when things were getting too tough in my personal life and so on. As a kid, I adored Star Wars and Star Trek for their visions of storytelling.
Why do you think speculative fiction is important?
It is one of the few literary genres that can accurately predict where humanity may end up. There are so many things in our current world (technology wise) that were inspired by spec fiction novels and movies and TV shows over the years. I also believe that Black kids desperately need to move their imaginations beyond street lit and Lil' Wayne videos. Black kids not using their imaginations properly has done serious damage to our community. And I saw it firsthand when I was a teacher in Harlem for almost 3 years.
What are the key elements or literary devices you use in your fiction (Ex. vampires, space or time travel, first contact, Armageddon, etc.)?
I try to predict where we will end up sociologically because our future doesn't look as bright as it does in Star Trek. If anything, we are heading towards a MAD MAX kind of scenario where resources are scarce and people will become barbaric in defense of said resources. I love to use all kinds of tropes, like space exploration and time travel. Those have been done to death, but I believe it has more to do with execution than content.
What are your plans for future books?
I am finishing up the Shadowlaw graphic novel series and I have since moved to Los Angeles to pursue a screenwriting career. There will also be a full-length print novel detailing the world of Shadowlaw as well.
Favorite author, book and/ movie:
I have many favorite authors: Richard Wright, Stephen King, Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, etc.
What do readers need to know about you and your works?
I take this stuff very seriously and I will always do my best to expose the spec lit genre to as many people who will be willing to give it a chance. My work is never negative, only honest to my own beliefs and experiences. If you got the imagination, I am sure you will enjoy my writing.
