Big thanks to wonderful Brazilian friend, Isa for helping me to translate. Here's full translation from interview last night or early this morning.
Fabio: Hello guys, today i brought an interview with the author Luke Arnold, who wrote The Last Smile in Sunder City. Hello Mr. Arnold. Thank you so much for accepting answering this interview. I normally start asking the interviewed introduce themselves. Could you speak to us a little about you?
LA: Hello Fabio and everyone in Brazil! Until some years ago, my main profession was acting. always balanced that with writing and movie production, but I officially became an author last year. The Last Smile in Sunder City is my first romance of a detective series ongoing that follows Fetch Phillips, a [i really forgot this word but i'll edit in a sec] in a fantasy world where magic has died.
Fabio (Q1): I imagine that many authors influenced you during a long time, right? Could you tell us if there was an specific author that "caught" you to the fantasy world and influenced [your] writing?
LA: Most of what i "digested"[?] as kid came more from movies and video games, than books. i think i had some mismatches [?] with fantasy stories that seemed unreachable [?], until i found Terry Pratchett. The book series "Discworld" were a perfect mix of comedy, adventure and heart to invite me to the gender and made me search for me.
Fabio (Q3): The majority of people that I know here in Brazil, know you especially for your role in Black Sails (an excellent TV show). Besides actor, director, script writer, now you are an author. Do you believe that this previous jobs made easier when to write "The Last Smile in Sunder City?" (in the sense of world-building, creativity, script, etc)?
LA: There's many abilities that you need to be an actor, but a comprehension of the story and the character is essential, be you working in a quite easy job or a great epic like Black Sails, you need to know how tear apart a script, understand its place in history and make clear and specific choices. I worked in many excellent and terrible projects and read thousands of incredible and terrible scripts, in which probably helped me to prepare to write my own stories.
Fabio (Q4): And speaking of Black Sails, it's impossible to not make some connections when reading. Fetch is an ironic character, with a past that torments him, and others characteristics. When reading, i constantly compared him to Long John Silver. So the question is... had Long John Silver an influence in the creation of Fetch Phillips?
LA: I started to write "The Last Smile in Sunder City" when I was working on Black Sails, so I'm sure there was some elements that appeared [not voluntarily?]. Naturally, there'll be a little of me in both characters. People certainly will find some parallels, even thought it isn't intentional. To me, Silver knew the world he lived was unfair, so he was capable of not being guilty and do what needed to save himself. he put his past by side with the objective of going ahead. fetch is linked to his past - obsessed by it- and being smashed by the weight of his own fault. I think Fetch could learn a little from Silver.
Fabio (Q5): One of the main characteristics of this first book is the world-building. You created a fantastic world. It was hard to imagine it, or there was parts more difficult to create?
LA: Having ideas is the easy part, but to choose the scenario that better adapts to the characters and themes can be more difficult. I can always imagine Fetch wandering on Sunder's streets, finding in various ex-magical creatures, but I try to present him to the enemies and allies that will bring up his internal conflict. Sometimes, I have to resist in rushing some new creation, if that isn't going to add nothing to add to Fetch's journey at that moment.
Fabio (Q6:) Despite being a world with magical creatures, much can be associated with human problems. Do you believe that we can associate the end of magic with what human beings are doing to the earth itself in real life?
LA: There are definite parallels with climate change, but I have always seen the death of magic as something more personal and internal. I think the world (our world) is a really magical place. We all see this when we're younger, but then we make certain choices, we're led down certain paths, and we're often removed from that magic in adulthood. There is more than one theme at stake in these books, but Fetch's struggle to open up, forgive himself, be part of his community and find happiness is reflected in the world without magic more than any comment on industrialization.
Fabio (Q7): Another association I couldn't stop to do was imagine a book adaptation, with you playing Fetch. There's any possibility of having the book being adapted in the future?
LA: I would love to see these stories adapted in the movies and TV. At the moment, I'm focusing more in the books, trying to put the maximum of story on the paper before that happens, but would be a dream to see Sunder City come to life in the screen.
Fabio (Q8): This is your first book here in Brazil, but the sequel was already released. What we can expect from this sequel?
LA: In the first part, Fetch is fight to survive every day, oppressed by guilty, addiction and lack of hope. In "Dead Man a Ditch", Fetch is hired to investigate a murder that seemed to happen with magic. knowing that magic disappeared six years ago, he's forced to question himself if this darkness could have some secrets.
Fabio (Q9): Another thing I would like to ask is about the future works. Recently I saw that you were finishing the third book of Fetch's series, right? For what I searched before, it would be two books, but this third book appeared. It was already planned, or it appeared with time? Do you have other works, Fetch's or different others in mind?
LA: These are the histories of a detective, instead of parts of a traditional fantasy series. Each book is built around a case which Fetch is hired to investigate. I always planned to write a lot of books, each one like a auto-contained [translation: CSI episodes?], built in search of a final epic fantasy that will come when the time comes.
Fabio (Q10): To end, I would like to thank you again for accepting to answer, congratulate you for the book and I would like to know if you could leave a word to all your readers and fans from Brazil?
LA: Thank you for your fantastic questions, Fabio. I thank all my fans from Brazil. Thanks from supporting my career so much and my first book! i was planning to go to Brazil before COVID-19 changed everything. But i'm hoping for the that I'll finally can visit your beautiful country.
Source: Fabio Pedreira
