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Jac Forsyth
He talks too much of ghosts,
these days,
tobacco sweet in rusted fingers
and the spindrift spit at his mouth
as he lays out his defences
in borderlines and picket fences,
he speaks of love
but none could tell
About
Jac Forsyth is a liminal writer based in Wiltshire, and an advocate for gender diversity and representation within fiction.
Her influences range from fairy tales to Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, and from growing up in fear of nuclear war to the optimism implicit in series like Star Trek. Her books are categorised as sci-fi because we all appreciate a designated shelf, but they often stray into urban fantasy. Prepare to be wildly disappointed at the lack of subspace physics.
"If we're lucky, we encounter a book that changes our mind. For me, this book was 'News from Nowhere' by William Morris. I came across this peculiar, enchanting book when I was fourteen years old, and although the language was difficult and decidedly Victorian, the author painted a vision of a utopian future. AND, as anyone who grew up in the 70s knows, the future was a really scary time to think about.
Equipped solely with a flouncy Victorian novel, a comprehensive appreciation of Star Trek, and a crush on my history teacher, I embarked on a bold mission to save the world. Mostly this involved holding CND placards while people went to the toilet, but my heart was all in, and that's what matters.
In many respects, the Mandolin series is an homage to three disparate elements: News from Nowhere, Star Trek and my history teacher. Each of them was significant to a shy, frizzy-haired kid, each one embodied a vibrant hope for the future of humanity.
x Jac
Cover Drawings & Illustrations
by Jac Forsyth
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