The Big Idea: Josh Mendoza

Though we all have seen multiverse stories before, it doesn’t mean they can’t still be fun and interesting. Here to prove that is author Josh Mendoza, who has just come out with his newest novel, Shadow of the Eternal Watcher. Follow along in his Big Idea to see how he plans to shake up the multiverse.

JOSH MENDOZA:

Growing up, my family loved a good story: whether it was written on the page, viewed in a dark movie theater, or rented from the local video store (remember those?) My inclinations always gravitated towards a heavy dose of science fiction and fantasy. I was the kid you’d find sitting cross-legged in the SFF section of the local indie bookstore while his mom chatted up the owner. I spent my allowance on books and collecting the official VHS tapes of Star Trek: TNG. I devoured every expanded universe Star Wars novel—I read the classics, too: Le Guin, Huxley, Lowry, Herbert, Bradbury—needless to say, I was hooked. As I got older, I became a bit of a cinephile. I’ve always particularly loved Film Noir and the broken detective heroes who occupy them. In conceiving of Shadow of the Eternal Watcher, I wanted to have it all, my science fiction multiverse and my pulpy noir detective protagonist. I love a good genre mash-up, and this story is no exception to my eccentricities.

Obviously, multiversal worlds have become ubiquitous with the rise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But for me, multiverse and alternate realities go back to classic Star Trek episodes like “Mirror, Mirror,”  Or, back a bit further, to every single episode of The Twilight Zone. I’ve always been fascinated by the “what-if” nature of alternate realities, broken timelines, and the paradoxical stories they create—remember when Marty McFly started disappearing in Back to the Future? This kid loved that! But, the reality is, it’s a story trope we’re all used to seeing.

With that in mind, I wanted to try and turn the trope on its head…