Introducing Brad Greenwood, whose day job
is in films and who writes speculative fiction in his spare time. Brad began
work in the Australian film industry after graduating from the Queensland
College of Art in 1990 and he has built an impressive CV, having contributed as
a designer and artist to many projects including Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings, George Miller’s Happy Feet and Zack Snyder’s Legend of the Guardians. He is currently
art directing the animated film Blinky
Bill.
Brad’s contribution to Fusion is the story The Monkey’s Kiss, a clever angle on one
of sci-fi’s favourite themes. Brad’s film background shows through the
structure and atmosphere of the tale. And look no further than his photo above
for one source of inspiration.
When I ask how Brad felt to hear that his
story would be published in the Fusion anthology, I am amazed to learn that
this is the first short story contest he has entered. He tells me, ‘I was
genuinely surprised when I made the short list, and received an email from Fantastic
Books Publishing saying that my story would be included in the anthology.’
The quality of his writing shows he is no
beginner, so what was it that made him enter this competition? I ask what was
the greatest motivator: the cash prizes, the chance of publication, the
charitable donation or maybe none of these things. Brad says, ‘I think those
are all great incentives but it was really just the desire to write something
and put it out there that motivated me to enter.’
On the topic of the anthology’s invited
contributors, Danuta Reah and Stuart Aken. Brad says, ‘Danuta and Stuart are
incredible writers. I’m not really sure that I should be published alongside
them but I am thrilled to be!’
I’m happy to assure Brad that his success was
well-deserved and that The Monkey’s Kiss
deserved its place in amongst a set of excellent stories.
In common with all the shortlisted authors,
Brad worked with the Fantastic Books Publishing editorial team to polish his
story for publication. How did he find this process? He says, ‘What impressed
me with the editorial feedback from Fantastic Books Publishing was how concise,
intelligent and well articulated the notes were. The notes were incredibly
helpful in delivering a better story.’
What would Brad recommend as a compelling
read, the sort to make a long-haul flight whip by in a trice? He says, ‘Actually
I just finished reading Malcolm Gladwell’s ‘Blink’. It is non fiction but a
compelling read.’
And now I ask Brad to put himself in the
shoes of a space scout for an alien race. He has discovered Earth and learned
its history. Will he tell his people to make contact? I find his answer one of
the most perceptive I’ve had to this question. ‘Human beings at their best are
compassionate, fun loving, creative and spiritually curious. At their worst
they are self destructive, culturally intolerant and politically manipulative. I’d
keep an eye on them and check back in a few hundred years!’
And of course I want to know what Brad is
writing now, and I’m pleased to hear that the Fusion experience has inspired
him to write more short stories. As to the current writing project, he says, ‘It’s
going…but slowly.’
Don’t leave it too long, Brad. You have an
army of fans out there now.
Find out more about Brad at his website
No comments:
Post a Comment