1.- Could you introduce yourself to Jamreads’ readers?
Hi everyone, I’m Eliza Chan, a Scottish-born Chinese-diaspora speculative fiction writer. My debut novel Fathomfolk was published by Orbit in Feb 2024 and in a nutshell is: what if the little mermaid was a pissed off immigrant in a semi-flooded East and Southeast Asian inspired city, but it was never about the love of a man, it was for the love of her home. 

2.- What inspired you to start writing?
As a kid I read voraciously and wanted to disappear into fantasy worlds. I remember lying in bed willing myself to dream about being a character in my favourite books and to continue the story after it ended. At some point I decided the only way to make this happen was to write my own books! I’ve been writing in some way, shape or form, ever since.

3.- How did the first idea for Fathomfolk appear? Could you tell us about the process of pitching Fathomfolk to editors?
Fathomfolk grew from several short stories I wrote which looked at mythological creatures such as sirens and water dragons in modern world settings. I was very much influenced by discussions around climate change and rising water levels also. 
I queried agents with the finished novel in 2021 and was incredibly fortunate to have a few offers. After I signed with my agent, we went on submission in the UK and US in 2022 and after about six tense months of thinking it wasn’t going to happen, I got an offer from Orbit! I pitched the book as Jade City meets The Legend of Korra originally, as those were definitely big influences. 

4.- What ideas were behind the inspiration for the Drowned World duology?
There are so many themes I wanted to explore in the Drowned World duology. The biggest one is identity and belonging, especially for diaspora communities who might struggle to articulate where home is. On top of that, the book also considers issues such as climate change, discrimination, revolution, sexism and class. For me, books are discussion points and rather than provide all the answers, I want readers to ask more questions. It is heavy stuff at times, but I also wanted to celebrate the joys of multiculturalism through food, community and sharing of ideas. My ultimate aim for the books has always been a message of hope. 

5.- Asian diaspora influence is clear into the Drowned World duology. Could you explain to us more about how it shaped the characters in Fathomfolk?
I wanted to celebrate multiculturalism from a non-Western lens, looking at cities such as Singapore and Hong Kong as my inspiration. On top of that, when I started building my world, aspects such as stilt houses, living on boats, dealing with monsoons, flooding and typhoons is something East and Southeast Asia is already equipped for so it made sense to be influenced by that. 
I am from the Asian diaspora and knowing where I fitted in was, and still is, a question I struggled with. I wanted a multi-POV story to show the diaspora experience isn’t homogeneous and people all come to their own different answer: personality, age, class, education, upbringing all have an impact.

6.- From all the characters you have created, which one would you say you have a soft spot for?
It has to be my morally grey seawitch Cordelia! As an antagonist who doesn’t stick by the rules, she grew from a small side character to a main view point character over the drafts. I like that her decisions are not ones I would make in real life, but they are true to her and her goals. It’s also just really fun to write a villain who gets to create chaos! I particularly love her arc in book 2 TIDEBORN as she really comes into her own. 

7.- Could you tell us more about your debut experience?
Debuting has been such a rollercoaster! I have loved seeing my book on the shelves and meeting readers at events but there are also periods of complete silence where it is terrifying and I start worrying about everything. It’s quite discombobulating also to be a “public figure” and building up my resilience to that. My favourite part has definitely been making lots of lovely author friends and sharing the good times and the difficult ones together. 

8.- What is your favourite mythological creature that hasn't appeared in your stories yet? And will they make an appearance in any future books?
Oh, there are so many. I love the nine-tailed fox and wrote a whole short story about Asian festishation on that (The Tails that Make You). I have a soft spot for the East Asian qilin/kirin which is a one horned four legged beast that is often called the Asian unicorn. Unicorns in general I think should get more time on the page as there’s not a lot of lore around them. I also wanted to write the Loch Ness Monster into Fathomfolk but thought tonally it might not work. One day!

9.- It was announced that you will have a new book coming in 2026, Harbour of Hungry Ghosts. Could you tell us more about the inspiration behind it?
I am drafting this as we speak! It’s set in mid-Opium War era Hong Kong, where a monster hunter used to dealing with Chinese ghosts and hopping vampires, has to figure out why foreign monsters are attacking the people. It is my love letter to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the classic hopping vampire films and of course lots of folkloric monsters from the East and West. I’m having great fun with it so far, and learning so much about Chinese history and the British Empire. 

10.- You have also published short fiction. How would you compare the process between writing short fiction and long form?
With short fiction I love to figure out the story I am writing as I am writing it on the page. It’s a great place to try out experimental styles and voices. Short fiction is often also a snapshot or a feeling and that can be enough. With long form I struggled at first to finish writing any books as it’s so much more of a marathon! For me I definitely have to plan novels a lot more in advance and think more about characters’ backstories. I am enjoying both now and hope to continue writing both!

11.- What can we expect from Eliza Chan in the future?
Tideborn, the sequel and finale to Fathomfolk is coming out in March 2025 and the stunning cover has just been revealed.
Beyond that, Harbour of Hungry Ghosts will be in 2026 if everything lines up and I’m contracted for a sequel for that too. I have some short stories coming out that I can’t announce yet as well as a project in an entirely different genre that’s still under wraps. If you want to know more, please subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on social media! You can check her website or her Instagram!

And seriously, check the Drowned World Duology, because it's amazing!