Author Chat: Alexander Mharcei, Writer of “A Queen’s Silence”

This is B.C. Johnson, your chromed-out, space-faring indie author, and today we’re sitting down with Alexander Mharcei.

About the Author

Humbly, I submit that I’m just a middle-aged guy zipping through the void on a space rock and trying to make the most of his experience. Professionally, I’m an author and producer. I’ve been writing since grade school, have two decades of creative production experience, and I mainly write science fiction and cyberpunk.

Recently, I’ve expanded into cosmic horror. I’m also writing a post-apocalyptic story for a collaborative adaptation project. I also run Arkhelian.

The Questions

1. Do you have a writer you idolize?

 I don’t idolize anyone–in my opinion, that’s a bit of a trap. If someone creates something I enjoy and I meet them, I make a point to thank them and, if they have time, ask what they’re excited to work on next. Celebrate their joy too.

Some creatives who’ve made work I really enjoy: Gibson (NEUROMANCER) is a cyberpunk poet. Nihei (BLAME!) made me love a secondary character who rarely spoke. Watanabe/Nobumoto/Kanno (COWBOY BEBOP) introduced me to a different kind of space western and helped me love music more. Danielewski (HOUSE OF LEAVES) made me growl while I read a book. There are so many superb works, it’s hard not to make a list.

Kobo Abe is one of my favorite authors, and Bong Joon-Ho makes movies that remind me to laugh.

2. Why do you feel cyberpunk has stayed such a relevant subgenre?

While the subgenre can be given a socio-historic definition, most will list aesthetic elements or story themes to box in their own definition. Depending on if someone is coming for a pop culture, fandom, subculture, or movement mindset… Cyberpunk has something to offer everyone.

All in, cyberpunk is a lightning rod. It can be retro and nostalgic by limiting itself to the aesthetics of the 1980s, neon lights, and noir tropes. It can evolve and absorb the extremes of post-capitalism and military technology. It can be a timestamp for governments bowing to technocracy, corporations stripping personal freedoms and privacy, and the lunacy of the low-life/high-tech dystopia therein.

The roots of cyberpunk are much deeper than that, and they vary a little from Eastern to Western cultures. This popular ambiguity means many find works they enjoy. At the same time, the undercurrents of a deeper understanding also have enough depth to keep up with current events.

Lastly, cyberpunk rarely tries to save the world. Its characters aren’t there to grandstand or be superheroes. Its warnings tend to scale up to big science fiction ideas, like transhumanism, but its hypothetical solutions are usually somewhere closer to the individual experience with limited application. That keeps the subgenre relatable and more immune to burnout than say… classic science fiction, generally speaking. Go deep enough and cyberpunk can become a flag, a call-to-arms, a subculture, or even provide a path to alternative lifestyles.

3. What is Arkhelian?

An idea. A hope. A challenge. A creative studio. A production house. An island. A declaration of war. A dream. A library. A small-press indie publisher. An invitation for writers, artists, and musicians to get together and collaborate, within the genres and subgenres the company focuses on.

If that sounds interesting, reach out. The group has been growing, and we’ve got some good things going on.

4. If the favorite story you’ve written got turned into a movie, who’s the perfect director?

To date, I think Katsuhiro Otomo (AKIRA) and Andy Goddard (ALTERED CARBON) have done cyberpunk best. The former for classic themes. The latter for a Westernized update that nails its mix of settings, has grit, and is moody–almost to the point of being angry.

For the sake of pushing into uncharted territory, using my novel A STAR TOO FAR, I would have a horror director take a swing at cyberpunk. David Bruckner (THE RITUAL), Nicolas Pesce (THE EYES OF MY MOTHER), or the duo of Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (THE ENDLESS) would be interesting. Each a bit different, but my stories often give a polite nod to the wet neon aesthetic and then go hard into bleak atmospherics, isolation, and claustrophobia.

I like the imagery that Villeneuve used in BR2049, but it’s too much for my stories… in the same way TRON’s aesthetics wouldn’t be right for FAHRENHEIT 451 or GATTACA. I like the greens of mercury halide and the septic flicker of fluorescent lighting (JOHN WICK). My characters brood, say the opposite of what they mean, and a horror director would understand my use of scale and cybernetics better than someone making a glossy science fiction film.

I’d also look at Park Chan-wook (OLDBOY), Alan Poul (TOKYO VICE), and Alfonso Cuarón (CHILDREN OF MEN) for some of my other stories.

Where to Find the Author

Follow Alexander Mharcei on Threads and Instagram, or follow his profile on Amazon to stay updated on his stories.

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Next Time: Thursday

This is BC again, thanks for stopping by! We should have a new author chat on Thursday.

You can subscribe to my blog to get updates as they arrive, or follow me on Threads where I’ll be posting them as well.