What if a kid was brought up on nothing but technology? YouTube videos instead of hugs and a basement instead of a bedroom. Brooklyn native Jeff Musillo pondered these questions in his thrilling new novel, The Eternal Echo. The novel was released on Kindle last month and hits paper back this month. If you want an intriguing new read that isn't like the last ten books you read, pick up Musillo's latest. This past week, I got to exchange a few questions with the author.
Dan Buffa: Where did the idea for Eternal Echo begin?
Musillo: When I first started writing this book, I wanted to make something like Vonnegut. I wanted to write something with a sci-fi feel about an addiction to technology leading to madness. But the more I wrote the more that initial idea changed. It has the madness, but with that came a lot of darkness and zero levity. I’m not sure where the shift took place. But I’m happy that it did since the story came about in a natural way.
DB: The violence in the novel is startling and brutal but true to the story. That will get people talking. How has the feedback been there?
Musillo: The feedback has been interesting. I always expect the worst. I was expecting some people I know to read this book and never talk to me again. But, like you said, the brutal nature is true to the story, which I believe helps the reader as they go along a path they might not want to take. I’ve been surprised the most by one reaction in particular. There’s a section in the novel that involves a terrible sexual assault, which was the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to write, and it’s the part where I thought readers would be the most upset. But that hasn’t been the case. It’s the section after the sexual assault where I kind of deal with online bullying that’s apparently been the most disturbing.
DB: Technology and its effects/defects have been chronicled in film and TV before, but this is the first real fictional dive in a novel. Did you feel like you were tapping into something fresh?
Musillo: I always try to look at things simplistically. If something makes sense in a straightforward way then I might be able to write about it. A couple years ago I published a novel called The Ease of Access. That story was about a prostitute hired to service reality TV stars. I wrote it because the idea seemed direct and slightly plausible. To me, the behavior and business of reality TV seems to be whorish, so having a story where a prostitute worked on other prostitutes felt funny and like the way to go.
It’s the same method with Echo. If used incorrectly, in the wrong hands, technology can create monsters. That, to me, was the straightforward idea to pursue. Of course, this idea was heightened by use of violence brought on by a psychopath, but it still felt like a direct approach. I certainly hope people think it’s an original idea and story, but that’s out of my hands at this point. I can say though that the actual writing always stayed fresh for me because, firstly, I had never written horror and, secondly, because there were many times where I was unsure of where the story was going until it took me where it wanted to go.
(Flip the first page open right here and start reading The Eternal Echo.)
DB: What kind of research was required for this story?
Musillo: I actually did very little research for this novel. I wanted to be surprised as I wrote. There were a couple of things I looked up in connection with locality and weapons and human anatomy and sex dolls. But when it came to the actual story and the character of Ravensdale I didn’t do any research. I essentially let Ravensdale take the story where he wanted it to go.
DB: The ending is relentlessly brutal yet real and in tune with the book. Was it hard to end a novel with a subject matter that could have carried on for sequels?
Musillo: I’m a big fan of blowing things up. I mean that not with actual explosions but with stories and their possibilities. The two things I try to stick to with writing is 1) Keep the story and the characters as authentic as possible, even if you’re creating a monster that no one will like. 2) Light the fuse on the story and see what happens. In this case, the lighting of that fuse led to almost complete destruction of the world created in this novel, which, to me, might be more satisfying than keeping it all intact.
Having said that, I do think there might be a way to keep Ravensdale’s story moving forward by bringing in someone with a connection to him. There’s definitely a seed of an idea I can maybe play with down the road.
DB: You ask a lot of uncomfortable questions here. Do you think the ending provides answers that readers can take something away from to go with the horror/thriller aspect?
Musillo: I think the ending has more of philosophical feel, but it’s a feel brought on by the horror of the novel. A big influence for me during the writing process was Nietzsche’s Eternal Return, where essentially anything that’s happening has happened before and will happen again.
Without giving too much away, during the beginning of the novel we hear about some events from Ravensdale’s childhood, and then, as the novel progresses and closes out, we see that all the mayhem that occurred had, in some fashion, derived from his childhood, while also seeing that this mayhem can possibly happen again, not with Ravensdale but perhaps with someone close to him. The idea of Eternal Return doesn’t always have to be so dark and gloomy. But it is with this novel.
DB: Where do you go from here? You are an artist, screenwriter and novelist? What's next my friend?
Musillo: I feel fortunate to say that there are a couple of things in the works. I just finished the first draft of new story. I’m not sure yet if it’ll be a novel or a novella, but I’m really excited about it. It’s about Jesus returning today but no one knowing that it’s him. I also have a few shows lined up for my paintings. And a couple months ago I acted in a pilot for HULU, so I’m excited to see what comes of that. But I’m most eager about a screenplay of mine. It’s called In the Ring and it’s currently in pre-production. We’ve got our producer and lawyers and Aaron Latham is attached to direct, but there is still a lot to do before we can (hopefully) go into production. No matter what happens with that, I’ve learned a lot with that process. The screenwriting/film business is whole different beast. I’m still very new to it, but it seems very layered and systematized. It makes me appreciate the chance to write weird books.
DB: I connected with you through the great Tom Pelphrey, so I must ask. Are you a Banshee fan?
Musillo: I love Banshee! It’s gotten better and better with each season. The narrative is always really interesting and it’s such a wild show, in the best way possible. I think Bunker needs a spinoff, right?
If you want something unique and unlike the last thing you read, pick up this book. It's short, fast paced, and unreal and brutal. Musillo asks a worthy question. How important and at the same time detrimental can technology be to young children, teenagers and adults? Is a weapon of mass destruction if used wrongly? Musillo doesn't leave one question unanswered here but leaves you thinking twice before browsing the net. Here is my review of the novel.
You can contact Jeff on his website or via Facebook. He is also an accomplished artist and screenplay writer.
