Last week, I had the opportunity to sit down and have a conversation with Mark Siegel. Siegel is the founder and editorial director of First Second, Macmillan’s graphic novel house. He has also written and illustrated several award-winning picture books and graphic novels, including the New York Times bestseller Sailor Twain: Or, the Mermaid in the Hudson. More recently, he co-writes the 5 Worlds graphic novel series, the fourth book of which (The Amber Anthem) released on May 12.
Following are some reflections from our conversation. All quotes are Mark Siegel’s words. All other content owes thanks to his thoughtful comments.
The Transformed World
and the Transformed Individual
“You can’t always change directions when you’re in motion,” Mark Siegel said as the conversation turned towards the COVID-19 pandemic. Sometimes, we need a crisis to give us pause, and this pause is “happening for all of us in the world—for the world. The human race is being told to stop.” And in this pause, the world has changed. People lack face-to-face connections, people lose employment, and people die. At the same time, people are rediscovering and creating ways to connect, people are generating less pollution, and people are reading books. The state of our transformed world resonates with the transformed world of the 5 Worlds. Just as we question the implications of COVID-19 for our society, the inhabitants of the five worlds ask whether the benefits outweigh the consequences of lighting the beacons.
Good science fiction serves as a mirror to the present. Stories like 5 Worlds—co-written by Mark Siegel and his brother Alexis Siegel, and illustrated by Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller, and Boya Sun—provide a safe place for readers to explore real-world issues. Referencing Brian McDonald’s You Are a Storyteller podcast, Mark Siegel commented that storytelling “has always been, and will always be, about survival information.” This survival information includes physical survival, emotional survival, and societal survival. He gives the example of fairytales: “the great fairytales oftentimes [brace] children for some really difficult discoveries about how terrible humans can be—about cruelty, about danger, about dishonesty.” Likewise, the 5 Worlds examines topics such as bullying, racism, capitalism, environmentalism, and the spread of disinformation. By helping readers understand such issues and how they work, stories prepare readers to face them in the present.
Stories carry values. Siegel remarked that we have a huge industry built around the Superhero Myth. It’s a myth, but it raises questions about individual responsibility. Siegel offered a few for contemplation: “Are we all waiting for Superman? And does that absolve us of our responsibility to make the world a better place?” Siegel’s problem with the Superhero Myth is that a person is either a superhero or one of the nameless, faceless citizens without superpowers. As Watchmen asks, “who’s watching the Watchmen?” 5 Worlds offers another path to saving the world: the collaborative effort. Oona Lee is one of three children with the ability to call upon the living fire, the power needed to light the beacons and save the world. But she initially believes that her sister Jessa will save the world. Later, Oona pins her hope on Vector Sanderson. When Oona accepts her role as lighter of beacons, she must rely on friends, allies, and mentors. By subverting the Chosen One trope, 5 Worlds shows us that each “every one of us is a citizen here in this world and has … a part to play.”
With each beacon she lights, Oona transforms. Each beacon presents both an inward and outward challenge for Oona. While the core of Oona remains herself, “she’s also going through massive transformations. And her two friends, An Tzu and Jax Amboy, are also going through massive transformations. And then the worlds themselves, with every beacon lit, are being transformed.” Likewise, stories transform the reader. As the reader shares in the characters’ journey, the reader learns and grows alongside of the characters. Yet, while “some thing are meant to be different as we grow older … some things we have to make sure we never lose.” Two of these things include dwelling in the present moment and enjoying the magic of a good story.
Siegel hopes that readers get, first of all, joy out of 5 Worlds. As he said, “I would love to think that they are connecting [with] and that they are making friends with An Tzu, with Oona, with Jax, with Ram Sam Sam the living oil.” He hopes that 5 Worlds nourishes the readers’ inner world with varied flavors and vitamins. And he hopes that readers will enjoy rereading 5 Worlds and that, with each reread, the books take on new meaning.
The Amber Anthem, book four in the 5 Worlds series is out now! For more about the book, you can read my review.
For more from Mark Siegel, you can find him at the following places
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram
Let’s Chat
📚 What characteristics do you believe good stories share?
📚 What are your thoughts on the Superhero Myth?
📚 Have you read the 5 Worlds books?
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction says
This makes me even more interested to read this graphic novel. I never thought about the fact that we’re currently on a worldwide “pause.” What an interesting way to think about it!
Crystal (Kester) says
Mark Siegel is a thoughtful person. I love the 5 Worlds series, and this interview made me want to read his other books! Thinking about us being on a worldwide “pause” changes our perspective on life. Instead of seeing the forced changes to society as an interruption, we can see an opportunity for growth and transformation.
Lory @ Emerald City Book Review says
Storytelling for survival – I love that! And I really like stories where there are not active heroes and passive victims, but a group of people who each have a contribution to make for a situation to change…even the villain, sometimes. I think that is more true to what we need for survival right now.
Crystal (Kester) says
Yes! I love stories where a group of people must work together to create change—and that it’s especially true today that we must work together to survive.