Father of twins by day, writer of everything weird by night.
“Mordechai’s imagination is vast. One of the great storytellers of our time.” – Miskatonic Times
“Chock-full of riveting action.” – Daily Arkham (midnight edition)
“Mordechai takes the New Weird to new phantasmagorical levels.” – The Sunday Pentagram
“Great, brilliant, simply unputdownable!” – James T. from Barnard Castle
Hello Everyone… as you can tell, we have quite a different guest this time… The real persona behind the pseudonym James F. Mordechai will more than likely forever remain a mystery. The image James uses on social media accounts is obviously not the real him.
James, can you tell us why you chose this picture as your profile image? Who is it?
It’s the head of a Lamassu, a guardian of a gate in several Mesopotamian civilizations. I love Sumerian, Assyrian and Babylonian civilizations, that’s why I chose it….
Pseudonyms actually seem very fun to me. Trying to come up with one and use one just strikes me as something exciting. I have indulged in a day-dream or two, where if I ever was a writer, what would my pseudonym be? And, I never get far. It’s hard work trying to pick one! Can you tell us how you picked yours?
I decided to use a pen name because it gives me more freedom. I can write whatever I like without being judged by the people I know in real life. It is psychologically comforting to know that. Besides, it boosts my creativity in unexpected ways. Had I written under my real name, the content would likely have differed. As for the origins, it was the name of a character I used in a role-playing game. It stuck with me, and, you must admit, it is quite unique and difficult to forget.
Has using a pseudonym surprised you with unforeseen limitations?
Yes. Neither family or friends know about it, so both sales and reviews are affected by this. A small price to pay, I guess. On the other hand it means the reviews are genuine.
Okay, so the ‘loneliness of writing’ authors often mention take a whole new meaning in your case? Sorry to be blunt… How do you cope with separating your life like this? Or, does it actually work out okay?
It works out because I don’t write in public! 😉
Is there anything else about writing books behind a pseudonym and in your particular type of isolation that you always have to be careful with? It’s such a human thing, after all, to discuss your accomplishments – achieving a high word count for the week, for example. What I am getting at, do you have a lot more pressure on yourself to watch what you say and what you do to keep your anonymity?
Not really. I’m in front of a laptop all day anyway because of work, so theoretically I could die tomorrow and no one in real life would know I wrote these books.
That’s interesting. I know we all die without our possessions, and our greatest purchases or material items are not sent with us to the afterlife – so would you, right now, be happy to remain separated and completely uncredited for the books in the distant future? Will it be the case that the readers never actually know the real name behind the pseudonym?
I’m content with how it is right now. Perhaps it will change, perhaps not. I love when people liked my story and that’s enough for me. If the money follows I’m happier, but believe me, there is no money in this industry unless you are a bestseller. It’s just fun to write these books, so much fun.
Having read A Crack in the World, I have to ask – were you just REALLY exceptional doing research into the occult, or is occult something of a personal interest and as such you were able to essentially ’write what you know’?
Many people have asked me this question after reading my debut novel. I acquired all my knowledge about the occult during the writing process, spanning from 2022 to 2023. I delved into numerous books on the subject, which further fueled my ideas for the novel. According to some experts in the field, I succeeded in depicting the basics and the lore accurately.
Honestly, this revelation surprised me as well. I’m actually a scientist – you might have guessed that after reading The Gottingen Accident – and it feels particularly peculiar to me. The occult is an incredibly interesting and vast subject that remained largely inaccessible to me due to my scientific background and, I suppose, the influence of modern society. It’s a domain we should all explore, even if some of us may never believe in it. Consider the Tarot, for instance; within those cards lies a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. If humanity were to face extinction, and only a handful of people survived, a Tarot deck could be a repository of what it means to be human, preserving and recovering essential aspects of our existence.
Is Tarot to you, as someone with a science background, a bit like all of a sudden believing in Jesus? As in, it’s a paradox for someone scientifically minded to enjoy that aspect of mystical and unexplained?
Nah, this is just fiction. Writing about it does not mean believing in it. However, I must acknowledge that delving into this subject has undeniably broadened my perspective. My hesitation in showing my real name is primarily rooted in a personal psychological aspect, unrelated to external perceptions. It’s comparable to the difference between performing an action publicly versus in solitude; I find that I excel more when not under the scrutiny of others. For example, I do archery as a hobby: When I’m alone I excel, when someone is watching my back I have opposite results. That’s it.
You know, I nearly didn’t ask you about this (the occult knowledge) because I was certain that it was a part of your life, so on the one hand I am baffled that A Crack in the World is based purely on research but on the other hand – ah, you’re a scientist, that makes sense, you have the foundation laid to do the research properly. Ha! Can I ask what you specify in? Or, would that be giving away too much of a clue to your persona?
I got a Ph.D. in neuroscience.
But, how the occult?… Did A Crack in the World come to be because you wanted to write a book and you discovered the occult as a plot tool, or did you discover the occult and then got this incredible book idea?
It all started with the first chapter. I had this vision of two men inside this dark and vast cavern. That’s it. I wrote that during a week of COVID infection with high temperature (close to 40 degrees Celsius). Then, it all came out like a river. I wrote 12k words, by the way, which is a lot, believe me. Nothing was plotted, it just came out from a hidden part of the brain I have no control of.
The ancients called it the muse, some others a daimon. It activates itself whenever it likes and I can’t tell what’s coming next. Seriously, I’m clueless as any reader of where the story goes. Even now, I’m writing the sequel and I don’t know where it will go. I can try to fit some chapters that I like, I can stir it a bit but in the end the story writes itself, literally. I’m not the only one experiencing this. Matt Cardin has written about this extensively for example.
Having said that, every time I found myself before an occult object, practice, etc., I dived into books/wiki to learn more about them. The daimon/muse/brain took that information and weaved it into the story. I have to add that the passion for Heavy Metal, and in particular Black Metal was obviously already there. 30 years of listening to that music had surely inspired a lot in the book.
Wow! You are literally at the other end of the spectrum from those authors who have a vision, they have a plot and yet they still have to pull out the words to make it work. It’s astounding. As a neuroscientist, that must be quite an intriguing thing to experience. Or, well, a normal thing. Would you say this is something that could be practiced and trained?
This is what truly intrigues me about the entire creative process. Artists are seemingly possessed by either their subconscious, a hidden brain area that comes to the surface during the artistic process, and/or they may feel inspired or “possessed” by an entity. This interpretation ultimately depends on individual beliefs.
I think there is a spectrum among people: while we all possess creative potential, some individuals have a more developed or refined connection to it. Without this connection, one can learn the process on how to make art but may lack true inspiration. Consequently, they are doomed to simply replicate existing work without producing anything original. This distinction highlights the difference between an artist like Michelangelo and a factory producing copies.
There are 2 main characters in A Crack in the World: Gino and Carter… Which character did you enjoy writing more? Which would you find yourself more similar to?
I liked Carter Williams, the ‘brawn’ of the ‘brain and brawn’ duo, because we can all relate to him. Think about Sherlock Holmes and Watson. He is like Watson, serving as our eyes and ears in the story. It’s thanks to him that we get all the explanations about the weird events in the story. Without him, Gino wouldn’t need to explain what’s happening. That’s why I wanted to give him more room in the sequel. On the other hand, I’m probably more similar to Gino but with a better sense of humor.
I loved Gino’s sense of humor, though! It was so unexpected and so to the point! It was great to experience when the large, looming and very scary threat was hanging over everyone. Speaking of villains, do you have a favourite horror villain? Whether to write or read about?
I’m going to name two unusual ones: John Hammond, the billionaire and founder of the Jurassic Park theme park, and Director Krennic from Star Wars Rogue One. Both are visionaries, creators, modern Prometheuses, unaware of the consequences of their creations. They are dubbed villains, but they are the very reason why human civilizations exist.
Can you also talk a bit about your inspiration, or how The Gottingen Accident came to be?
The Gottingen Accident came about a bit differently: there was a core idea in my mind, that was “scientists gaining superpowers linked to their research”, but as it happened with A Crack in the World, it all wrote itself while I was writing it. The main difference compared to A Crack in the World was that I knew what I was talking about and I had no need to do research.
If you were to gain superpowers linked to your research and/or what you specify in, what would that superpower be?
Perhaps, everything I write becomes real? If that’s the case the world is in so much trouble!
And which did you enjoy writing more? The Gottingen Accident or A Crack in the World?
I loved the freedom writing The Gottingen Accident gave me. You can tell how much fun I had writing it! But A Crack in the World felt more like a big accomplishment, because it’s the first novel I published (I wrote many more but this is the only one that got to the publication phase).
A Crack in the World is your debut book, independently published – was there ever a moment where the publishing aspect itself made you want to just give up? In others words, to other aspiring authors out there – words of wisdom based on your experience?
The marketing aspect is… awful. There is a fine line between promoting your book and being annoying or even cringe-worthy. Finding the right balance is not easy, especially for someone like me who does not use “a face” to get promoted on YouTube or TikTok. Marketing should be done by professionals, or in their absence, you would need to cultivate your audience first using other means.
In hindsight, I should have created my Twitter/X account much earlier and increased my follower numbers well before announcing the novel release. Lack of reviews is also another massive pain point. I can’t remember where I saw it but only between 10 to 15% of readers will leave a review.
My words of wisdom to other aspiring authors are: perseverance and keep your bar of expectations low. Perseverance is key; almost no one will be able to publish a good, let alone successful book on their first attempt. A Crack in the World is my eighth finished novel (plus tens of novellas and short stories) that I wrote, and although it’s the best of the eight, I still consider it a mediocre attempt.
Mediocre, he says!!! Sacrilege! It’s brilliant!
If I had the time, I’d amend it massively. There is a tendency, especially when young and inexperienced, to think that the first novel we just wrote is a masterpiece. It is not. When you finish your first novel, you are in a god-mode mood. It helps massively with self-esteem, but you’ll quickly learn it’s a mistake. This is a good segue to the second point: lower your expectations. Although we all love our little creations, we should look at them as a fun experiment.
Most writer’s block issues stem from the mistake of considering your writing as the most important thing in your life. Anonymity helps massively here, you see! Granted, as a science-fiction/fantasy/weird author, my job is facilitated because I can break the rules of physics at will. Anyway, anyone can write eventually, but if you do not persevere or act humbly, it is difficult to get anywhere.
The god-mode mood that you mention – I think it ties in with the low after the high. Other than throwing in the towel, the only option is to simply keep writing, even when morale is low. And when morale is low, the muse feels a bit stuck too… is the key here simply to push through? To find even the smallest bit of motivation to kick back into gear? Because, often, and this is the thing that boggles the mind sometimes, is when I see authors complaining about the fact that they have to write. And I don’t get it. They wanted to write, more than anything, they created a book, then they have to go and write more and all of a sudden it’s a chore. Is this simply one of those unexplainable human things? 🙂
I’m not a professional writer, so I can’t imagine what goes through the mind of one. They have deadlines, and there are expectations to be met; publishers tell them how many pages they must write and how inclusive their stories must be. There is a lot of pressure on them, and I don’t envy them. That’s why self-publishing and anonymity are a good mix for me. No pressure, no deadlines.
I can tell you what my everyday life chores are: I sit down almost daily and try to write something. I’m very lucky because my novels have a lot of variety (characters, situations, chronologically). So, if one day I’m not in the mood for writing action, I don’t. If I want to write something more historical, I do that instead. When morale is very low, and creativity is affected, I simply try to do some editing or research on the subjects of the novel.
You also submitted your titles to 3 competitions. Has this been a useful experience?
Yes, SPFBO9, SPSFC3 and SFINCS. Unfortunately, I did not make it to the semifinals, but the competition was phenomenal. Some of the titles out there were of the highest quality. I received a very positive review from the SFINCS judge, though. In general, they have been useful to me because they provided exposure and led to some collateral sales and reviews. I will definitely submit again this year.
Critics and criticisms… Submitting to competitions and exposing your work to judges within a relatively fast paced process where your title will be scrutinized and decided upon quite quickly must be daunting. I’m not saying your books are bad because I’ve read them and know them to be great, but even the most famous authors have them… Are you ready for the less than favourable reviews?
Oh, yes, absolutely. I do care if it’s baseless, though. Out of spite, if you know what I mean. If it’s constructive, and there are no mean intentions, I’m happy to accept it.
The novels and stories you wrote before A Crack in the World – do you think you’ll go back to them in the future to make something of them? Or do you believe that they should remain simply as they are – a practice; an exercise to be a better writer?
I might borrow ideas or characters from them, but I probably won’t review or rewrite them. My writing style has changed since then, so it makes more sense to start from scratch rather than trying to adapt a text to today’s style. However, there’s a novel that’s almost ready to be published, complete with a cover and all. In fact, I was on the verge of releasing that instead of A Crack in the World. Then, the muse/daimon pulled me in with the A Crack in the World idea, so I had to put it on hold for the time being. It might need minimal corrections and expansions, and I could publish it, but I’d prefer to release the sequel to A Crack it the World first.
Now, we’re all waiting for the sequel to A Crack in the World – can you reveal at this time what directions it will be taking? Will Gino Marcotti be investigating another occult case, or are we going to be introduced to a new set of main characters?
Well, what I can tell you is that it is set in 1996, two years after the first book. This time it won’t revolve around the Black Metal scene. I can’t reveal too much because, as you know, my books’ strength lies in the plot twists and the unexpected. But I’ll give you a couple of hints: While the first one was set between England and Ethiopia, this one is set among England, Vatican City, and 1940s USSR. There are some new characters but the most important thing about this sequel is that I will give more room for Carter to grow in the story and to shine.
Brilliant! I wish you all the best in writing it and I know there are quite a few pairs of hands that can’t wait to read it!
***
So., there we have it… One very anonymous author with 2 published books with more on the way. You know what time it is? Time for you to check these books out… read them, enjoy them, and don’t forget to leave a review!
England, 1994. Villages in Sussex are vanishing into thin air at an alarming rate.
Gino Marcotti – the Gran Maestro Occultist, son of the official occultist of the Fascist Italian Regime – is tasked to investigate by the Royal Paranormal Institute in Greenwich. His investigation takes an unexpected turn when he realises that the Black Metal scene, with its recent homicides and arson attacks on Norwegian churches, is connected to these disappearances. But he soon discovers that there are bigger and more malevolent forces at play – and the only way to defeat them is to connect with his dead father.
***
What if three renowned scientists, each with unique superhero powers, teamed up to defeat a villain who seeks to alter the fabric of the universe by employing non-Euclidean geometry?
Imagine if Germany emerged victorious in World War I and the 1917 Bolshevik revolution never occurred. Time is not always linear and can sometimes expand or contract. Charles Darwin would have the ability to alter the evolutionary fate of all living beings, existing simultaneously with Marie Curie, who possesses X-ray vision that allows her to see through walls. The result of a catastrophic event, known as the Gottingen Accident, turned them into superhumans or perhaps monsters.
Cover to Cover 
A very level-headed writer! I wish him much success. Thank you for sharing his interview. I enjoyed reading it. 👏👏👏
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