Hello and welcome to this Author Editor Interview, where today I’m welcoming editor Gwendolyn Nix to the site to talk about School of X, a new anthology from Aconyte Books that’s part of their Xavier’s Institute range of Marvel novels and anthologies. School of X includes stories from seven different authors and features all manner of mutant heroes, and as editor of the anthology Gwendolyn is perfectly placed to give us the lowdown on the sorts of characters, stories and themes that we can expect to find here. School of X is available now as a global ebook with the US paperback due later in December and the UK paperback coming in February 2022, so read on to find out more about this new anthology, check out some sample chapters of the book, then order yourself a copy!
Without further ado, let’s get straight on with the interview.
ToW: To start off with, could you give a quick overview of the Xavier’s Institute series – what it is, what sort of stories it features, what readers can expect, that sort of thing?
Gwendolyn Nix: The Xavier’s Institute series focuses on the daring exploits of Marvel’s mutant heroes, but doesn’t just feature the well-loved adventures of, say, Cyclops and Wolverine. Now, those famous X-Men are professors nurturing the growth (and growing gray hairs) from the perilous adventures of newer X-men members. This strand ushers in a new generation of X-Men – so expect fresh faces, new outstanding powers, and stories that span the gauntlet of stealing nanotech masquerading as artwork from museums to outmaneuvering anti-mutant zealots determined to destroy the world. It’s about teamwork, found family, and overcoming obstacles to be who you are and to do the right thing. Readers can expect fun team pair ups in these novels, as well as a fond, yet frustrated, Cyclops, Magneto, and Emma Frost as they try to wrangle their students from getting into trouble and learn from their mistakes. What hypocrites, huh? Or perhaps they’re simply wise and mature now…
ToW: With that in mind, how would you describe School of X?
GN: School of X is an anthology of unique stories that links the Jean Grey School of Higher Learning in the familiar X-Mansion (run by Wolverine) with the New Charles Xavier School located in the great white north of Canada in an old, run-down Weapon X Facility with quite the nefarious reputation. Cyclops and Magneto have teamed up to run this school, but have had quite the falling out with their old friends and frenemies. Now, Cyclops and Wolverine must put aside their differences and nurture these new students – who get into heaps of trouble and mischief, while learning to resolve such rivalry, to work together. This anthology is full of unique tales that expand beyond the classic super hero tropes… we’ve got a Fast and the Furious-inspired story, a Pet Semetary-inspired story, a timey-wimey trans-dimensional adventure story…you want it, this anthology has got it.
ToW: Were you a fan of the X-Men before you started working on Aconyte’s fiction range? Is there anything in particular that appeals to you about these characters and the Xavier’s Institute series specifically?
GN: I liked the X-Men before working on Aconyte’s fiction range, but I wasn’t a die-hard. I enjoyed the stories, especially the rivalry between Xavier and Magneto, but once I started working on this range I finally realized how vast the universe was and how many untold stories there were… but more importantly, how many X-Men existed that are overshadowed by some of the larger, more recognizable players. Once I discovered that, I was hooked. I wanted to branch out of a typical superhero narrative and stick our heroes somewhere unique. Will they end up in Victorian England? Maybe! Will they suddenly be shot out into Mars to solve an alien diplomacy issue? Perhaps! The world is their oyster, and their powers are either their saving grace or their ultimate failure. I love that you can connect with a villain and then suddenly, that villain becomes the hero.
ToW: Could you tell us a bit about what the brief was, when you were approaching authors to contribute to this anthology? Did you have a specific idea of the sorts of stories you wanted, or was it more general than that?
GN: Because there are so many students spanning both schools, an anthology felt like a natural fit to tell a wide variety of stories with different protagonists, giving readers a taste of these characters and the opportunity to get to know them better. Not only that, but we needed to have the school rivalry in the background, looming over these interactions, knowing that a larger beef between well-known characters simmered in the background.
While the New Charles Xavier School in Canada needed to be the setting touchstone linking all of the tales, I was drawn to stories of a different superhero caliber, ones that took a unique spin that would make me tilt my head and go, “Oh!” Not all of them had to be big world-expanding adventures…one of my favorites simply has a thirty-something Millennial itching for a night of freedom and ending up in a street race when an unexpected (and disapproving) passenger shows up next to him. Even though the plot is smaller in scope, the character interactions simply sing. And it was those kinds of stories that had me perking up, thinking, “Okay, I want to get them in a room and just let the banter flow.” So, I suppose starting out, I had a firm grasp on what this anthology should be, but realized it was going to be something completely different once the stories started filtering in.
ToW: Are these all totally standalone stories? Would you say there are any thematic links shared across the anthology as a whole?
GN: These are all standalone stories. The final novella does harken back to our previously published novels, especially Liberty and Justice For All by Carrie Harris, and the evolution of our protagonists Triage (a spectacular healer) and Tempus (a time-bubble generating wizardess) from students to leaders. It also ties into the comics continuity, exploring in depth the consequences of mutants losing their powers during M-Day. But, you don’t have to read these novels previously to enjoy this one – they simply provide fun Easter Eggs.
Thematically, all of our characters are striving to break through the chrysalis of who they want to be and who they should be to become who they are. This kind of growth is ongoing – even for adults, we’re still striving to constantly change and mature while relying on those personality building blocks that make each of us unique. Just…instead of accepting an introverted and creative nature, you might have to deal with shooting lasers out of your hands, too.
ToW: What would you say makes a great X-Men story, as opposed to other sorts of superhero stories?
GN: The X-Men deal with a lot of issues relevant today. They live in a world that has never truly accepted them for who they are, and there is a lot of fear and anxiety when many of them realize they are mutants. It usually involves a great disruption and change in their lives – essentially, they become soldiers in an ongoing war without their consent. How do you deal with that when you’re twenty? How do you deal with that when you’re thirty, working the gig life and have to pay off your student loan debt? They might have to flee, leave their homes and families, give up on dreams, and even if they do the heroic thing, backlash is inevitably going to occur.
I think the X-Men strand hits these beats with more intent than other sorts of superhero stories where even if you save a burning building…you might also be the cause of the burning building. There’s a lot of shame, and subsequent acceptance, that the X-Men deal with on the regular. Which, to me, generates a lot of interesting personal interactions between mutants and non-mutants, alongside character growth. Heroes can easily become villains. Villains can easily become heroes. And at the same time, there is a distrust in yourself and in your own powers. How far can you push yourself before your powers become unstable? Will your powers have a mind of their own? These lingering uncertainties make for engaging conflict and character development specific to the X-Men line.
ToW: What makes a great anthology for you, in terms of balancing out story styles, characters, that sort of thing?
GN: For me, a great anthology has a variety of different types of stories. I don’t want to keep reading the same “save the day” story, even disguised in trope and genre, but at the same time, that is part of the X-Men’s core. So, when I had the chance to put a vivid hallucination sequence of Bogart-meets-John Wick alongside thriller-suspense investigation of the immortal ethics of the Weapon X Facility, I knew I was onto something good. Diversity of characters was key – who wants to keep reading about the same characters with the same powers? Shifting our points of view for characters who might struggle with self-confidence alongside characters with too much self-confidence created a nice balance. I want to be able to flip to a new story and expect something completely different.
ToW: How important do you think it is for readers to be familiar with the X-Men before reading this anthology?
GN: As long as you know that these heroes have mutant powers, you’re good. It does help to have a little background to catch those Easter Eggs, but our goal is to create something that anyone can engage in. Say you heard your super nerdy friend talking for hours about the X-Men and you’re ready to see what the fuss is about…well, I want that first story you pick up to be just as engaging, funny, or heartfelt as any other tale out there. I want that story to stick with you and that’s not about how flashy the power is or how noble the hero is. It’s about how you connected with the character and how the twist and plot stuck with you.
ToW: What do you hope readers will get out of this by the time they’ve finished it?
GN: I hope readers will close this anthology wanting to read more. I want them to find their favorite mutant, or perhaps one that made them laugh or smile, and seek out more of their stories. That’s all an editor can really ask for – that we’ve cultivated an experience that will have you going to your friends or family and saying “Wow, that reminds me of this story I just read…” or “Okay, so I just read this hilarious passage…” I hope we hear on our social media pages what mutant you want to read more of, too!
ToW: If someone enjoys School of X, where would you recommend they go next within Aconyte’s range of X-Men fiction?
GN: If you want to start at the beginning of the Xavier’s Institute line, our first novel Liberty and Justice for All by Carrie Harris is a great place to begin. But, if you’re looking for something a bit more recent, Triptych by Jaleigh Johnson is a fun heist novel where non-student mutants end up visiting the New Charles Xavier School and get more than they bargained for.
ToW: Lastly, if you could choose a mutant power (or set of powers) from amongst the X-Men, what would you choose and to what purpose would you turn it/them?
GN: Is it a bad sign that this question took me the longest to answer? I would give a lot to be a sorceress, and so co-opting Magik’s powers of interdimensional travel, sorcery, and wielding a really big sword would be my go-to. Obviously, I’d use my powers for good…although the books of the dark arts do look interesting…just one peek, I promise! It’s for research!
***
A book dragon from the beginning, Gwen has amassed a hoard of science fiction and fantasy stories and is always hungry for the next tale to devour. Once upon a time she’d been a marine biologist, but through a series of events, has ended up as an editor. Like Sasquatch, she can be found somewhere in the Rocky Mountains writing her next novel, researching things that go bump in the night, and taking the road less traveled.
You can find Gwen on Twitter or on her website.
***
Thanks so much to Gwendolyn for taking the time to chat to me for this interview, to give such great answers and such a compelling overview of School of X. I don’t know about you but I think this sounds great! For more details on each individual story in the anthology, check out the product page on Aconyte’s website.
If this interview has piqued your interest, then check out the PDF reader below to read the first couple of chapters!
Many thanks to Aconyte Books for providing these sample chapters. For more Marvel-related reviews and author interviews, check out the main Aconyte Books page on Track of Words.
School of X is out now as a global ebook. The US paperback is due on the 21st December, and the UK paperback on the 17th February 2022.
Check out the links below to order your copy* of School of X:
*If you buy anything using one of these links, I will receive a small affiliate commission – see here for more details.
If you enjoyed this interview and would like to support Track of Words, you can leave a tip on my Ko-Fi page.
