Mayookh Barua

4 weeks ago | lightspeedmagazine.com | Wendy Wagner |Mayookh Barua

What was the inspiration for this story? This was one of those stories where the first sentence, “We called it the monster because we could,” really did come first. I kept turning it in my head, and it sort of acted as a key that opened up the rest of the world to me. The sense of place and setting were also foremost in my mind as I wrote this piece. I was looking for somewhere to escape to, and emo volant (the restaurant) felt like the perfect hole-in-the-wall I could find comfort and solace in.

1 month ago | lightspeedmagazine.com | Wendy Wagner |Mayookh Barua

Can you tell us a bit about what inspired you to write this story? I was experimenting with unusual POVs as part of a personal writing exercise. This story was one of the successful results. I tried to write a story from a sort of hive mind POV but I didn’t want to write about insects so I played with the idea of making it a fleet of abandoned ships instead. I am so fascinated with the voice of the story which is constantly teetering on being sarcastic and factual. How did you arrive at this voice?

1 month ago | lightspeedmagazine.com | Wendy Wagner |Mayookh Barua

The story has such a fascinating arc. What was the inspiration for this story? Were there any writers or moments from life you were thinking about actively while writing this? What made you start writing it? I’d say my main inspiration comes from thinking (maybe too much) about divinity. Not from a particular theological perspective, but more as a general concept. If a creator exists for a world, what are its responsibilities to what it creates?

2 months ago | lightspeedmagazine.com | Wendy Wagner |Mayookh Barua

Could you give us the origin story for this piece? Sometimes a story originates in a mood. During the pandemic I spent a lot of time walking through my neighborhood, where there was a sense of desertion and abandonment. It had an autumnal mood of endings and regrets. Then again, perhaps it was because I was spending a lot of time reading the poetry of John Donne.

Jan 23, 2025 | lightspeedmagazine.com | Wendy Wagner |Mayookh Barua

What is the Captain Žukov origin story? I stole the surname from my best friend. I don’t think he knows. (Andrej, if you see this, text me, I want to know if you’re secretly reading my work.)The truth is, in a story like this, my characters exist almost entirely on the page. They shape and are shaped by what is around them. There’s not much I can say beyond what I’ve written—except, perhaps, that Žukov is someone who has been many things in life. He is like a tree in which there are three blackbirds.