Today we talk about Phaeton, a book by Chris Sefer published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author Chris Sefer to get to know him better, what prompted him to the writing of his book Phaeton, as well as if he sees some resemblances between him and the leading character of his story.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- What prompted you to the writing of your book?
From a young age, I was captivated by stories about space, the universe, and the many theories surrounding our origins as a species on Earth. Like most children, I often imagined distant worlds that one day I might explore. Growing up in a family of artists likely fuelled my imagination even further, or perhaps I’m just a natural dreamer—either way, all these dreams turned into a desire to create something beautiful that would be interesting not only to me, but others as well. Something that could offer a brief escape from the bustle of everyday problems, even if it is for a very short period of time. For a long time, this remained simply an unspoken desire of mine, until quite unexpectedly, I saw the story of Phaeton in my dream. At first, I paid no attention, considering it as just another dream. However, for some unknown reason, this story never left my head until the day when I shared it with my father, who insisted that I had to write it down not to forget. From that point on, little by little, I began to dive deep into this new passion, and now I cannot imagine my life without it.
- What characteristics your audience should have to appreciate your book?
In my personal view, the story of Phaethon offers a fascinating blend that can satisfy the tastes of readers of various literary genres. Although the book is based on a fantastic theory, its entire plot is built on the worldview of a single individual. With this in mind, I sought to fit into the narrative the core elements of life—such as family, love, and true friendship—that I do believe form the very foundation of our existence. These seemingly simple, everyday elements of life, in my opinion, create the vast, harmonious palette of the world we live in. My primary goal was to give readers the fullest opportunity to experience the emotions of every significant moment in the life of the main character. To live through it with him—experiencing everything from the purest, most passionate love to the unbearable pain of loss, feeling his fears, struggles, and hopes. Phaethon is, at its heart, almost a detective story, in the fantasy genre, built on the power of genuine love.
- What messages did you want to convey with your book?
This book talks about the difficult fate of one man. Ultimately, his whole life turned out to be absolutely the opposite of what he had imagined. At times, this seems so familiar to each of us. After all, our entire life is an unwritten story—one that each of us is in the process of writing. Much like the main character of my book, we also encounter countless obstacles on our journey—challenges that, at times, force us to face incredibly tough decisions. As a result, the entire further chain of events depends on the choices we make. Through the example of the main character of my book, I wanted to show how important it is to remain human even in the most difficult life situations. How important it is not to lose the links connecting your beloved ones with you. How important it is to understand and appreciate what is most valuable to you in your life. And most importantly, to fight against your fears, no matter what, even if you feel that you have already lost the battle.
- What resemblances do you see between you and the leading character of your story?
I believe that each character in my book carries a piece of myself, my life, or the experiences from my past. As for the main character, I feel his strongest connection to me lies in his relationship with his father. I thought it would be interesting to infuse their relationship with a sense of realism through partial adaptation of my own emotions into the story. This certainly does not mean that everything I have described about these two characters is simply a retelling of my personal life—far from it. First, I tried to give a sense of humanity to the fictional character, familiar to me, and to convey the atmosphere of life that I know from my own experience. From there, I was able to build a completely new, evolving dynamic between the two characters. Additionally, when I think about the similarities between the protagonist, and myself I would also point to his sense of observation—the desire to see something truly unique even in the most ordinary and mundane things.
- Are you working on a new writing project you can tell us about?
At the moment, I am simultaneously working on three projects. Two of them include the second part of the trilogy “Phaeton” and my new book called “Civilization”. The third book is still early to talk about but I do hope it will turn out to be a successful one. As for the 2nd part of “Phaeton”, I strongly believe that the plot will reveal the unexpected for the reader. I am sure that this will complement the turn of events in the first part and provide answers for the questions that remained open in the first part. As for “Civilization”, I can tell you that this story will be of interest to readers of the fantasy and science fiction genre. At this moment, I cannot reveal all the details about this book. I ask for the patience of the readers until the book is published. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to Europe Books and its team for their exceptional professionalism and prompt work. From my personal experience, I can confidently say that this is a company whose true philosophy is centred around fostering excellent, human relationships between the author and the publishing house. I sincerely hope that readers will enjoy my book.
Europe Books thanks the author Chris Sefer once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside him on the editorial path that led to the publication of his book Phaeton. We wish him the best of luck for his book and for his future works.
To you, my dear reader, may this book offers you food for thought about your way of living and facing life, the difficulties and joys you encounter, the bonds you have built, how to preserve them and how to create new ones. Try to always remember what is precious to you and never lose it in the journey you face every day.
So, my dear reader, all I have to say is to enjoy your reading!
Your Editor!