How did “The Bodhi Tree Asks Only tor the Safe Return of Her Beloved” originate? What inspirations did you draw on?

The Indian fig tree family is one of the most extraordinary species with whom we share this planet. Even today, in India you’ll find them growing almost anywhere—out of a wall, sprouting from a pavement, taking over entire compounds. To walk in a grove of bodhi or peepal trees is to experience the world in a way that is uniquely Indian. I’ve been in redwood forests, pine groves, and other stands but the fig trees of India have a wanton wildness that truly brings home the meaning of the word “jungle.” There is no experience like it in the world.

Growing up in the concrete jungle that was Bombay and, after 1995, Mumbai, it was heartbreaking to see so many thousands of magnificent bodhi trees hacked down to make way for new construction. Even today, builders have been known to poison entire rows of these trees, some of which are several hundred years old, with impunity. I’ve always felt empathetic with these beautiful, enduring specimens and wanted to tell a story from their point of view. One day, the right story finally came to me out of the blue. I can’t say I was consciously aware of any literary influences, though I’m sure they must have been present subconsciously. All I was aware of was that I saw a universe dominated by a benign but supremely powerful bodhi tree who has been compelled to build an empire to ensure the survival of their species as well as other co-dependent species, which of course, includes homo sapiens. It’s the first of a story cycle I call The Empire of The Bodhi Tree.

What is your writing process like? Did this story fit the pattern?

Pretty much as usual. The narrative voice wells up inside me one day, often out of the blue, and takes over my body and consciousness for the duration of the story. After that, it never truly leaves me but I am at least permitted to resume everyday activities like shopping for groceries! In a sense, “The Bodhi Tree” marks a turning point for me because it’s the first SF story where I felt as if I’d finally figured out how to tell an SF story! While I’ve written a ton of them before, most were accidental experiments that just happened to work out. “The Bodhi Tree” and another story, upcoming in Asimov’s, are the first two stories in what I consider the “mature” phase of my SF writing. It’s like a lever clicked over in my head and now I know how to write good SF. (What that says about all the dozens of stories I wrote before, I won’t venture to say!) I guess only time and readers will be able to judge for themselves if that’s true! Meanwhile, I had a blast writing this story as I do all my stories and books, so it’s a win-win situation.

What are you reading lately? What writers inspire you?

I am absolutely in awe of all the amazing writers, the vast majority of them new or recently published, who fill the pages of the SF zines. The sheer range and depth of craft, skill, imagination is extraordinary. SF has always flourished in the shorter lengths but I truly think we’re seeing a new golden age of SF short fiction. In particular, I am constantly impressed by the work I read in Clarkesworld which has maintained a remarkably high standard. I don’t know if I’ll ever write a story good enough to be accepted there but I’ll never stop trying, even after dozens of rejections! The same goes for Lightspeed, Analog Science Fiction & Fact, Asimov’s Science Fiction, and more often of late, F&SF under its new editor. There are many other zines just as rich in quality of course, and I constantly discover new bylines and for the most part, follow them diligently after that. They are a masterclass in how to write great SF. (Just to be clear, since “The Bodhi Tree” is SF, I’m only focussing here on SF, not horror or fantasy genres, which are equally fecund and flourishing in short as well as longer forms.)

What trends in speculative fiction would you like to see gain popularity in the next few years?

I think the craft has improved hugely. There’s no question that the bar is set as high as it possibly can be at this point in time. It’s no longer enough to simply have a great idea well executed. But I do feel that the big ideas, bold use of tropes, breakout storytelling have waned. I’d love to see someone bust the genre wide open, more than once, break the rules, cause outrage among purists and virtue signal police, and still create awesome SF that is inclusive, sensitive, and essentially humane in a way that is unifying and empowering. And I believe that’s something that can only happen today on the extreme fringes of the genre, in what the SF community considers “mainstream” fiction. In short, I’m saying that the best SF and speculative fiction being written and published today is happening in mainstream commercial and literary fiction. In short, SF is no longer a genre unto itself, it’s been absorbed by the literary mainstream and now belongs to everyone. I love and embrace that fact and I hope to see more of this beautiful hybrid cross-species fertilisation! What incredible work will come from it? I can’t wait to see!

What are you working on lately? Where else can fans look for your work?

I have a story that I’m really happy with coming up in Asimov’s Science Fiction. It’s also the first in a planned series, each a standalone. It’s titled “The Inefficiency of Pangenetic Self-Replication as a Theory of Anthrobotic Evolution by Yantra Arora.” I hope to write many more stories as good as that one and “The Bodhi Tree” from now on.