Funnily enough this story started out as “Ariadne and Theseus in space”—at some point in the ideation stage it took a sharp left from its origin. I think if you squint you can still see bits of it, but Ihuet has a different fate and Tazenket is as different from Theseus as day is from night. But as my agent says, this is the ideal mechanic of inspiration. I never feel bound to where an idea comes from or what its first form is.

This story first came out of my interest in medical history—I was reading about the history of medical uses for molds and began thinking about how cheesemakers in pre-modern times probably would have been the experts in cultivating molds. I also really enjoy writing about people who are not trained in conflict and violence being thrust into situations that would usually be solved with violence.

This is a story that’s very much about its setting—and also about being a certain age in a certain place—and I know readers will read it differently based on how they relate to that experience. As a reader, I’ve been finding myself increasingly enjoying stories where authors don’t over-explain, and just let elements of the setting or characters’ experience be—providing enough context that the story works for everyone.

It grew inside of me for a very long time, built up by images of children picking through garbage dumps in developing world countries to try and eke out some kind of survival. At the same time, as a fan of space and travel, I kept looking at the private space launch activity with optimism and excitement. Somewhere deep inside, that tension between carrying both feelings inside broke and this image of space travelers coming back to a dump began to form in my head.

I was mulling over the concept of “retcon” or “retroactive continuity” as it applies to fictional works: when a new piece of information provides a complete reinterpretation of past events, and what is considered “canon” undergoes a metamorphosis. This is not dissimilar to how our interpretations of history can be manipulated. Although we may believe we are neutral observers, we can be indoctrinated to see events from a deeply biased perspective.