I interviewed the author Nor Azida Ishak and her interview was published in theSun today. Read the full article here
Headline: A Scientific Slant
By Bissme S
Writing science fiction in Bahasa
Malaysia is a sunrise industry in our country, and Nor Azida Ishak, 35, is
excited to be a part of it. Her first sci-fi novel Leksikon Ledang, which she
co-wrote with fellow sci-fi author Fadli Al-Akiti, creatively linked their plot
to the mystical Puteri Gunung Ledang of the popular Malay folklore.
The story starts with some mysterious
deaths in a village near Hutan Simpan Gunung Ledang. Published earlier this
year, the novel sparks an interesting debate on whether Puteri Gunung Ledang is
just a myth, or she was an advanced human being from a different world. The
interesting combination of folklore and science in the novel won the two writers
second place at the recent science fiction writing competition, Sayembara
Fiksyen Sains & Teknologi UTM-Kumpulan Utusan.
“Malaysian authors should take advantage
of the fact that our country is rich with folklore and we can take these
stories and give [them] a scientific twist,” says Nor Azida, who is an
executive secretary by profession.
Nor Azida recently published her second
novel, Resesif, which features 13 short stories with scientific elements.
Currently, she is working on her third novel, which she describes as an
investigative adventure against a scientific backdrop.
When asked what sparked her interest in
the sci-fi genre, she explains: “My parents are avid readers, and they
encouraged me to read instead of watching TV. I read a lot of mystery and
horror books, and my favourite author is Christopher Pike, who combines speculative
sci-fi, mystery and horror into his writing effortlessly.
“I remember how scared I felt when I
read his book Season of Passage, which is about a bunch of Nasa astronauts
stranded on Mars who are slowly being possessed by an evil entity there. From
then on, I was hooked on speculative sci-fi.”
The Ipoh-born lass is happy to note that
in recent years, schools have chosen to include science fiction books such as
Di Sebalik Dinara and Tawanan Komander Caucasus in Malay literature studies.
“This is a very good start in promoting
this genre to young readers,” she says.
“I read that many students were excited
when they learned that sci-fi books were in their reading list. That is a good
sign.”
She also sees local writers now becoming
more adventurous with their plots. In the past, she finds most Malay sci-fi books
focusing on the subject of flying sauces and aliens. But now she is glad that
the focus has shifted to include other scientific elements besides spaceships.
“There is more depth now [in the plots]
compared to 10 years ago,” she adds.
When asked what inspires her, Nor Azida
says: “My ideas often come from imagining alternative scenarios and extreme
contrasts for everyday issues.”
She cites the example of Pokok
Pontianak, her short story in Resesif. The idea for the story was conceived
when she toyed with the possibility of a plant becoming a carnivore and
attacking humans in retaliation to Man’s irresponsible pollution of our planet.
Yet, Nor Azida emphasises that having an active imagination is not enough in writing
sci-fi.
“Research is utterly important.
Justifications need to be integrated into your storyboard. You can only give a
solid justification when you have done proper research. I personally value a
well- researched piece of science fiction because I crave knowledge and
discovery in my reading. I think other sci-fi readers are looking for the same
thing.”
Her all-time favourite sci-fi book is
Stephen King’s collection of short stories in his Night Shift and Skeleton Crew
books
“In fact, many of my earlier published
short stories were inspired by his works,” Nor Azida says.
“I like the surrealism and mysterious
undertones in his stories. He is a very good storyteller.”
Closer to home, she cites Sri Rahayu
Mohd Yusop as one of her top favourites.
“I love the way she portrays an advanced
and triumphant Malaysia against a backdrop of adversity. Her stories are about
hope, courage and strength.”
Nor Azida also picks Fadli, her
collaborator in Leksikon Ledang, as another sci-fi author she admires.
“His book Saga Horizon was the driving
force for me to start writing sci-fi,” she says.
“The book is now out of print, so I am
guarding my personalised signed copy like a precious gem."
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The author |
