Mutant World of Rite: Interview one with author Jason Borrego
December 2, 2013
(Interviewer) What is the Mutant World of Rite, and why should fans be excited?
(Jason Borrego) The Mutant World of Rite is a dark, emotional fantasy blended with various faucets of science fiction and horror. This is a step away from the breezy adventures of late. Instead, I focused on creating a harrowing story of suffering love, betrayal, and survival in a radiated, mutant world. The Mutant World of Rite is set in the aftermath of a Great Calamity on Earth. The awesome devastation terra-formed everything. The new world is devastated by super plagues, and infested with warped, mutated creatures at every turn. Robots dream, dragons once ruled the skies, and the dead crawl out of their shallow graves from time to time. I use the ancient history of Earth as a boost to the deep lore of the new world. This allows the world to unfold in familiar settings as well as outlandish terrains. The races of the new world are fantasy based, librarian elves, tech savvy dwarfs, and magic wielding goblins, a product of mutations.
(Interviewer) I must admit, the allure of the Mutant World of Rite sounds exciting. Is this more of a retort to “The Lord of the Rings” novels, or do you consider it to relate more to Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower?”
(Jason Borrego) I’ve always wanted to dirge into crossing genres. But I wanted something original. I loved the concept of elves and dragons, but I needed robots, and zombies. I loved the idea of a steampunk setting in the new world. A world where anything was possible. To some extent, the Mutant World of Rite is a product of my own struggles throughout life. I have travelled the world and served in war. War changes people, the struggle, the loneliness, and the faceless evil that lurks behind the scenes. My heroes tend to struggle to the end. The tense stealth of sneaking past something mutant, a towering monstrosity. Is it a product of genetic manipulation or something that’s been lurking in the depths of the planet all along? That is the desperate situation facing the characters. Do you run and live to fight another day, or attempt to stand your ground against the unknown? The problem with such a vile explosive world is that is doesn’t end neatly. No matter how much you want the hero to experience a happy ending, the complex demons of life are never straight forward. The past has a way of haunting them, changing them, and leaving them in the desolation, alone and confused.
(Interviewer) Does the world have magic? Is it subtle or in your face like most fantasies?
(Jason Borrego) The world certainly has magic, and its effects are unknown to most of the surviving population. Some say it’s just a wasteland rumor, others cling to its ill effects like life giving water. Magic has a big role in the world. Yet, its origins and abilities are severely limited by the lack of knowledge. Outside of the major cities the world is dark and primitive. Information doesn’t travel like it does in our world. Two cities, ten miles apart may have two contrasting views on a group of mutants plaguing the land between. Sometimes a city is destroyed and it takes months for a traveling adventure to bring forth the event to the nearest settlement. I like to think of the Mutant World of Rite as having elements from the Fallout Series, a post apocalyptic world. Now blend this with the deep lore of the Elder Scrolls Series and shake it up — that is where the tales take place.
(Interviewer) Fascinating, can you tell us a little more about communication in the world?
(Jason Borrego) communication depends on the hero’s location. Old satellites still orbit the fractured planet and recently the tech savvy inhabitants have been able to tap into the systems, loosely. I say that because a stubborn AI plays games with those attempting to gain access. So sometimes it works, most of the time it doesn’t. As I said before, most of the world is stuck a primitive state. However, the exception is Silver City, a metropolis that resembles a steampunk New York. This is a futurist city filled with modern marvels and tech. The citizens in this city are weak and blind to the condition that the rest of the world suffers. Some towns have a short wave radio to keep them updated, others rely on outsiders.
(Interviewer) That leads me to my next question. It’s easy to see how you balance horror into the books. But the question of how you implement pieces of science fiction into a wasteland world leaves me perplexed?
(Jason Borrego) The history of Earth and its destruction gives me many avenues of approach. The vaulted prisons holding super bugs and zombie style viruses get released when the planet shatters. The old world tech marvels the new world scientists in an experimentally exciting way. However, the biggest bit of science fiction comes from a newly discovered super element known as corpse rock. It burns a thousand times more powerful than fossil fuels, but its true effects on the world are the inspiration of many mutations and madness. However, the element gives life to the survivors. So they grow more and more dependent on the magical substance, pretending the ill effects are more — a product of circumstance, than related to the evil substance. There is a lot more to corpse rock, but I don’t want to give it away prematurely. As the story grows the understanding will rise, much like the rest of the mysteries plaguing the world. Other elements of science fiction include steampunk AI and robots, a product of the old world and yes that includes experimental cyborgs trapped in underground ruins for ages.
(Interviewer) You keep mentioning steampunk, what exactly is steampunk as it relates to the Mutant World of Rite?
(Jason Borrego) Steampunk is a fun sub-genre of sci-fi that taps into the industrial revolution of steam powered machinery. I use this as a base for new world tech powered by corpse rock. This allows the survivors to build lighter than air-airships, steam-powered weapons, and clockwork robots.