Every Friday, we meet a member of the BFS and peer deep into their soul (or, at least, a form they filled out). Want to be featured? Email us: online@britishfantasysociety.org

Name: 
Rob Sanders (pen name; he/him)

Which region are you based in? 
Wales

If you write, which genre: 
Fantasy

If you don’t write, what do you do?
I also read a lot of fantasy

Are you drawn to any specific SFFH sub-genres? 
I like epic fantasy, big stakes, big worlds

Your influences

Tell us about the book/film/thing that got you into SFFH: What was it? How old were you? What impact did it have on you?

Like many, my first taste of fantasy was The Lord of the Rings. I started reading The Fellowship of the Ring, at my dad’s suggestion, on a French exchange when I was about 12. Mind = blown. I had suddenly stepped into an enormous world that I had no idea existed. It was formative.

How does that early influence show up in your work now?

I would say the influence of Tolkien is obvious in a lot of my writing. I love grand scenes, deep histories, and like to take the time to describe them and also weave their significance into my stories. I also read a lot of David Gemmel in my teens and I think his influence is quite pervasive on my characters; I gravitate towards anti-heroes and people with flaws, who are nevertheless trying to do the right thing.

Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?

Everywhere! I have a degree in Archaeology and that informs the way I look at history, architecture, landscape. There are stories everywhere, real or imagined. I draw an awful lot from non-fiction and try to find interesting flavours to add to my imagined worlds, while still having them feel like something that could really exist.

Who do you look to as a genre hero? Why?

It’s Tolkien again, unashamedly. He blazed the trail and I absolutely admire the way he made his stories feel so important, so grand and with an earthy familiarity while also being otherworldly and fantastical. Genuinely still baffled how he came up with it all.

(Photo of J.R.R. Tolkien by Pamela Chandler, © The Tolkien Society)

Your work

You’re stuck in an elevator for 60 seconds with that hero, and they want you to describe your work. Give us the pitch.

I write grand, epic fantasy featuring relatable, flawed characters who are in control of their own destiny. No prophecy guides them – only their strength of will, the friends they have around them, and the decisions that they are forced to make. I want to explore how people like you and me cope in difficult and often fantastical situations.

What are you working on right now?

I am working on Book Two of the Jantakai saga, an epic fantasy series written with the sensibilities above in mind. I published Book One, Demon’s Tear, June 2024 and hope to have the sequel published by Easter 2025. The series will be around six books when complete.

Thinking about all the stories/work you’ve done, what sticks out most in your mind? Why?

There’s a moment in Demon’s Tear where the Main Male Character is having a conversation with a character who is the Main Character in my novella, Tann’s Last Stand. They are talking about the Main Character of my debut novel, A Path of Blades, and the conversation which referenced all my published works hit a real emotional note for me.

Where and when do you create/are you at your most creative?

I generate the most and the best ideas when I’m not actively trying to – often when I’m doing something physical like walking, running, or riding my bike. I think the exertion gives my mind space to work and scenes often pop into my head and play out as if I’m watching a movie.

(Cycling helps Rob’s creativity; Photo by Marek Mucha on Unsplash)

What’s the best advice you’ve received about creativity?

I probably received this advice in the world of work rather than in the world of writing, but it’s to embrace ‘blue sky’ thinking. I tend to pick one idea and labour over making that work, rather than being open to a lot of ideas at initial stages and trying them for size. 

What’s your writing soundtrack?

I like instrumental music best for writing; I find music with lyrics can be a bit intrusive. My soundtracks for writing Demon’s Tear were the albums What Makes You and For the Night by the Scottish trad folk/dance/rock band Elephant Sessions, and Escape That by virtuoso ex-Bellowhead fiddle player Sam Sweeney.

The Quick-Fire Round

Sci-fi, fantasy or horror?
Fantasy

Quiet or loud?
LOUD

Dark or light?
Light

Strict lines or genre blend?
Blends

Awards or bestseller?
Bestseller

Fiction or non-fiction?
Fiction

Poetry or prose?
Prose

Plotter or pantser?
100% plantser (sorry!)

Reading or listening?
Reading

Notebook or computer?
Notebook

Favourite SFFH book of all time?
The Two Towers

Last book you read?
A Pocket of Lies by R.A. Sandpiper

Any SFFH author on auto-buy?
Probably Bernard Cornwell (so I don’t say Tolkien again)

Favourite podcast?
Geraint Thomas’ cycling podcast ‘Watts Occurring’

The Home Stretch

What’s the best thing about being part of the SFFH community?

It genuinely feels like a community. It feels like small indie authors can rub shoulders between well-established traditional authors and the readership seems very open to seeking out new things. For an author or creative, it feels like a huge support network – there are hundreds of other authors with every amount of experience that know what you’re going through!

Time to plug your stuff! Where can we find you and your work? What have you got coming up? Consider this your advertising space.

My books (one novella and two novels) are all for sale on Amazon, available in eBook, paperback and on Kindle Unlimited. My new novel, Demon’s Tear, was only released quite recently and I’m hoping the word can spread about this book as I’m very proud of it.

The rest of the books in the series will follow in due course; I’m hoping to publish about one a year until the series is complete.

You can follow me on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, or Facebook. Or, visit my website here.