Daniel Genís Mas: "Late fatherhood implies the fear of leaving the child alone prematurely."
Writer, high school teacher, and father of three-year-old Oleguer. He founded El Biblionauta, the leading website for fantasy literature in Catalan. He edited all ten issues of the short story anthology 'Freakcions. Recopilación de narraciones extrañas' (Freakcions: A Collection of Strange Narratives). He published 'El demonio antes de nosotros' (Males Herbes), a novel about the friendship between a demon and a student in 18th-century Girona. In 2023, he won the Ictineu Prize for best fantasy novel in Catalan with 'Unos dioses feroces' (Some Ferocious Gods).
BarcelonaI don't know if the world is a horrible place, but we humans make it one. Being a pessimist by nature, I tend to believe that whatever good we can do hardly compensates for the harm others do. I don't think Mother Teresa of Calcutta makes up for Hitler, for crying out loud. We should be constantly apologizing to our children.
We already do other things that are more appreciated than an apology, like filling the fridge, paying for Wi-Fi, or sending Bizumos.
— When you don't have children and you're alone, you can simply do the right thing, try your best to contribute, and if, however, you see that the world is going to hell in a handbasket, you can say, "I've done my part, it stays here." But when you have a child, everything is more significant. You can't just think that you won't be around anymore and wash your hands of it. That's my greatest fear: the future. And seeing their innocence and happiness, knowing they have no idea what awaits them.
Are you saying that this fear is unrelated to you becoming a father at 45?
— I have no doubt! Look, there's a novel that has stolen my heart, The roadCormac McCarthy's novel tells the story of a post-apocalyptic world where a father and his young son walk south, searching for a place where life is still possible. The father is consumed by the fear of losing his son and also by the threat of being left alone and helpless. Late fatherhood also brings with it the fear of leaving his child alone too soon. I recently discovered that McCarthy had a child at 65.
You have written a novel in which a demon tells his life story, his family.
— Banyeta, before becoming a demon, is a man with a name of his own: Mesta. Due to a series of unfortunate events related to his birth, he always seems to make the worst possible decisions, distancing himself from his loved ones and from what he most desires: to be loved and accepted. This ultimately leads him to become a demon. This very human weakness, this desire to fit in, is what I believe makes him endearing and relatable.
The devil has a twin brother.
— The story of Mesta and his brother Másico is inspired by that of Cain and Abel. Reading the Bible, Abel seems quite repulsive. Cain, on the other hand, is more like us. This is the image I wanted to convey of the devil: deep down, he's not so different from us. Mesta's hell is his insecurities, his fears.
Banyeta also acts as a father to Satan's daughter.
— The poor man tries his best to feed his goddaughter, teach her right from wrong, and love her. But he can't manage it. Banyeta doesn't know how to prepare himself for the monumental challenge of fatherhood; he sees the world as a terrible place, full of dangers. How can you give a child the tools they need to survive in a terrible world and at the same time raise them to be a good person and not a bastard?
Exactly! Very good question.
— While writing the story, I wasn't aware that I was addressing issues related to fatherhood. I think Mesta-Banyeta's fears and insecurities have a lot to do with my own.
You became a father three years ago. How has being a father transformed your life?
— It was like the Big Bang! But in reverse: order turned to chaos. Nothing prepares you for that moment when you finally meet your child. In life, we sometimes say that this or that has changed us, but it's usually an exaggeration. Well, having a child allows you to pinpoint exactly, down to the year, month, day, minute, and second, the moment when everything blew up.
What thoughts or goals are on your mind?
— The topic of sleep. How important it is to sleep eight hours, and how little we appreciate it. And as for resolutions, I try to be more optimistic.
What are you saying? I'm glad to hear this...
— I feel I owe it to Oleguer. It would be very selfish to tell him, "Look, this is a load of crap. I brought you here just because. The world is a bad place, but it's worth fighting for." That's why I'm dedicating the novel to my son, I suppose. It's a way of telling him that we shouldn't settle, that fighting is always worthwhile. Or maybe what I'm saying is an apology. I don't know. Most likely, when he reads it, he'll tear it to shreds.