“Shadows Below Seaway Trains” is a beautiful science fiction story about what it means to truly be there for another person. It asks what kinds of betrayals are forgivable and which are not, and it explores parental neglect, and the ways in which the most vulnerable in society are undervalued and overlooked. Ultimately it asks, what makes a home a home? If children were given a choice about the life they grow up in, what would be most important?
Author Ai Jiang is a Chinese-Canadian writer, Ignyte, Bram Stoker, and Nebula Award winner, and Hugo, Astounding, Locus, Aurora, and BFSA Award finalist from Changle, Fujian currently residing in Toronto, Ontario. She is the recipient of Odyssey Workshop's 2022 Fresh Voices Scholarship and the author of A Palace Near the Wind, Linghun, and I AM AI. Find her at www.aijiang.ca
Marissa van Uden: Thank you so much for joining us, Ai! I loved this story so much. To start with, I wanted to ask about the shadows mentioned in the title. It was heartbreaking to learn what these are in the story. Can you share a little about how this part of the idea came to you—was it a phrase first, a vision, or did the shadows under the seaway trains arise during the writing?
Ai Jiang: For this particular story, the idea of shadows came after, but the idea of diving into the water came first. Often, I think of shadows as memories, of the past, things that follow, things that linger, and things that cling onto us as much as we cling onto them. Most of the time, these are our own shadows, and sometimes, they are the shadows of others. As a whole, the idea of shadows—of things like reflections, outlines, and things of a similar nature—often appear in my work, whether it is to explore identity or memory.
MVU: The story begins with the intriguing opening line: “Time waited for no one, especially those with no money to afford a pause, a moment’s breath,” and the scene immediately resolves into a world that is full of noise and motion: the narrator is leaping from a speeding streetway train, airway trains thunder overhead, and delivery drones zip past their heads. Even the mountains and oceans are filled with fast-moving trains. For me, it gave me a strong sense of how human-time is so different from technology-time, this fast-moving mechanical world that is always racing toward the next thing. Do you feel that in society’s breathless rush towards the future, we are losing some of our gentleness and humanity, forgetting to pause and truly see each other, especially the most vulnerable among us?
AJ:I definitely think this is the case—not only each other but also ourselves. Capitalism and toxic work cultures, as well as a dwindling labour market for available employment causes in us high stress and the pressure to work and continue working, to keep making money to survive, and much of that also involves technology taking over previously available positions. We are no longer only competing against each other but also against technology, even though in some cases it can make labour processes easier and more streamlined.
In terms of society and communication, I find with social media that though it’s easier to communicate and connect with others, it also gives us an excuse to not meet others in person, to lose the sense of body language and the intricacies and marvels of face-to-face communication. Technology has made connection and communication instantaneous, yet the screens/barriers allow some to think less of what they’re writing and sending out and make the vulnerable in our society even more so. And in terms of our sense of self, sometimes we might be so caught up in the lives of others—or at least in how gloriously their lives are presented in media, online—and in how quickly life is moving around us, that we don’t have time to catch a breath, slow down, and work towards self-discovery and deeper thought about our priorities and what truly matters in our own lives.
MVU: I’m especially fascinated by the narrator’s relationship with Atlas. He’s reckless and manipulative, and I was so mad at how he treats the narrator. But as the story goes on, we understand why she chooses to stay with him, no matter his betrayals. He gives her something she’s never had, not even from her parents: bonds that don’t break, that are tested and true; he always comes back. Can you talk a bit about this relationship and how it took shape during the creative process? Were you surprised by the things Atlas did as you wrote this story?
AJ: Atlas was definitely a wild card in this story, I’d say. In the beginning, I wanted him to serve as the embodiment of toxic relationships that people who have develop a reliance cannot escape, but as the story went on, he slowly evolved into a metaphor for the freedom that our narrator never had, the ability and courage to make certain choices, to be so free-willed and fearless in making mistakes, and to be brave enough to face them—with the level of impulse, risk, imperfection, and moral greyness she never dared to have nor imagine having. I think what surprised me most is how Atlas shaped into the home our MC never had, the person who always returned even though he also always left, the brief semblance of family and stability she had in her life no matter how fleeting his presence.
MVU: One thing I love about your stories is that there is a sense of genuine curiosity and openness about them. Were there any particular questions you were asking yourself as you wrote this piece?
AJ: Almost always, when I’m writing a story, the questions I try to explore come from a place of deep thought and vulnerability, in that they are questions I’ve thought long and hard about and continue to do so, because with the fickleness of humanity there is never a “correct” or “right” answer to anything at all. “Everything can be considered the truth until proven otherwise,” was something someone once said to me. In this piece, something I was thinking a lot about was the idea of parenthood, about who should be a parent, about who has the right to be a parent, and the choicelessness of children who are brought into this world and raised or abandoned. I thought about the imperfections of parenthood, of how no one is truly ready and may never be ready for it and yet still choose to become a parent anyway. I wondered about what it really means to be a parent and what it would be like if children themselves were given a choice, and about both the beauty and terrifying nature of parenthood.
MVU: Your beautiful novella Linghun explores themes around home, as do several other of your short stories. In “Shadows Below Seaway Trains,” I loved that you gave us the perspective of someone without a permanent physical home, and who is also grappling with what it means to be a home for a person, in contrast to what society might think she should offer. Could you talk a bit about that? What draws you back to this theme?
AJ: I think something that will forever appear in my books is the concept of a home explored through different angles because it’s something I often think about in terms of what the idea of a home is—whether it’s a place, a memory, a person, or even the self—and how different and malleable the idea is depending on the specific person. To some, they seem to be tethered to a single person who grounds them in this world, one they would follow anywhere, even if it meant not having a roof over their heads. For others, it’s a physical place that brings them the peace and comfort they can’t find in another person. For me, it feels like something that is ever-changing—something that is everything yet nothing at once. Sometimes a home is a memory that I cling onto; sometimes it is a feeling that I cannot let go of, a person who had become such an ingrained part of my life that I once thought I couldn’t live without them—until the moment they walked out and I realized that perhaps I could. Then there is myself, and the idea that I should make myself my home, because what will be left once everyone and everything is gone?
MVU: That’s both a beautiful and sad thought, and so true. Another thing I’ve noticed is that little references to classic literature often pop up in your fiction. In what ways do the classics influence your writing? Do you have favorites that you return to often?
AJ: The classics is what I studied during my undergraduate studies when I was still in university, and it makes up a large part of the literature I’ve consumed throughout myself life. I think the subtle metaphoricness of the classics, in which they tell stories without truly ever stating what the stories are about, is what I love most about them. I think of how a book like To the Lighthouse is seemingly about a family trying to go to a lighthouse but is actually about the intricacies of their familial struggles and tensions behind the conversations they have and the subtle unspoken interactions and thoughts. Of Beloved and the idea of rememory that is embodied by a character, and of the speculative elements used as a metaphor to explore trauma and dark, violent histories. I think these two works in particular are ones I often thing about when I’m writing, as well as the philosophical and quiet nature of more contemporary works like Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go.
MVU: You’re a prolific writer who has published not only a great quantity of work in a few short years but beautifully written work, recognized by awards and your peers. Your submission stats when you were focused on short stories were wild and you haven’t slowed down as far as I can tell. In a recent post online, you said that in 2024 you wrote 1.5 novels, expanded a novelette into a novella, wrote more than ten short stories, and read more than 70 books. On top of that, you also write blurbs and reviews to support other authors, maintain a newsletter and social media presence, critique friends’ manuscripts, make appearances on podcasts and panels, attend events, mentor other writers, and take part in interviews like this one. I suppose you also stop to eat sometimes, though I’m not sure. Tell us, Ai, how do you do it? What does a typical weekly schedule look like for you, and what kind of dark magic are you using?
AJ: I must say… sometimes it feels like I’m doing an enormous amount of work, and sometimes it feels like I’m doing nothing at all, and both hold true, I think, in how I function as a writer, in that sometimes I’m doing everything at once, working from 12PM to 6AM for a week before crashing for a day or three, and sometimes I’m only reading and doing admin work and not writing at all. This year, I’m finding that I’m slowly falling behind in the things I’ve committed myself to, because all the yeses have begun to accumulate. It was becoming muddied what my schedule really looks like anymore until I broke it down with a friend, and it seems that I really only have two pockets of dedicated writing time between conventions and events this year, which is wild. As for dark magic, I think I am running on stress and adrenaline and the need to give back because of all the kindness and help I myself have received so far to survive and continue to survive in this industry, and it’s something I want to pay forward whenever I can.
MVU: A very beautiful dark magic indeed. The publishing industry can be complicated, opaque, and frustrating at times, and every day there are new authors crossing the threshold into professional publishing and facing their first big decisions, from choosing who to work with to how to negotiate their contracts. If you could give new authors a guiding light to carry on this often fraught journey—a philosophy, piece of advice, or just a little comfort—what would that be? What were some of the best decisions you ever made for yourself as a writer?
AJ: I suppose I’ll put these down as bullet points because there are far too many things, but I think these few are what helped me most so far in my own journey:
- Every piece of writing/work is an attempt, start it, finish it, then set it free.
- Persistence seems to be the key in surviving in this industry.
- Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help.
- Be kind and extend the same help back to others you received it from.
- Write what you want to write, because readers can always tell if your heart is truly in the words you place on the page.
MVU: Every writer has unique people in their personal life who either support their writing or, unfortunately, make it more challenging. You are blessed with a spouse who not only fully supports your creativity and writing career but accompanies you to writing events and even runs into the bathroom with your notes app unlocked when you shout that you’re getting story ideas in the shower. Can we just take a moment to appreciate wonderful partners like this? I wondered if you’d share more about the little and big ways he has supported you in your creative life, whether that’s accommodating your writing schedule or being emotional support as you manage the challenges of publishing?
AJ: One thing I must say about my spouse is how understanding and patient he is about what it’s like to endure the writing industry is, even though he doesn’t fully understand its inner workings himself. He takes time to show interest in my career milestones, pitfalls, and plateaus, from checking in on me after interviews and calls and quietly making sure I’m eating and staying hydrated when I enter hyper-focus mode and I’m writing in a bit of a fugue state, almost as though I’ve dissociated from the world, to laughing as I turn around in bed to reach for my phone and asking, “Idea?” when I begin frantically tapping away. He often will express his irritations on my behalf after my rants and do little things like buy items he thinks might be useful for me to bring on trips to conventions.
There are too many things I have to be thankful to him for, and though he is definitely not a spouse who reads everything I write, he is one who appreciates the effort and care I’ve placed into my writing career, and he has been understanding that it is something that takes time to build. He has unwavering belief in my ability to thrive, even when imposter syndrome hits and I’m eyeing my WIPs loathingly (even though only moments earlier I was excited about the thing) or when self-doubt starts leaking when I read negative reviews I really should be avoiding.
MVU: Thank you for sharing some of these wonderful things! It’s so great to hear about partners and other family members who support the writers in their lives. What are some books or other media that you’ve fallen completely in love with recently, and what was it about them that grabbed you?
AJ: I’ve always been a fan of feature films and shows, anime (every and any kind), Korean dramas (rom coms and zombie genres), Chinese dramas (historical and fantastical), and anything that is Black Mirror-esque, and I think it’s because of how well the characters are drawn and their arcs explored, as well as the awe-inspiring ways the plots are woven in these media forms. For books, one I really enjoyed recently is The Memory Police, in the way it explores the fragility of human relationships through the loss of memories.
MVU: Your novella A Palace Near the Wind comes out from Titan Books in April 2025, with the sequel the next year. In a recent interview with Space Cowboy Books (an amazing bookstore near Joshua Tree that tirelessly supports indie writers—everyone, go check them out!), you described the book this way: “An exploration on the impacts of industrialism on nature, the loss and gain of culture, migration, and colonization, climate commentary through a secondary world dark science fantasy with the vibes of Studio Ghibli, Mortal Engines, Shadow and Bone.” I can’t tell you how excited I am to read this—I feel like you wrote it for me. Would you be able to share a bit about the inspiration or origins of this duology with our readers?
AJ: I wanted to explore a sort of Blue Beard-esque relationship between nature and industrialism in that way that nature is often sacrificed for the sake of progress (but of course there are efforts of preservation and the like in our society and technological developments). However, for the sake of what I wanted to explore in this book, I wanted to meditate on the jarring experience of personified nature entering into an unwilling contract with industrialism, overproduction, and excessive consumption before diving into the second in the series, which explores a side of the story involving misinformation and over-access rather than information being withheld as a form of manipulation.
MVU: It sounds amazing. I love that cover art as well.
This is where I ask authors to share about a charity that is personally special to them, to raise awareness and let readers know where to go to support them if possible. Could you tell us about a charity that’s dear to your heart, and where we can find it?
AJ: There isn’t one particular charity that is special to me as I like to support a broad range from ones that target more immediate causes and funds to ones that are longstanding and prevalent, so I’ll note the one that I thought about most when writing and thinking about A Palace Near the Wind, which is Environmental Defence Canada (https://environmentaldefence.ca/), which aims towards environmental protection and reparations.
MVU: Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts with us today, Ai! As a final question, can you tell us about any other new releases we should look out for in the near future, or hint at any exciting projects you have in the works?
AJ: The second book in the Natural Engines duology, following A Palace Near the Wind, will be forthcoming April 2026, along with An Empire Above Opera in September 2026 and the second in the series, An Opera of Salamanders in September 2027. As for new projects, I have two ready for submission, both leaning back into horror, as of right now, so I’m crossing my fingers that those will soon find homes as well!
