Below, Sietch Ediciones presents an interview with the renowned and experienced writer, Ignacio Fritz , about his new novel called Ñachi .
Ignacio Fritz is a writer with a long career; he has written books such as Schizoids , The Indifference of God , Hotel , among others.
1-. What is your novel about?
A: It's a short novel or nouvelle on the Mapuche theme. The action is based on a war between the Chilean state and that particular people. Based on letters, the narrator weaves together the problematic nature of the "Mapuche cause" until the climax, which is a real about-face. It also shows elements of what repression was like during the dictatorship, which in this short novel is still prevalent with a repressive intelligence center. My book is a quick read and very direct, and I play with exotic terms; definitely out of use. For me, using rare words is an art. Although I don't go overboard: I strike the right balance.
2-. What motivated you to write this novel?
A: I wrote it because of an invitation to a book that would portray the themes of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. War was my theme. It's a fascinating starting point. They asked me to write 20,000 words about it. War is a big theme.
3. You've been known for writing horror. What does horror mean to you?
A : For me, terror is basically what a human being can do in somewhat extreme circumstances. For example, what happened at the Twin Towers in New York provides the primitive emotion of terror for those who experienced it. For me, the worst terror is that of everyday life: for example, being run over in the street. For me, it's just a sensory perception with adrenaline and extremism.
4-. What led you to write horror?
A: It opens up a variety of possibilities for me and entertains me.
5-. Does this work propose something different from what your readers are used to?
A: No, quite the opposite. It continues with my irreverent and desecrating style, depicting my personal universe.
6-. Why the title "Ñachi"?
A: It is a word related to a type of seasoned animal blood that the Mapuche eat and is related to the end.
7-. In what time period is it set?
A: In the near future, in 2045. Perhaps in a parallel universe. A parallel Chile very similar to our own, with the same old characters who plague the people and live in a bubble decontextualized from the real situation.
8-. Why is your novel written in epistolary form?
A: Aside from the war and the Mapuche theme (so in vogue and at the same time so unknown and perhaps manipulated), I wanted to address the topic of post-truth. But not on a mass level, as it's known, but rather on a one-on-one level; that is, between two people. There are elements of post-truth in this novella , like a certain amount of emotion, which the character narrates when he tells us he's in love with the person to whom these letters are addressed. There's a more limited and circular post-truth in this book, which ultimately expresses the existence of a lie, a fiction, a staging with different plots . For me, it would be terrifying to realize I'm living in a fiction like The Truman Show. That your life is a sort of reality show without knowing that.
