INTERVIEW - Symbol Satoshi
When did you start writing?
In junior high school. My older brother was a D&D fanatic while we were growing up and his world-building and writings were a huge inspiration for me. I could keep up, but I was always just behind him. I wrote a little in high school and again in my 20s, but didn’t really put it to use again until these opportunities with the 21 Futures anthologies.
What attracted you to the cypherpunk and sci-fi genre?
Being a bitcoiner introduced me to the Cypherpunks. I tend to get obsessive with new interests so I will read and study almost everything I can get my hands on. Ask me about the Orange Alternative movement in 80s Poland for example.
Mixing sci-fi with bitcoin just makes sense to me. It makes it easier to write about something I know and am passionate about.
Tell us more about your writing style
I read On Writing by Stephen King and one thing I could relate to was the single powerful image that may come to him. His example was he had thought of a man emptying a large jar of loose change down a storm drain. He kept having that thought until he wrote a story around (Everything’s Eventual if you’re curious). That’s how ideas start with me as well.
What do you like to read? Who are your idols?
Stephen King, Michael Crichton, and most recently Liu Cixin. Fun fact: I wrote Stephen King a fan letter when I was 12 and I got a personal reply back a few months later.
How did you discover 21F? Why did you submit?
I remember there was a call for entries on Twitter and it piqued my interest. I had something in me that I wanted to say, and I wanted it to be positive. We were coming out of all the covid madness and the world never seemed more divisive. I wanted to write about a future that had moved past all that.
What's the future of cypherpunk and bitcoin fiction?
Man, I hope it sticks around. I think it can only grow from here, just like bitcoin adoption.
What advice do you have for other writers in the space?
I still consider myself a hobbyist writer, I’m more of a visual artist/illustrator/designer. The boring answer would be just keep at it I guess.
What are you working on now?
I just finished my second story for 21 Futures: Financial Fallout. I made a tweet about the idea a year ago. I wanted to make an analogy for bitcoin in a world where bitcoin doesn’t exist. The response was small but encouraging so when the opportunity presented itself I wrote it out. Luckily it fits the 21 Futures theme of a dystopian world. My adult daughter is also a writer and she proofed, gave notes, and improved it, so I want to give her credit. Thanks Con.
Where can people find you online?
Any final words?
Thanks to Philip and the entire Konsensus team for making this possible.
