Michael asked S.J. Kincaid:

I know you did a lot of psych research for Insignia. What kind of research did you do for The Diabolic? PS- I've been fascinated lately by themes of "identify" particularly where someone chooses to define themselves in a certain way regardless of how everyone else sees them. I feel like The Diabolic was a brilliant example of this.

S.J. Kincaid Thanks! A lot of my INSIGNIA research came easily because Inwas doing my mental health education and clinical in nursing school when I wrote it. I've actually retained a pretty great memory for much of the psychology stuff I studied and the human brain fascinates me so it creeps into everything I do.

Having said that, unlike Tom, Nemesis isn't entirely a human. Because of that I am always careful to avoid attributing any real life conceptions of the workings of a human mind to her. Much of her is human and a huge amount of who she is was shaped by a dehumanizing upbringing/entrance into a world that takes for granted that her identity is what she has been taught it is. The struggle she faces in the Diabolic stems from 1) seeing some humanity in another Diabolic (Emnity) and 2) being treated like Sidonia and slipping into that frame of mind though it should not be hers to embrace, which leads to 3) intervention for Deadly whom she anthropomorphizes because she truly is having that conflict inside.

I am glad you enjoyed!

flag