Interview with CB Lansdell ~ Author of 'Little Bead in a Squall'

C.B. Lansdell is our newest, 2055 invited writer and author of our latest acquisition—Little Bead in a Squall, a cosy scifantasy interactive short-story set in her world Tales of Knyadrea, the same setting of her Apidecca Duology.

In this post, our lead writer (and editor of invited stories) Livia J. Elliot interviews C.B. Lansdell about his writing, her novels, and his experience writing an interactive story for the first time.

Livia: Thank you, Coe, for working with us to bring a bit of Knyadrea into Unearthed Stories. Before we dive into writing-related questions, would you introduce yourself?

I am an indie author from South Africa, going by C.B. Lansdell or Coe, and I freelance as a graphic designer and illustrator. While I’ve written short stories throughout my life (mostly for my own enjoyment), in the last 7 years I’ve turned from more visual storytelling to writing. Words can quickly convey what may not immediately be clear in pictures alone, so developing my use of language has been a wonderful adventure.

Your series, the Apidecca Duology and the surrounding Tales of Knyadrea is a unique universe. Your lore is expansive, and the society you’ve crafted is highly unique. What inspired you to craft this world? What audience would you recommend it to?

I name different inspirations every time I am asked this kind of question. However, my interest in the ocean is a common thread found in all my stories set on Knyadrea. It probably came about because I was lucky enough to live around 15 km from the sea for most of my life—now I am even closer to it. The best parts of my childhood were spent in tidal pools. What may come across in this particular story, is the influence of books like The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley. I’ve always liked the idea of following characters who can explore underwater environments without scuba equipment.

When I imagine new worlds, I like to experience things that I couldn’t on Earth. A prominent feature of the Apidecca Duology and my related works, is that there are no humans. The characters are knyads—our proxy in the story—and they aren’t contrasted with a human society. Their world is a habitable moon, and it takes a month (or revolution) for them to experience one day and night cycle. That may not seem so strange to people who experience strong seasonal shifts, but for those of us in South Africa and Australia, spending weeks in the dark or in the light is a novel concept.

In my books, you’ll come across new terminology to describe knyads' physiological differences and the way they experience time. I enjoy the challenge of writing what is strange to us and presenting it as normal within the context of Knyadrea. Things like knyads' accelerated growth in the early part of their lives. Readers who don’t mind stepping into something unfamiliar, who have no strong preferences regarding structure and tropes, tend to enjoy my books.

This game was also my first opportunity to introduce readers to Prismer’s home clan. She is one of two main characters in the Apidecca Duology (which will be completed next year).

Unlike The Tidelings of Dras Sayve, which features Oklas (my other protagonist) in his youth, Little Bead in a Squall is a bit more distanced from the duology. That is not to say Prismer doesn’t appear here, but her past in Inclatia will be explored in another novella. Little Bead as a story, belongs to Abulon and to the reader who shapes his choices.

We talked quite a bit on my podcast about your character work and the social themes embedded in your work. Why did you choose this focus?

I am not usually a very politically outspoken person, but when you’re describing the way people relate to each other—either in pairs or as groups—political and social commentaries are inevitable. As I came up with the hierarchical structure of knyad society, I realised that I had made a lot of observations about these characters who have incredibly human fallacies beneath their alien appearances. My hope is that my stories will pose good questions.

Little Bead in a Squall has more in common with The Tidelings of Dras Sayve than my duology. Mostly because both feature knyads in the early part of their lives—a relatively uncomplicated period. However, many of the overarching challenges knyads face can be traced to phenomena we see in the foundations of their clans; things like population growth, their natural resources, and the power they hold in relation to others. So much of human society is built on inheritance and bloodlines. Knyads just wash ashore and belong wherever they are found. Without family ties, how might a clan grow and develop a sense of culture? How would they make themselves distinct?

I wanted to write about a carer, because they are the ones who bridge the gap between young knyads being adrift at sea, and belonging to a place and a people. A carer’s role is a combination of paramedic, teacher and parent. I don’t have children of my own, but I spent a lot of my teens and twenties either babysitting or volunteering to do activities with children in my neighbourhood or church, so I drew from those experiences in writing Abulon. Still, he is much more patient than I am. A young carer, he is competent but still coming to grips with situations he hasn’t encountered before.

Writing for Unearthed Stories was your first dive into interactive fiction, right? What did you find challenging and what did you enjoy the most?

Yes, this is my first go at an interactive story, and it was a real privilege to be invited on as a contributor. All stories are about characters making choices, and what’s wonderful about this storytelling medium, is that it allows the reader to guide some of those choices. In traditional books, you watch events unfold; here, you get more of a conversation between author and reader. There is value in both an active and a passive approach.

In preparation for writing this, I played a couple of the shorter titles on Unearthed Stories. That showed me how many possibilities there are. When writing Little Bead in a Squall, I felt like a tour guide. I ask the reader, which part of Inclatia would you like to explore? Which aspects of Abulon’s life do you want to see? There are also some surprises, of course. Because you can’t always tell where every choice might lead.

Abulon’s core personality traits remain the same in every branching path he takes. He has a very even-keeled temperament, but you can decide whether he should express his emotions or conceal them, challenge his superiors or defer to them. You stretch him a bit. I also liked that the app format allowed me to use visuals and phone vibrations to add to the story. For example, we have a bubble frame for scenes taking place underwater, and use a different font for underwater speech.

The challenges involved familiarising myself with the mechanics of interactive stories. Understanding how to split pathways and bring them back together. Learning when certain effects could be used, and ensuring that their meaning remained consistent. Early choices lead the reader to one of two major stories nested within Little Bead. The second story went much quicker than the first because I’d come to understand the basics, but I am pleased with how both turned out.

Thank you, Coe! Can you share your socials (so everyone can find you), and any news on upcoming releases?

2026 should see the release of more than one project. My main event will be releasing the sequel to Far Removed around June. It is currently with beta readers, which is terribly exciting. Concluding Oklas and Prismer’s stories (or shared story in Apidecca) has been a very cathartic experience. I hope readers who loved Far Removed feel that I’ve done justice to the characters and themes. Some more announcements will be coming in December and the new year.

You can find me under the handle @CBLansdell on Twitter, BlueSky and Instagram. I also have somewhat dormant accounts on Tiktok, Threads and Facebook—I can only maintain so many. My website is www.cblansdell.com.

If you want to read/play Little Bead in a Squall (and you should definitely be keen on doing so), you can install Unearthed Stories for free on any Android or iPhone/iPad devices, and read!