Film Producer Brings His Cinematic Chops to New Sci Fi… Q&A With M.F. Gibsob

What inspired you to write Babylon Twins?

M.F. Gibson: When I was young I spoke with a stutter, and I knew that someday I wanted to make a story about a hero who had a speech disorder, and that somehow this disorder could be a superpower. Soon after my own children were born and went to school, I began to take note of issues that parents struggle with in an increasing number of children: autism, ADD, OCD, etc. As I saw kids work together I began to think of these things not as disorders but rather a sort of neuroatypicality which could play a larger role in the human story. I wanted to write a novel that celebrated a speech disorder – or in this case a secret twin language – as a superpower.

What is your connection to San Francisco?

Gibson: I grew up and still live in San Francisco and have seen a lot of changes over the years: from a hopeful bohemian city of Free Love in the 1970s, to an expensive, inequality-addled casualty of the ongoing tech boom.

Back in my hometown after college, I co-founded an underground theater company (The Cutting Ball) and in the 2000s embarked on a fairly successful career as an independent film producer with my own production company (Zealot Pictures), specializing in documentaries about culture and technology such as “24 Hours on Craigslist” and “Truth in Numbers: The Wikipedia Story”. With the collapse of the straight-to-DVD market, I myself joined the start-up tech boom which had seemingly taken over my hometown. I co-founded an automotive photo-sharing app (Car Fiend), which I quit in 2016 to become a writer and spend more time with my children.

What do you hope readers will take away from the novel?

Gibson: My hope is that Babylon Twins sends the message that physical disorders are nothing to be ashamed of, and in fact might be our only hope against the AI apocalypse.

As a man writing from the perspective of two young women, how can you capture their experience authentically?

Gibson: I certainly can’t claim to understand everything about a woman’s experience of the world, but the spirit of this book is to illustrate the perspective of two very unique outsiders. From my childhood experiences, I do feel I understand an outsider’s perspective and can speak to it without being totally ridiculous.

About the Author:

M.F. Gibson is a writer and former actor, director, documentary filmmaker, producer, head of product at a tech start-up, and frozen-fish chopper at the Marine Mammal Center. He grew up in San Francisco and takes inspiration from his city and the changes it has undergone over the years. He still lives in his hometown, now with his Westie and two children. Connect with M.F. Gibson at mfgibsonauthor.com. Babylon Twins is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.