Interview with Author Candace Nola: Desperate Wishes (2025)
Multi-talented author, editor, and publisher Candace Nola talks about her chilling dystopian novella Desperate Wishes, a horrific tale with fairy tale qualities that don’t keep it from seeming far too plausible.
Desperate Wishes
In the not distant future, civilization as we know it is unrecognizable. People are property, and names are stripped away, replaced by obligation.
Makenna is treated as less than a person, as lesser than a beast. In her pain and rage, she opens herself to a voice that promises the fires of change.
“With Desperate Wishes, Candace Nola offers a glimpse of the terrible through bright and beautiful prose. She shows that the worst of monsters is what lurks in their very human hearts, and that the line between justice and vengeance is uncomfortably thin. Be careful what you wish for.” —Mary SanGiovanni, author of The Hollower
“In Candace Nola’s Desperate Wishes, the main character, Makenna, is used in the worst ways, in a not distant future where females are owned by powerful and abusive men. She meets an invisible spirit who offers to make any wish come true. Nola’s powerful writing in this beautifully raw book takes us through the journey of Makenna’s obvious wish and how she has to embrace her shattered (but not completely broken) soul to use the rage released to help her wish come true and become the change needed for others.” —Linda D. Addison, award-winning author, HWA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and SFPA Grand Master
“Take a little Handmaid’s Tale, mix in some 1,001 Nights and “The Monkey’s Paw,” and you have the barest idea of what Desperate Wishes has in store for you. Candace Nola drags the reader through the darkness, scraping away skin and muscle, in this timely tale of revenge and restitution, magic and hope.” — Brennan LaFaro, author of the Slattery Falls trilogy
The Interview
1. Patriarchy Gone Wild. I don’t think I need to ask whether Desperate Wishes has a feminist angle, but how would you describe your book’s feminism? Early on, we learn that your protagonist, Makenna, lives in a near-future dystopia where brutal men who hoard resources and power enslave and dehumanize women. How realistic is your vision, the idea that men, under the circumstances you describe or comparable ones, would go so far? Some good men exist in Makenna’s world, but they seem like a minority. Does the corruption of patriarchal power make most men inclined to be brutal and exploitative? Why or why not?
CN: I hesitate to say all men or most men, but in my personal experience, unfortunately men tend to treat women as lesser than themselves, invisible vessels to nurture them, cater to them, be pretty for them, but not have needs, desires, or feelings of their own. I do see my futuristic vision as more plausible than it should be, especially considering events of recent days. Fear makes people do things they otherwise would not. In the beginning, it’s fear of extinction in Desperate Wishes that drives the initial actions, but it devolves in something much more sadistic and crueler.
2. Political Resonance I: The Dobbs Decision. Desperate Wishes combines several nightmares, but the central nightmare is of a society that degrades women in ways (almost) unimaginable. Men treat women like animals or objects “no better than a chamber pot.” Women have no say in what they do or what is done to them. Women’s lack of self-governance in your story brought to mind the U.S. Supreme Court’s “Dobbs Decision,” which took away women’s Constitutional right to abortions and thus, many would say, women’s right to govern their own bodies. To what extent did the Dobbs Decision (June 24, 2022) inspire the nightmare society of Desperate Wishes (first published Dec. 23, 2023)? Whether or not it inspired your writing, do you think the Dobbs Decision suggests the U.S. is headed in the direction of the society in Desperate Wishes? Why or why not?
CN: Yes, of course, it inspired part of the Desperate Wishes landscape. And again, given recent actions, this reality is very realistic unless those that can do something stop it. The women in Desperate Wishes are stripped of their very names. They have zero say in what happens to them, ever. They are to obey and to stay silent. They are simply known as the Nameless, and even their ages are referred to as serving years rather than their true age because that is the age at which point the men deem it “allowable” for the youngest of the females to begin serving the men.
3. The Primitive Future Dystopia. Most technology in the world of Desperate Wishes seems to range from the medieval to the early modern; the story reveals that technology was among things lost as a result of the cataclysmic conflicts that led to the current dystopic social conditions. Why is the absence of technology important for your story and characters? Do you think scientific and technological “enlightenment” (in the historical sense of the word) is inextricable from social enlightenment on matters such as human rights and equality? Why or why not? Within the framework of your story’s world, how might people achieve enlightenment, and what would it look like?
CN: The absence of technology is a key factor as it demonstrates how far the world has truly fallen. The ability to communicate freely, to know what is happening in other parts of the world, was all taken from them. They only know what information is fed to them, until Makenna is met with a force that shows her what was lost and what can be regained. That entity is the force behind the Nameless finding enlightenment again and remembering who they were and how to find their voices once more.
4. The Nameless, Individuality, and Class. Why are the oppressed people in your story’s world “Nameless?” What is the importance of an individual identity? While I feel like Desperate Wishes advocates for a kind of humanist individualism, I note that the Nameless are also the have-nots, strongly associated with the working class. What, if anything, do you think Desperate Wishes is saying about class and class conflict? How do the emphases on individualism and class consciousness work together?
CN: They are Nameless because it’s a constant reminder that they are worth nothing at all to the men that are running the world. The livestock carry names, but the women and those men deemed inferior do not. They are silent beings only there to submit to the will of men. It is a world of haves and have-nots, or rather, those that were in power before the collapse quickly scrambled to ensure they would continue to have some type of power and control after the collapse. A name is everything to a person. It is who they are. It allows them a sense of self that others recognize. A name is power. Saying a person’s name is to recognize their humanity, their power. The Nameless are meant to be kept in a position of powerlessness, and they are reminded of this daily.
5. Political Resonance II: Facts, Rumors, and Nonsense. In the world of Desperate Wishes, historical facts have become “fairy tales,” “rumors” spur political action, and “nonsense” provides occasion for great matters of state. In the present-day United States and elsewhere, textbooks are being rewritten to portray ruling powers more favorably, conspiracy theories reinforced by irresponsible media influence elections, and politicians use unimportant issues to distract people from the politicians’ criminality or from their own living conditions. Read between the lines as much as you like. To what extent were these parallels conscious, and what do they say about the world we live in? There’s an extended episode involving a cow in Desperate Wishes that is excellent satire of political nonsense. Does your satire have a specific target? If so, what? If not, what in general (other than simply “nonsense”) are you satirizing?
CN: The scene with the cow was not satire at all. It was meant to further illustrate that the life of the animal was worth more than the lives of the women and girls. It was a further means of control and intimidation. By that point, there are rumblings of someone doing something out of control. The lord intended to regain control by reminding them who they served and how little their lives truly meant. This was his first act done out of fear, once he finally was faced with something beyond his control.
6. Dangerous Wishes I: Ambiguity. Makenna meets a spiritual being, Armando, who grants wishes. For him to grant her wishes for freedom and vengeance, she must extract wishes from the men who have tormented her. These men’s wishes, following “Monkey’s Paw” logic, backfire horrifically at least in part because the wording of their wishes is too open to interpretation. Why is imprecise language so important to your story? To stories about wish-making in general? Is linguistic ambiguity related to moral ambiguity? For instance, your book highlights what may be a blurry moral line between justice and vengeance. Can Makenna’s wishes get justice and vengeance at the same time? Why or why not?
CN: Making the wishes open to interpretation allows the Djinn to extract his brand of chaos, justice for the Nameless in his eyes, revenge for Makenna as she sees it. Being able to play with the wish and its outcome was a key part of the story and allowed Armando to use the most savage outcome as the tool to fulfill the wish. The men did not really think their wish through, falling prey to Makenna’s innocent charade and thinking her childish rather than a danger to them, even though she had proven herself to be a challenge already. I think there is a gray area between justice and revenge, much like between good and evil. There is always a slippery slope just waiting to happen if we lean too far on one side or the other.
7. The Djinn. Armando identifies himself as a Djinn, a major figure in world religion and folklore that appears in the Quran and other sources. How did you research his character? Your descriptions of him are detailed: what inspired your imagery? What motivated you to transplant a Djinn from his usual environment into your setting? How do you expect readers to react to Armando?
CN: The Djinn for me was a mixture of several fairy tales and folklore legends based on both djinns and genies and how they function. Legend tells us that Djinns are more known to be sinister and evil, tricksters at the very least, rather than a typical genie. Armando is a trickster that leans into the sinister, but he has reason to want to help Makenna as his kind was also displaced due to the current state of the world. The places they once called home no longer exist, so they had to go wherever they could to exist in limbo until they could make themselves known. Armando finds a host in Makenna, a willing host that can help him and help herself, though he still is not being fully honest with her in his intentions.
8. Trauma and Dissociation. Once Makenna forms an alliance with Armando, he shields her from more of the traumas she has had to endure her whole life, enabling her to retreat to a place “safe inside her mind” where she doesn’t feel men’s brutal violations. In your book, this process is supernatural, but to me it reads a lot like real-life dissociation. Were you thinking of dissociation when you wrote about this aspect of Makenna and Armando’s relationship? If so, why did you choose to represent dissociation this way? If not, what do you think of the comparison? Do you think dissociation is a healthy response to the traumas she faces? Why or why not?
CN: Yes, it is very much based on dissociation. Many women that grew up in abusive homes, or that have survived sexual assaults and abuse will tell you that they survived by retreating from it mentally. By pretending to be someone else or going dark in their mind. They endure the assault by creating a safe place in their mind where they are not the one being hurt, but rather someone else. Is it healthy? No, any psychologist will tell you that it’s not a healthy response, but it is a natural response and one that our brain automatically engages.
We are designed to protect ourselves from trauma. It’s no different than being in a car accident and not feeling the pain until later because our brain shields us, floods us with adrenaline and lets us deal with the emergency. The pain comes later. Makenna has endured enough. Armando lets her go away to places that only he can show her, but while she is there, he is also showing her what once was and what could be again, all while protecting her from further trauma.
9. Dangerous Wishes II: Doomed by Desire. If the wishes Makenna extracts from men tend to backfire, might Makenna’s backfire as well? Makenna sees herself as potentially sacrificing herself when she wishes for freedom. Is something inherently wrong with wishing? Is wishing an intrinsically desperate act? Why or why not? Armando, who has the power to grant wishes, is male. Does his maleness relate to something tainted in the power he (allegedly) uses to help Makenna? Ultimately, do you see a chance for redemption in a desire for violence? Why or why not?
CN: Makenna is fully aware that Armando may trick her. She is already planning for that, but in the end, she realizes that her sacrifice can only lead to a change for good for the others. A step in the right direction is necessary for the Nameless to find their voice, and she is willing to risk her own wish and whatever price Armando wants her to pay in order to be a catalyst for the change they all need. I think all wishes are acts of desperation. The same as making deals with God when faced with a crisis. It is desperation and despair and a cry for help when we can endure no more, when there are no more options.
Armando presents as male, but he can be anything he wishes at any time. His maleness is part of the story because it helps to show that Makenna goes from the control of one male to being in the control of another, but she takes the risk because the Djinn has already given her something she had not had before. Hope. Hope can change everything. Hope can bring redemption despite the violence.
10. Access! How can readers learn more about you and your works (please provide any links you want to share)?
Follow me on all social media platforms under Candace Nola or @Uncomfortably Dark Horror.
The publishing house Website is www.uncomfortablydark.com
My personal website is www.candacenolaauthor.com.
Find my books on Amazon or order signed copies on the website.
About the Author
Candace Nola is a multiple award-winning author, editor, and publisher. She writes poetry, horror, dark fantasy, and extreme horror content. She is the creator of Uncomfortably Dark Horror, which focuses primarily on publishing marginalized voices, and promoting indie horror authors and small presses with weekly book reviews, interviews, and special features.
Books include Breach, Beyond the Breach, Hank Flynn, Bishop, Earth vs The Lava Spiders, The Unicorn Killer, Unmasked, The Vet, Desperate Wishes, and many more. Her short stories can be found in The Baker’s Dozen anthology, Secondhand Creeps, American Cannibal, Just A Girl, The Horror Collection: Lost Edition, Exactly the Wrong Things, and many others.
Follow her on all social media and join the Uncomfortably Dark Patreon for free books, merch, and more!