The J. Burden Show Blood Memory w/ Philip Voodoo: The J. Burden Show Ep. 473
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May 5, 2026 Philip Voodoo, author and Mongol Moon storyteller, discusses his novel Blood Memory and writing roots from Twitter threads. He talks about setting Africa as a living character, crafting grounded people like Nala, and staging gritty, multi-perspective combat and logistics. The conversation touches on aid-worker realism, moral complexity of local power, and thoughts on audiobooks and possible sequels.
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Africa As A Character Shapes The Story
- Voodoo treated Africa as a character to make the setting feel almost like a real sci-fi world and to force readers to imagine unfamiliar logistics.
- He used the Mongol Moon premise where electronics fail in the West but Africa remains untouched, highlighting isolation rather than a simple power outage.
Ordinary Characters Drive Emotional Stakes
- Voodoo avoided superhero tropes and made characters ordinary people with believable flaws and arcs, especially Nala the ambassador's wife.
- Nala starts as a stereotypical critic of America but undergoes rapid change through exposure to combat and moral complexity.
Women Watching A Raid Reveals Character Change
- Voodoo wrote a scene where Amanda Frey and Nala watch a night raid from a hill, using the loved-one POV to heighten emotional impact.
- He intended that moment to break Nala's worldview when she sees Americans risk their lives for strangers.
