What Inspired The Author To Write 'Carl The Jumper'?

I've been fascinated by the creative process behind 'Carl the Jumper' ever since I stumbled upon it. The author has mentioned in interviews that the idea sparked from a combination of childhood nostalgia and a love for unconventional heroes. Growing up, they were obsessed with classic platformer games where characters leaped across impossible gaps, and that sense of boundless movement stuck with them. They wanted to create a protagonist who embodied that same exhilarating freedom but in a literary form.

The urban fantasy setting came from the author's own experiences living in a rapidly changing city, where old neighborhoods disappeared overnight and new skyscrapers shot up like magic. Carl's ability to jump between dimensions mirrors that feeling of urban dislocation many modern city dwellers experience. What really elevates the concept is how the jumping mechanic becomes a metaphor for social mobility - the higher Carl can jump, the more he can escape his circumstances, but also the more isolated he becomes from those left behind.

Interestingly, the author has cited obscure 80s anime as a visual influence, particularly how they portrayed motion and kinetic energy. You can see this in how Carl's jumps are described with almost cinematic detail, each arc through the air carrying emotional weight. The supporting cast of dimensional refugees was inspired by the author's volunteer work with immigrant communities, translating that experience of cultural displacement into a fantastical context.

From what I gather, 'Carl the Jumper' grew out of the author's frustration with traditional portal fantasies. They wanted to write about someone who could cross worlds effortlessly but couldn't ever truly belong in any of them. The jumping ability represents that modern condition of being everywhere and nowhere simultaneously - we're all digital nomads now, connected to countless places but rooted in none. The book's surreal multiverse reflects our fractured online existences, where we jump between social media platforms like Carl jumps between dimensions. There's a beautiful melancholy in how even with this incredible power, Carl keeps searching for something permanent.