Ross Gendels on using sci-fi and fantasy to examine the modern world

When Ross Gendels opened submissions for Quest’s first issue, he expected perhaps 50 to 75 entries. Instead, more than 500 writers from around the world sent in their work. That overwhelming response validated what the Base Design Associate CD had suspected: there was genuine appetite for a publication using sci-fi and fantasy as lenses to examine politics, culture and society. The magazine emerged from a moment of clarity on the New York subway, reading through another wave of surreal political news, when Gendels thought: if everyone is building their own reality now, why can’t I? Quest operates entirely through reader funding – a model Gendels insists keeps the magazine accountable to humans rather than metrics. For Gendels, the connection between his commercial work and personal practice isn’t coincidental – both operate on the same principle of world-building, constructing systems and experiences that feel coherent and alive. In our chat, he discusses the curation process, why speculative fiction offers tools for clarity, and how the friction of balancing a demanding studio role with building something of his own actually sharpened his thinking. TBI: Hey Ross, it’s great to chat again! How’s things? RG: Things are chaotic in a great way. It’s been an exciting year for my personal practice with the launch of Quest, and I just released an EPUB and merch collection for Issue 01, which was a lot of fun to make. It’s also been a big year at Base with the opening of 12 and the chance to speak about world‑building at POV.