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In a society devastated by climate change, disease and war, four siblings reunite following the murder of their father. The eldest of the Walkers, twins Blain and Miranda, have been using their unique skills to work as bounty hunters. Little brother Thomas has been making a life for himself in the wilds of Alaska until his late father tasks him with saving the family. Younger sister Bo, meanwhile, is an artistic free spirit. As they reconnect, they learn more about their father’s ties to a nefarious scientist and a whole gaggle of odd characters.
Over the course of their adventures, they’re immersed in danger and discovery while reaffirming their familial bonds and encountering friends and foes (and even some good old-fashioned animal sidekicks).
Welcome to the world of “Firewalkers,” the debut novel from Peninsula-raised writer Tyler Martin Hanley.
“I’ve always kind of been drawn to adventure stories where there’s a group of characters that have different skills that have to come together to face some challenge,” he said. “I really wanted those characters to be a family because I felt if you make them be family, it ups the stakes a little bit.”
Hanley’s own family ties helped inspire some elements of the story.
“I’ve got an identical twin brother, we’re very close, we’re super tight and I think being a twin obviously influenced the characters of Blain and Miranda. The whole family dynamic is based a little bit on my close relationship with Nathan (Hanley),” he said. It also helped influence Hanley’s interest in genetics, which informs some of the story.
“That kind of science element definitely came from being an identical twin,” he said.
“Firewalkers” has something of an old-fashioned epic about it while also incorporating some intriguing technology in a post-apocalyptic setting, with a mix of fantasy and sci-fi components. Blain, who lost his vision years ago, uses specially engineered goggles that grant him some sight, while his twin Miranda has mystical, magical powers. And everyone is struggling to make their way in a time when the social order has largely broken down.
“I did want some kind of modern, tech-related futuristic stuff but mostly I wanted to present a world that had kind of gone backwards a little bit,” Hanley said. “I wanted to paint a world where television and politics and even law enforcement are not there and it’s up to what few citizens are left to remake the world, in a way.”
Citing “The Princess Bride” and the work of author Stephen King as among his influences when crafting the fantasy/sci-fi tale, Hanley said the seeds of the story were first planted around 25 years ago.
“I was originally thinking of it as a six-issue comic book series, with issues dedicated to each sibling,” he recalled. “Over the years, I decided this is going to work better as a novel, so I dropped the comic book aspect but kept some of the themes and the tones.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he fully committed. “That’s when I really kind of fleshed it out and took the ride,” he said.
Hanley, currently based in the South Bay, was a longtime staff member of the Palo Alto Weekly. He said he’s grateful for the sage mentorship of former Weekly editor Jay Thorwaldson in developing as a writer and editor.
In fact, Thorwaldson, who died in 2025 and who shared with Hanley a love of the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, edited a draft of “Firewalkers.” While writing and fine-tuning the book, “I kind of felt like that shadow was there, in a good way,” he recalled.
Hanley has studied acting and creative writing, including at Foothill College, American Conservatory Theatre and through Stanford Continuing Studies. He also has experience as a film critic, and in filmmaking with his brother (the twins founded their own production company – Mirror Image Entertainment). He said his love for the movies also likely shines through in his writing.
“There are a lot of cinematic scenes, and a lot of films that I saw growing up that influenced the story a little bit, whether it was subtly or purposefully,” he said. And while he doesn’t have plans to do so himself, “If someone wanted to make a movie out of ‘Firewalkers,’ I’d be over the moon.”
“Firewalkers” is currently available via Barnes and Noble and Amazon. While at first he queried agents with the goal of finding a publisher, Hanley ultimately decided to go the self-published route, valuing the autonomy he had over all aspects of the creative and production process.
“The independence of it became more important to me than getting with a traditional publisher,” he said.
He hopes to plan some book signings and other events, including with his twin, Nathan Hanley, the Peninsula-based author of the graphic novel “Truth & Consequence.” Tyler Hanley already has a “Firewalkers” sequel in the works, among other projects.
His advice for would-be novelists is, don’t let a desire to be perfect or a fear of criticism — self or otherwise — stop you from creative pursuits.
“Believe in yourself,” he said. “It’s so important when you’re an artistic person to believe in yourself and not worry about what other people are going to think about it.”
More information is available at tylermartinhanley.com.
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