Maxim Matthew

Maxim Matthew is a German fantasy author and creative director with a background in film, visual storytelling, and transmedia world-building. Before creating the Echoes of Neverland universe, he spent decades working in design, photography, and music-video production — directing, shooting, and shaping visual narratives for artists and creative agencies in Europe and the US.

This cinematic foundation now defines his writing: atmospheric scenes, emotional precision, and layered symbolism. Maxim explores how modern fantasy mirrors real-world issues — depression, the pull of social media algorithms, and the erosion of imagination in an AI-driven culture.

He speaks about storytelling, world-building, mental health in fiction, AI vs. creativity, and the future of imagination. His debut novel launches at Wacken Open Air 2026, bringing literary fantasy to one of the world’s largest music festivals.

Maxim Matthew ist ein deutscher Fantasy-Autor und Creative Director mit einem Hintergrund in Film, visueller Gestaltung und transmedialem Worldbuilding. Bevor er das Echoes of Neverland-Universum erschuf, arbeitete er jahrzehntelang in Design, Fotografie und Musikvideoproduktion — als Regisseur, Kameramann und visueller Erzähler für Künstler und Agenturen in Europa und den USA.

Diese filmische Basis prägt heute seinen Schreibstil: atmosphärische Szenen, emotionale Klarheit und vielschichtige Symbolik. Maxim erforscht, wie moderne Fantasy reale Themen spiegelt — Depression, die Macht sozialer Medien-Algorithmen und den Verlust von Vorstellungskraft in einer KI-getriebenen Welt.

Er spricht über Storytelling, Worldbuilding, mentale Gesundheit in der Fiktion, AI vs. Kreativität und die Zukunft der Imagination. Sein Debütroman feiert 2026 auf dem Wacken Open Air Premiere — ein seltenes Crossover zwischen epischer Fantasy und einem der größten Musikfestivals der Welt.

Sprachen:

Deutsch und Englisch (beides muttersprachlich)

• Storytelling & World-Building

• Mental health in fiction

• AI & creativity / AI vs. creativity

• How fantasy reflects real-world issues

• Transmedia universe building

• Social media algorithms & culture

• Writing for cinematic imagination

• Mindfulness & creative resilience

• How imagination supports mental well-being

I’ve hosted two podcast formats — The Gin High Tea and Echoes of Neverland – Jenseits der Norm. In the early years, I focused heavily on spirits, culture, and creative conversations with guests from the gin industry. Alongside that, I’ve published several YouTube story readings and live sessions connected to my fantasy universe.

These projects gave me on-air experience, a sense of pacing, and a comfortable presence behind the microphone.

Today, my focus has shifted toward deeper creative and personal themes: how imagination supports mental health, how creativity helped me navigate depression, and how I moved from dyslexia to writing my own fantasy series. I also speak about AI, creativity, and how stories help us understand ourselves.