As an adventurous archeologist, the character Owl in Kristi Charish’s novels Owl And The Japanese Circus and Owl And The City Of Angels has often been referred to as “Indiana Jane.” But in talking to Charish and the newest Owl adventure, Owl And The Electric Samurai (digital, audiobook), she revealed it was actually one of Doctor Jones’ video game progeny that inspired this third adventure novel.
My friends Rob, Steve, Jeff, and Prabu have known each other since 1981, and man, the stories we could tell you. We won’t, but if we could, oh man. But we’re not the only ones. In her new memoir, Life Would Suck Without You (paperback, digital), writer Jennifer Preuss recounts some of the crazy real-life adventures she’s had with her girl squad over the years. Though in talking to her about it, she revealed that her original intention was not to write a book.
Two years after beginning the saga he started with 2015’s Clash Of Eagles, writer Alan Smale has brought his alternate history trilogy to a close with Eagle And Empire (hardcover, digital, audiobook). But while some writers plan out their trilogies to the last detail, in talking to Smale about this last book, he admits that while he did that to, not everything went to plan.
It stands to reason that if someone writes a book for kids, they probably have a kid themselves. Which is the case with writer Remi Nicole, the author of the new children’s’ book Peck – A Lonely, Little Lovebird Down Under (paperback, digital). Or, as I know her, the publicist for such video games as Batman: Arkham Knight and the upcoming Injustice 2. But in talking to her about this kids’ book, she revealed that she actually starting working on long before she had a kid of her own to read it to.
As one of the most interesting sci-fi novels of the last few years, Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Justice — and its sequels Ancillary Sword and Ancillary Mercy — have undoubtedly inspired other authors in a variety of ways. But perhaps none so directly as Corey J White, who got the idea for his space opera novella Killing Gravity (paperback, digital) while reading Leckie’s novel. Though in talking to him about the first book in what he’s calling The Voidwitch Saga, White admitted that he was not only inspired by more than just Leckie’s book, but by anime and music as well.
When it comes to fantasy novels, most writers will tell you their biggest influences are other fantasy writers: J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, etc. But in talking about City Of Miracles (paperback, digital, audiobook), the third and final book in his Divine Cities trilogy — which started with 2014’s City Of Stairs and continued with 2016’s City Of Blades — writer Robert Jackson Bennett cites a certain iconic spymaster as having a much bigger impact on this last installment, and the series as a whole.
In these political times, it’s easy to read too much into things. It’s why, when quizzing writer Robyn Bennis about her debut novel — the steampunk adventure The Guns Above (hardcover, paperback, Kindle), which has the tag line “Lean In. Fire At Will.” — I avoided asking any questions about feminism and its role in the book. Though after she told me what The Guns Above is about, I didn’t really need to.
In his novel Sleeping Giants, writer Sylvain Neuvel told his giant robot sci-fi story through a series of interviews and journals, which made for a quick and fun read. Now he’s continuing the story, and the format, with Waking Gods (hardcover, digital, audiobook), the second book in what he calls The Themis Files. Though in talking to him about the new book, and this series, it seems like he’s more concerned with baby cats and plastic toys.
Two years ago, Haikasoru — a division of Viz Media that translates and publishes English-language versions of Japanese science fiction novels — issued Fujii Taiyo’s 2013 debut novel, Gene Mapper, marking both it and Fujii’s debut in the United States. With Haikasoru’s version of Taiyo’s second novel, Orbital Cloud (paperback, digital), recently released in the U.S., I sent a bunch of questions to Taiyo via email, hoping that my inquiries into this books’ origins and influences would translate as well.