Tag: Author Interviews

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Exclusive Interview: The Elephants In My Backyard Author Rajiv Surendra

According to cliché, you’re not supposed to count your chickens before they hatch. It’s something someone should’ve told actor Rajiv Surendra (Mean Girls), who so identified with the lead character in Yann Martel’s novel Life Of Pi that he thought it was his destiny to play that part in Ang Lee’s movie adaptation. Unfortunately, no one told Lee, who cast someone else. But as Surendra has apparently learned from another cliché, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Which is what he’s done with his new memoir The Elephants In My Backyard (hardcover, digital). Though as he admitted in the following interview, it actually wasn’t his idea to make lemonade.

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Exclusive Interview: The Dumbest Kid In Gifted Class Author Dan Ryckert

One of the ironies of our social media-obsessed/broadcast everything culture is that most people actually lead rather dull lives. “Birth, School, Work, Death” as The Godfathers used to sing. But that’s not true for Dan Ryckert, a game journalist for Giant Bomb, published author and memoirist, wrestling manager, “two-time Guinness World Record holder,” and all-around character (something, as a fellow game journalist, I can attest to). Which is why I was interested in talking to him about his latest memoir, The Dumbest Kid In Gifted Class (digital; paperback forthcoming), a collection of true tales from what has clearly been an odd life.

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Exclusive Interview: Alien Morning Author Rick Wilber

In novels about aliens making first contact with humanity, usually one of two things happen. First, the aliens enslave humanity, and we fight back. Or, the aliens become our friends and we still fight back because sometimes humans can be real dicks. But in Rick Wilber’s new novel, Alien Morning (hardcover, paperback), he puts this trope for a tailspin by including some alien-on-alien violence, alien economic policies, and a new kind of social media that carry it all out.

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Books Comics

Exclusive Interview: Such A Lovely Little War Author Marcelino Truong

In America, most of the movies, novels, and comics about the Vietnam War are told from the perspective of the American soldiers. But in his autobiographical graphic novel Such A Lovely Little War: Saigon 1961-63 (paperback, digital), writer and artist Marcelino Truong explores what it was like for the local Vietnamese people during the two years when President Kennedy escalated the U.S.’s involvement in the conflict.

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Exclusive Interview: “Rune Of The Apprentice” Author Jamison Stone

 

Writers of fantasy and science fiction often take things very seriously. But in talking to writer Jamison Stone about his new novel, Rune Of The Apprentice (hardcover, digital), which encompasses both fantasy and science fiction, I learned that him mixing genres isn’t why the first book in his Rune Chronicles is so deep, philosophical, and psychological.

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Books Video Games

Exclusive Interview: Power-Up Author Chris Kohler

It may seem strange to people who grew up playing Call Of Duty sequels and Halo games, but there was a time when Japan dominated video games. But while they may have lost that prominent position, their influence is still felt, even in Call Of Duty sequels and Halo games. Originally published in 2004, but newly republished with a new chapter, Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave The World An Extra Life (paperback, digital) by Wired’s Games Editor Chris Kohler — who, full disclosure, is a fellow game writer with whom I’ve shared many a conversation and meal — explores how Japan became such a cultural force in gaming at a time when America and Europe dominated movies, music, and other forms of entertainment. In the following interview, we discussed how the original came together, what prompted this reprint, and what he added to this new edition.

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Books TV

Exclusive Interview: “Star Trek: The Original Series: The Latter Fire” Author James Swallow

While the original mission of the Enterprise only made it through three of its planned five year schedule, it’s more than made up for it thanks to numerous Star Trek novels (and comics, and games…). The latest of which is James Swallow’s Star Trek The Original Series The Latter Fire (paperback, digital), which presents yet another adventure for Kirk, Spock, and their coworkers. Though in talking to Swallow about this book, it’s interesting to learn that Star Trek novels come with their own version of The Prime Directive.

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Exclusive Interview: “Bullets Of Palestine” Author Howard Kaplan

 

Just as most science fiction authors have never been to outer space, most writers of espionage novels have never done any spying. Well, except maybe on their older siblings.

But that’s not the case with Howard Kaplan, who’s not only the author of the recently rereleased ’80s spy novel Bullets Of Palestine (paperback, digital), but he also, as he puts it, “smuggled manuscripts out of the Soviet Union.”

With Bullets Of Palestine newly back in print, I spoke to Agent Kaplan about its plot, the upcoming movie of his previously rereleased spy novel The Damascus Cover, and what else he has planned for his “Jerusalem Spy” series.

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Exclusive Interview: “Within These Walls” Author Ania Ahlborn

 

Though she learned to speak English from watching Scooby-Doo, there’s nothing cartoony about the scary writings of Ania Ahlborn. With her new book, Within These Walls (paperback, digital) hitting stories, I spoke to her about what inspired different aspects of this novel.

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