Bookaholics book club: Author interview

I'm so excited today to have Adam on the blog, for those of you unfamiliar with him, he's the author of the brilliant Outpost and the equally great prequel Juggernaut, which is out today.

There are tons of books and movies about Zombies, but your unique 'metal' Zombies stand out from the crowd, I'm sure you’re asked all the time but where did you get the inspiration for them?

-I’ve loved zombies since I was deliciously traumatised by a crappy ZHS of Dawn of the Dead as a kid. Turning the zombie infection into a visibly invasive, parasitic tumour seemed a good way to emphasise the body-horror aspect of any illness (I worked very briefly on a cancer ward). Adding over-tones of collective consciousness seemed to emphasis one of the anxieties that zombies personify: loss of individuality. Being over-whelmed and absorbed by a crowd.

What made you want to go back in time and write the prequel Juggernaut?

-Having written a story set in the Arctic, I wanted to create a mirror-situation set in a desert.

There is something compelling about bleak, harsh terrain. So much of life is boring trivia. Survival stories are a chance to contemplate existence striped back to bare essentials.

I noticed you've had a variety of different jobs, do you think you'll settle as an author now (Since you’re so good at it!) or will you try your hand at something else in the future?

-I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I had an office job, but spent most of my time secretly writing novels on a memory stick. I was a cinema projectionist, a fantastic chance to scribble stories in a notebook while the films were running. These days, I get up each day and please myself. Long may it last.

When working on a book, do you have any particular rituals to get you into the writing mood?

-Each morning, I drink a big mug of coffee. Then I drink a mug of coffee. Then, just to get myself going, I drink coffee.

Do you have a particular track list in mind for either of your books, like songs you think are suited to certain scenes?

-I have a handful of CDs on my desk, the same soundtracks I return to time and again. A bunch of John Carpenter movies: The Fog, Escape From New York, Assault On Precinct 13, The Thing, and Halloween. It’s a way of returning to childhood and adolescence, reconnecting with stories that thrilled and excited me, narratives I aspire to emulate. It’s also a way of circumventing writer’s block.

When deciding to write a book, what made you choose to write A. In the adult genre, and B. Zombies?

-I have young kids, and hold children’s authors in very high esteem. I’ve read The Gruffalo aloud so many times I know it by heart. It is an extraordinary concise and well-structured piece of work. Maybe, one day, I will write something for my kids.

Why write an end-of-the-world tale? Because we have so little control of our lives. We commute, punch the clock and pay our bills. It’s easy to feel totally infantalised, totally bossed around. It’s fun to picture a scenario in which we are thrown back on our own resources, forced to take control of our fate. It’s a seductive daydream.

Do you have a particular favourite character to write, either from Outpost or Juggernaut?

-I always find myself rooting for the bad guys. Not sure what that says about me.

Who are your writing inspirations?

-HP Lovecraft, Mervyn Peake and Conan Doyle. Each of them created a wonderfully complete fictional world.

James Ellroy and Thomas Harris. Incredibly lean, muscular thrillers.

David Mamet. His collections of essays teach more about the art of dramatic writing than any other books.

Do you have a favourite quote from either of your books?

Outpost:

‘Mayday, mayday. This is Kasker Rampart broadcasting to the Arctic rim, is anyone out there, over?’

Juggernaut:

‘Only a sucker would stay honest in the middle of this s***storm.’

What are you currently working on? Could you give us a sneak peek?

-I’m currently writing a third novel in the series. The story follows the fate of a rescue team as they enter the ruins of New York in an attempt to retrieve a cure to the infection.

And lastly, are you a Bookaholic?