Ask the Author: Warren Dean
Answered Questions (17)
Warren Dean
Funny you should ask that, Raquel. I am putting the finishing touches to a novella which is exactly that. It starts in the near future, so technically scifi, but then moves to a fantasy land. Watch this space!
Warren Dean
No, although I have always been fascinated by treasure hunting stories of all kinds. I watched a couple of episodes of Snake Island, but have not been following it. My favourite treasure mystery is that of the money pit on Oak Island; also the subject of a TV series. I doubt that the mystery will ever be solved, as the money pit area has been dug up and filled in so many times in the past, and it is more than likely that whatever treasure there may have been has already been found and spirited quietly away by whoever found it.
What I find most interesting are the many theories of who dug the original money pit and for what purpose. My personal favourite is the one about Knights Templar having crossed the Atlantic in Viking ships in order to spirit some of their riches away from the French King (who disbanded and persecuted the order in the 1300s because he owed it more money than he could ever repay). Templar knights escaping persecution are known to have scattered throughout Europe, including Scandinavia, and the Vikings are known to have crossed the Atlantic hundreds of years before Columbus, so the idea is plausible, although not necessarily true.
As far as The Treasure Hunters is concerned, I have no firm idea of where the idea of writing about the search for an ancient shipwreck came from, but once it popped into my head, I decided that the most compelling story would be that of what sank the ship, and what happened to the treasure it was carrying. And then, of course, being a sci-fi writer, I had to ask myself; "What if the treasure turns out to be something completely unexpected?"
What I find most interesting are the many theories of who dug the original money pit and for what purpose. My personal favourite is the one about Knights Templar having crossed the Atlantic in Viking ships in order to spirit some of their riches away from the French King (who disbanded and persecuted the order in the 1300s because he owed it more money than he could ever repay). Templar knights escaping persecution are known to have scattered throughout Europe, including Scandinavia, and the Vikings are known to have crossed the Atlantic hundreds of years before Columbus, so the idea is plausible, although not necessarily true.
As far as The Treasure Hunters is concerned, I have no firm idea of where the idea of writing about the search for an ancient shipwreck came from, but once it popped into my head, I decided that the most compelling story would be that of what sank the ship, and what happened to the treasure it was carrying. And then, of course, being a sci-fi writer, I had to ask myself; "What if the treasure turns out to be something completely unexpected?"
Warren Dean
Growing up, my favourite stories were always adventure stories; from Enid Blyton to The Hardy Boys and Willard Price, and later on to the likes of Alastair Maclean and Wilbur Smith. I am also a big fan of the historical adventure stories of H. Rider Haggard. When I started reading sci-fi and fantasy, I realized that many of these novels were adventure stories too.
So the stories that I write have a significant adventure element to them, although I wouldn't say that this is the "most important" aspect. In my mind, they are a blend of sci-fi and adventure in equal measure, and I have had reviewers say that non-sci-fi readers would enjoy my novels as much as sci-fi geeks would.
So the stories that I write have a significant adventure element to them, although I wouldn't say that this is the "most important" aspect. In my mind, they are a blend of sci-fi and adventure in equal measure, and I have had reviewers say that non-sci-fi readers would enjoy my novels as much as sci-fi geeks would.
Warren Dean
I have never seen the show, but if I had, I would have loved it. I have always been fascinated by stories of the search for things mysteriously "lost". I remember avidly watching a "Lost World" TV series based on the Arthur Conan Doyle novel.
Warren Dean
That is a tough question, because I have enjoyed the stories of so many science fiction writers. If I had to choose one , it would have to be Arthur C. Clarke. His stories have everything; mystery, adventure, incredible imagination, well-developed characters, and exotic settings; all backed up by hard sci-fi which makes it believable.
Best of all, for me, is his compelling writing style. It effortlessly captures you on page one and doesn't let you go until the end. The only time I could ever put down an Arthur C. Clarke novel was when it was four in the morning and I had to get some sleep!
Best of all, for me, is his compelling writing style. It effortlessly captures you on page one and doesn't let you go until the end. The only time I could ever put down an Arthur C. Clarke novel was when it was four in the morning and I had to get some sleep!
Warren Dean
I think that, realistically, when extraterrestrial life is finally found, it will be vastly different in form to us, given that life on Earth is the accidental result of so many variables. I sometimes think that we may very well have found extraterrestrial life already; we just don't have the understanding to identify it as such!
As for communication, who knows? As long as we are able to interact with it in some way, it is theoretically possible.
As for communication, who knows? As long as we are able to interact with it in some way, it is theoretically possible.
Warren Dean
Good question, because I don't really know! It probably goes back to one of my favourite TV series of all time, the original "V" of the late 70's early 80's; lizards in human skin come to Earth professing to be benign, but whose true motives are anything but.
I am also a great fan of Arthur C. Clarke's first contact stories, which present aliens who are intelligent and enigmatic, with hidden agendas which may or may not turn out to be beneficial to the human race.
I am also a great fan of Arthur C. Clarke's first contact stories, which present aliens who are intelligent and enigmatic, with hidden agendas which may or may not turn out to be beneficial to the human race.
Warren Dean
I once read an article by Stephen Donaldson, one of my favourite writers, who said that most good speculative fiction involves the intersection of two disparate ideas, the one familiar and the other alien. In his Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, he used this to great effect by putting a character suffering from Leprosy (the familiar) into a fantasy land of great beauty, vitality, and evil (the alien).
Neil Gaiman said something similar about the way he came up with the concept of his novel Stardust. He often used to drive past a little forest on the other side of a stone wall, and thought that this would be a great setting for a fantasy story. But it was only when he came up with the idea of a shooting star (which turns out to be something else) falling to Earth beyond the forest that the novel came together.
Other examples I can think of: Harry Potter - kid goes to boarding school... for witches and wizards; Ender's Game - kid goes to boarding school... for starship commanders.
I have long been fascinated by the human genome project, and the idea that it is theoretically possible to extend our lifespans by manipulating our genetic code, and I often thought about writing a story about this. But there wasn't much of a novel in it until I asked myself the question: What would happen if extraterrestrials were attracted to Earth by this technology for mysterious reasons of their own?
Neil Gaiman said something similar about the way he came up with the concept of his novel Stardust. He often used to drive past a little forest on the other side of a stone wall, and thought that this would be a great setting for a fantasy story. But it was only when he came up with the idea of a shooting star (which turns out to be something else) falling to Earth beyond the forest that the novel came together.
Other examples I can think of: Harry Potter - kid goes to boarding school... for witches and wizards; Ender's Game - kid goes to boarding school... for starship commanders.
I have long been fascinated by the human genome project, and the idea that it is theoretically possible to extend our lifespans by manipulating our genetic code, and I often thought about writing a story about this. But there wasn't much of a novel in it until I asked myself the question: What would happen if extraterrestrials were attracted to Earth by this technology for mysterious reasons of their own?
Warren Dean
When I first began writing The Forever Gene, I was acutely aware that one of its central themes, humanity's first contact with an alien race, is one that has been done many times. So, in an effort to come up with a fresh angle, I asked myself this question; if an advanced alien race really decided to visit Earth, would it make first contact by arriving in massive mother ships over the planet's major cities?
If its intention was to simply start blasting the planet into submission with technologically superior weapons, then yes. But I was determined to stay away from what I think of as the "War of the Worlds" scenario. Stories which keep the reader guessing about the motives of the visiting extra-terrestrials are far more compelling in my opinion. One only has to think of the classics of the genre by its absolute master, Arthur C Clarke, like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Rendezvous with Rama, and Childhood's End.
My thinking was that real aliens are far more likely to want to avoid the frenzy that would be caused by a first appearance in a major international centre. Instead, they would want to make their presence known in a less-populated, more remote, area of the world.
And if that was their criterion, then what better place is there to choose than the relatively small capital city of Mongolia in the vastness of central Asia?
If its intention was to simply start blasting the planet into submission with technologically superior weapons, then yes. But I was determined to stay away from what I think of as the "War of the Worlds" scenario. Stories which keep the reader guessing about the motives of the visiting extra-terrestrials are far more compelling in my opinion. One only has to think of the classics of the genre by its absolute master, Arthur C Clarke, like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Rendezvous with Rama, and Childhood's End.
My thinking was that real aliens are far more likely to want to avoid the frenzy that would be caused by a first appearance in a major international centre. Instead, they would want to make their presence known in a less-populated, more remote, area of the world.
And if that was their criterion, then what better place is there to choose than the relatively small capital city of Mongolia in the vastness of central Asia?
Warren Dean
That reminds me of a Calvin and Hobbes quip: "The best evidence of extraterrestrial life is that none of it has ever tried to contact us!"
Otherwise, both of your questions are asked and answered in The Forever Gene...
Otherwise, both of your questions are asked and answered in The Forever Gene...
Warren Dean
Immortality - absolutely! What is taking the bio-tech guys so long?
First contact - er, depends on whether the aliens are friendly or not!
First contact - er, depends on whether the aliens are friendly or not!
Warren Dean
I could tell you but... (you know the rest!)
Warren Dean
Funny you should ask that. My stories thus far have been science fiction, but I have recently published a fantasy novella called Massachusetts. But be warned, there are no vampires or werewolves and absolutely no gratuitously gory violence anywhere in sight!
Warren Dean
Indeed I do. My bad guys tend to get their just desserts in satisfying ways.
Warren Dean
My younger brother, when he first started reading one of my novels, looked up and said, "Hey, this is like a real book!"
Warren Dean
I have a deckchair under an umbrella alongside my pool, where I like to hide from the world. There is even a side table for my cup of tea.
Warren Dean
Arwen and Aragorn. Although their relationship may seem trite on the surface, he fought the power of Mordor so that he could be with her, and she gave up immortality for him.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more