Everything You Need To Know About Book 666
* It’s my sixth published novel. In fact, the title began life as a joke - I’d described it as Book 6 for so long, I quipped, “Maybe I should call it Book 666 instead” and it stuck. Discarded titles include Devil/Angel, Horns vs Halos and Immortal Enemies.
* It owes its existence to The Screwtape Letters, CS Lewis’ terrific epistolary novel about a senior devil writing to his nephew Wormwood. Read it. It’s better than Narnia.
* Another inspiration was Good Omens, which had a star studded adaptation when I started writing. Its best loved plotline is the friendship between angel Aziraphale and demon Crowley, which many fans consider a romantic relationship. Some thought they had wimped out by not making the pairing canon at the end. My reaction? Why write fanfic when you can write your own story!
* CS Lewis always said his vision of Hell was like a corrupt business, with the devils as civil servants. I updated this, making it a ruthless modern company with a call centre, training schemes and workshops. The human each demon is assigned to is referred to as the Target.
* Maybe it’s because I’m an atheist, but I’ve always been fascinated by fictional depictions of Hell. Brueghel’s canvases, Dante’s Inferno, Paradise Lost, Old Harry’s Game - all these went towards my snarky version. Oh, and the afterlife in Beetlejuice, which remains my favourite.
* As someone with a lifelong phobia of pandas, the thought of there being a part of Hell with nothing but pandas called Pandamonium was too good to pass up.
* According to folklore, Judas Iscariot is exiled to the coldest place in Hell on an iceberg, with only one day’s reprieve. I had to include that somewhere.
* Heaven receives far less attention, but it’s clear that in the same way Meg and her friends aren’t wholly bad, the angels aren’t necessarily good - indeed, some are really rather unpleasant. Selina herself says it best: “It’s like a sign saying Keep Off the Grass, only on everything.”
* I enjoyed coming up with the names for this one. Before anyone asks, Meg is named for my favourite Disney heroine, *not* Meghan Markle, even if she does rescue her beloved from an autocratic monarchy. I didn’t want to give Selina a cheesy, obvious name like Celeste or Angelica, but felt hers was suitably ethereal - and could be shortened.
The demons’ names are a combination of traditional demonic names and British place names. As soon as I discovered there were devils called Mara and Leonard, I *had* to call Meg’s two best friends that. Scunthorpe, Grimsby and Clitheroe are of course Northern towns; Wenlock comes from Much Wenlock, which is down the road from where I used to live.
* I ran with the idea that every human’s Conscience was individual, reflecting their personality and interests. As our two main human characters, we see the most of Charmian and Emel’s. And because I love pathetic fallacy, the weather in their Conscience echoes their moods.
* I deliberately made both targets female, as well as having what wouldn’t be considered ‘major’ problems. Charmian is jealous of her new baby brother and worried about her parents’ marriage; Emel feels like life has passed her by at thirty and ends up in a disastrous relationship. Most readers can identify with their feelings of helplessness.
* The Adversary and the Big Guy, as well as not being the way around you would expect, were late act additions. As a kid I could never understand why God would tolerate the Devil’s antics. When I realised he could be Her first and favourite son, it made perfect sense. I even give him a motive for his war on humanity - but what it is, you’ll have to find out.
* I have a soft spot for Malcolm, for all his horribleness. In the exceptionally unlikely event this is ever adapted, I’d love Charles Dance to play him. One time I was so absorbed coming up with dialogue for him, I ordered chocolate in Thornton’s in character. I was so embarrassed, I didn’t go back for a month.
* I started Book 666 in a brand new notebook. I hadn’t written six pages before I splashed soy sauce over it - meaning the book is heavily stained and reeks of sauce!
* Take Me to Church is the story’s unofficial theme tune, with When You’re Evil coming close second.
* It owes its existence to The Screwtape Letters, CS Lewis’ terrific epistolary novel about a senior devil writing to his nephew Wormwood. Read it. It’s better than Narnia.
* Another inspiration was Good Omens, which had a star studded adaptation when I started writing. Its best loved plotline is the friendship between angel Aziraphale and demon Crowley, which many fans consider a romantic relationship. Some thought they had wimped out by not making the pairing canon at the end. My reaction? Why write fanfic when you can write your own story!
* CS Lewis always said his vision of Hell was like a corrupt business, with the devils as civil servants. I updated this, making it a ruthless modern company with a call centre, training schemes and workshops. The human each demon is assigned to is referred to as the Target.
* Maybe it’s because I’m an atheist, but I’ve always been fascinated by fictional depictions of Hell. Brueghel’s canvases, Dante’s Inferno, Paradise Lost, Old Harry’s Game - all these went towards my snarky version. Oh, and the afterlife in Beetlejuice, which remains my favourite.
* As someone with a lifelong phobia of pandas, the thought of there being a part of Hell with nothing but pandas called Pandamonium was too good to pass up.
* According to folklore, Judas Iscariot is exiled to the coldest place in Hell on an iceberg, with only one day’s reprieve. I had to include that somewhere.
* Heaven receives far less attention, but it’s clear that in the same way Meg and her friends aren’t wholly bad, the angels aren’t necessarily good - indeed, some are really rather unpleasant. Selina herself says it best: “It’s like a sign saying Keep Off the Grass, only on everything.”
* I enjoyed coming up with the names for this one. Before anyone asks, Meg is named for my favourite Disney heroine, *not* Meghan Markle, even if she does rescue her beloved from an autocratic monarchy. I didn’t want to give Selina a cheesy, obvious name like Celeste or Angelica, but felt hers was suitably ethereal - and could be shortened.
The demons’ names are a combination of traditional demonic names and British place names. As soon as I discovered there were devils called Mara and Leonard, I *had* to call Meg’s two best friends that. Scunthorpe, Grimsby and Clitheroe are of course Northern towns; Wenlock comes from Much Wenlock, which is down the road from where I used to live.
* I ran with the idea that every human’s Conscience was individual, reflecting their personality and interests. As our two main human characters, we see the most of Charmian and Emel’s. And because I love pathetic fallacy, the weather in their Conscience echoes their moods.
* I deliberately made both targets female, as well as having what wouldn’t be considered ‘major’ problems. Charmian is jealous of her new baby brother and worried about her parents’ marriage; Emel feels like life has passed her by at thirty and ends up in a disastrous relationship. Most readers can identify with their feelings of helplessness.
* The Adversary and the Big Guy, as well as not being the way around you would expect, were late act additions. As a kid I could never understand why God would tolerate the Devil’s antics. When I realised he could be Her first and favourite son, it made perfect sense. I even give him a motive for his war on humanity - but what it is, you’ll have to find out.
* I have a soft spot for Malcolm, for all his horribleness. In the exceptionally unlikely event this is ever adapted, I’d love Charles Dance to play him. One time I was so absorbed coming up with dialogue for him, I ordered chocolate in Thornton’s in character. I was so embarrassed, I didn’t go back for a month.
* I started Book 666 in a brand new notebook. I hadn’t written six pages before I splashed soy sauce over it - meaning the book is heavily stained and reeks of sauce!
* Take Me to Church is the story’s unofficial theme tune, with When You’re Evil coming close second.
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