Jeff
asked
Jeff VanderMeer:
What was the inspiration for the Southern Reach novels? The main characters descent into madness gives the books a very claustrophobic feel. I loved the first two books and I look forward to the third novel in September. What is next after this trilogy is finished?
Jeff VanderMeer
Thanks! The inspiration was an odd dream about a tower/tunnel and then having always wanted to write about North Florida wilderness, although in this case in disguised fashion. I'm glad you've enjoyed them--Authority, I really wanted to also get across my sense of the small-town South and my experience working in some very dysfunctional companies. What's next after this? A few things, including a possible novel titled Borne, which is a little like a Chekov play in the round, with Godzilla and Mothra fighting in the background.
More Answered Questions
Christopher Walborn
asked
Jeff VanderMeer:
Authority has two sections that seem to be a nod to Roadside Picnic: the "Maybe they called it a holiday retreat" passage on pg 37 recalls the passage from which the novella gets its name, and the image of military vehicles on pg 189 echoes an image from Stalker. Were these conscious nods? There were also echoes Lem's Solaris. Are these Eastern European writers touchstones for you? I'm looking forward to September!
Teodor
asked
Jeff VanderMeer:
Annihilation and Authority both take distinctly different genres as starting points. It certainly seems to be a more 'controlled' approach than, say, City of Saints and Madmen, which gleefully and deliberately plays around with various genres, styles and voices. Do you think that you're at a point in your career when such 'fine-tuning' is the next logical step?
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