Ask the Author: Susannah J. Bell

“I would love to answer questions about my new collection The Exodus Sequence!” Susannah J. Bell

Answered Questions (15)

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If you could travel to any fictional book world, where would you go and what would you do there?

Susannah J. Bell I tend to escape into my own books when I'm writing them! Anything with a forest will do. Just give me some trees, a running stream, sunlight through the leaves, woodland sounds.....and I'm in heaven.

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Can you tell us a two-sentence horror story?

Susannah J. Bell In the passage outside the bathroom, the trapdoor opened, revealing beyond its white square a darkness so malevolent it must contain something barely alive. Shivering behind the closed bathroom door, I waited to hear that single breath.

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Hi Susanna, just wondering, as we both write sf, who is your favourite author? At the moment mine is Margaret Atwood. I wrote my last book, The Smile, before reading The Handmaid's Tale (didn't even notice it exists). Glad I did b/c they both feature misogyny and are entirely different. Wouldn't have wanted to be influenced - don't think I would be.

Susannah J. Bell I always find this a really hard questions! I love Lindsay Davis but only her Falco books. I also love Robert Harris - but neither of these are SF. I used to love Dan Simmons but haven't read anything by him recently. My most favourite Sci-Fi books is probably Cosm by Gregory Benford. I also like Alistair Reynolds (earlier) books. Have had a problem with recent SF in general in that I can't find anything I like to read. I have read The Handmaid's Tale, though - grim stuff! Looking forward to watching the TV series.

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What books are on your summer reading list this year?

Susannah J. Bell I don't make lists! I don't plan what to read either - it's very much a mood thing. I've just finished an intensely difficult scholarly work containing essays about Merlin and have followed it up with a truly rubbishy romance (I read at least one a year). After this, I will no doubt be in the mood for some sci-fi. Something meatier anyway that will take me longer than three days to read. I think a trip to the library is in order.....

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What mystery in your own life could be a plot for a book?

Susannah J. Bell I never knew my father and what few facts I know about him make him sound very interesting indeed - interesting enough to warrant an entire book. I doubt whether I'll ever get around to it but it would be interesting if the mystery of who he was could be resolved.

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Who is your favorite fictional couple, and why?

Susannah J. Bell Falco and Helena from Lindsey Davis's Falco series. I like the fact that they really TALK to each other. I like that, while she clearly loves him with all her heart, she's never clingy or demanding and can be marvellously cool with him. I like that she reads and he lets her. I like that he loves her so much he would do anything for her but is never her slave. I like that she's smart and that he likes her being smart.

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Do I have to read the Exodus Sequence in order?

Susannah J. Bell I do believe someone else asked me this question but used my computer and as I was logged in, it's come up as me! This should be embarrassing but it's really rather funny! The short answer is NO, you don't have to read the Exodus Sequence in order, but it does enhance the experience of the back story if you do.

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Funny thing, neither do I? In Makr's Shadow, once you get passed the obvious "man vs machine" backdrop, you'll see very human things happening. It's not sci-fi weird. It takes a logical extrapolation of society. Please try it. I can email you a PDF or Epub, whichever you prefer.

Susannah J. Bell Yes, I'd be interested in reading Makr's Shadow (I like the title.) I'm currently reading an Enormous Book which I should have finished by the end of November. It would be easiest for me to read your novel on my Kindle - I usually send Word Docs of my own novels to proofread directly to my Kindle. I presume I can send an Epub to my Kindle? (I'm not sure whether a PDF would work.) Would you like to read one of my novels? There are three sci-fi ones to chose from: Transference, Flesh for Sale, and V.Gomenzi.

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Like you, my novel is science fiction, but the ideas are human and the sciences that come into play are not the obvious ones portrayed in the book. How do you get passed preconceptions about science fiction today to convince people that your book is deeper than an initial glance at the genre?

Susannah J. Bell I haven't. I try but have failed utterly to convince people that my books aren't really sci-fi, that I just need a bigger backdrop for my bigger ideas. So far, I haven't convinced anyone. Have you?

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