Drew
asked
Jeff VanderMeer:
Jeff, you've created several awesome settings for your novels (Veniss, Area X, Ambergris) - but then you leave them, headed off to even more inventive places. Do you ever miss them, those old haunts? Slash do you ever think about going back? I was inspired to ask because I had a dream the other night where I was back in Ambergris during the festival... and it was a pleasant, if dangerous, pseudo-memory.
Jeff VanderMeer
Hey, Drew. I'm so immersed in the world of the Southern Reach and Area X that it's hard to answer the question, perhaps. I'm loving writing about the real world, even if it's a somewhat altered version. There's a refreshing freedom in that. But although it's possible that there might be a short story or two lurking around the edges of the Southern Reach novels, this series is done with the third book. Which means I'll be moving on to a couple of new novels, including Borne, which is kind of like Godzilla versus Mothra with a Chekov play going on in the foreground. Um, but more synthesized than that sounds!
As for Ambergris--I do want to write fiction set about 20 years after the last novel, in the morass of politics and factions that the city has become by then. But it's probably going to take the form of a graphic novel because I want to slip in and out of a lot of different points of view, and don't think a novel is the best format for that.
As for Ambergris--I do want to write fiction set about 20 years after the last novel, in the morass of politics and factions that the city has become by then. But it's probably going to take the form of a graphic novel because I want to slip in and out of a lot of different points of view, and don't think a novel is the best format for that.
More Answered Questions
Jeannie Leighton
asked
Jeff VanderMeer:
In your first "Steampunk Anthology", you included what I'd term more traditional content, what one would expect from a steampunk story. Your second volume contained more varied topics representing the evolution of this genre. Are you going to produce another anthology (steampunk or otherwise)? What criteria do you use when selecting stories for an anthology?
Artur Nowrot
asked
Jeff VanderMeer:
Hi, Jeff! One of the most distinguishing features of Wonderbook was the inclusion of pictures and paintings to provide a visual stimulus for the readers' creativity. My question is: do you use works of visual arts as inspiration for your creative process, e.g. when imagining fantastical settings? If so, do you draw from your favourite styles/artists, or do you consciously search for something new that might be of use?
Cristina
asked
Jeff VanderMeer:
One of the most difficult things, in my opinion, while writing a story is to give every character a distinctive voice. Often times all the characters sound almost the same. I thought that in "Shriek: An Afterword" (a wonderful book that I cherish) you create a fantastic setting to differenciate Janice and Ducan. In any given story, how do you make sure each character has a trademark voice?
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