Ask Jon Wallace discussion

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message 1: by Jon (new)

Jon Wallace (jon__wallace) | 20 comments Mod
Welcome one and welcome all! On july 25 2014 it will be about a month since I was published - it has been an action packed time with a sold-out launch at Fiorbidden Planet in London, conventions, first reviews etc - a busy time after a long wait for publication. I'd love to answer any questions about getting published or the book itself. so do send me a question if you have one! I'll be back on July 25 but for now welcome one and all!


message 2: by L (new)

L I would like to thank Gollancz for the invite!


The Ghost of Christmas Past | 8 comments What time will you start?


message 4: by Jon (new)

Jon Wallace (jon__wallace) | 20 comments Mod
Dear all, I am up and at them, coffee on standby and ready for any questions.


message 5: by Jon (new)

Jon Wallace (jon__wallace) | 20 comments Mod
Or just a good old chat about scifi, writing, whatever you like.


message 6: by Jon (new)

Jon Wallace (jon__wallace) | 20 comments Mod
By the way, if you do have a question you can start a new discussion thread if you like...


message 7: by Jon (new)

Jon Wallace (jon__wallace) | 20 comments Mod
Sci-Fi wrote: "What time will you start?"
Hey, sorry not to get back until now - I am up and running and will answer questions til midnight


message 8: by L (new)

L Great!


message 9: by Jon (new)

Jon Wallace (jon__wallace) | 20 comments Mod
Lucinda wrote: "Great!" What are you reading at the moment, Lucinda? What's your favourite book this year? Best novel so far for me was The Drowned World by JG Ballard, best nonfiction "Command and Control" by Eric Schlosser - terrifying account of near accidents with nuclear weapons and mind-boggling cold war MADness. You?


message 10: by Hamble (new)

Hamble Padden | 2 comments I loved Barricade, especially the buddy story between Fatty and Kenstibec. But was it tricky writing a narrative voice of a non-emotional, non-human character? Did you have to keep checking yourself about how you represented their viewpoint?


message 11: by Jon (new)

Jon Wallace (jon__wallace) | 20 comments Mod
Hamble wrote: "I loved Barricade, especially the buddy story between Fatty and Kenstibec. But was it tricky writing a narrative voice of a non-emotional, non-human character? Did you have to keep checking yoursel..." Hey Hamble! Yes it's hard to strip out emotional language, which I decided Kenstibec would avoid as a rule. But it's a writing challenge too - I was a bit worried when I started writing him that his cold, calculated viewpoint would lose the reader - he doesn't feel anything about killing for instance. But as you say I think his buddy thing with Fatty rescues that - Fatty is a kind of anti-Kenstibec - emotional, a physical wreck, unpredictable. It gives the human and Ficial sides a chance to bounce off each other in what I hope is an interesting and maybe funny way, and means that K's brutal view of the world is challenged throughout. Thanks for your Q!


message 12: by Hamble (new)

Hamble Padden | 2 comments It's a funny thing but I did find that I wanted to relate to Kenstibec, even though I am a 'real'. It's funny that the human reader is reading a non-human narrator and rooting for him (well, I did) against my own species. That's one of the most exhilarating things about the read for me.


message 13: by Jon (new)

Jon Cross | 5 comments What is it about Sci-Fi in general that appeals? the ability for satire and commentary or the world building/technology etc. (which can obviously be part of the satire) or both?


message 14: by Jon (new)

Jon Wallace (jon__wallace) | 20 comments Mod
Jon wrote: "What is it about Sci-Fi in general that appeals? the ability for satire and commentary or the world building/technology etc. (which can obviously be part of the satire) or both?" Yes I think it's a mixture really: partly it's the childlike lure of world building: that is the chance to open up new frontiers (not to use a Kirk-ism) for story and adventure - and partly yes it's a great chance to poke fun at the weirder aspects of life today. Barricade has a lot in it about celebrity; I think you could say that the next book has a lot more in it about wealth. One more thing: I do think that all the best scifi has a powerful sense of awe.


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