The Next Big Thing

[la_marquise]

I've been tagged to do this at least 3 times -- by Kat Richardson over on Google+, by Jaine Fenn on Facebook and by kateelliott here. And I've procrastinated, because I'm not really sure what to write about. However....

1) What is the working title of your next book?
Death and the Madwoman
2) Where did the idea come from for the book?
It's the sequel to The Grass King's Concubine, concerned with what happens when Aude and Jehan return to the Brass City.
3) What genre does your book fall under?
Fantasy (with socialism)
4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Aude -- Indian actress Vidya Balan.
Liyan -- the great Yuen Biao c.1989, with the long hair from his film The Iceman Cometh, but with red and orange streaks.
Qiaqia -- Brigitte Lin Qin-Hsia c.1982 (think Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain)
Madame de Faumont -- probably Farida Jalal
Remi de Faumont -- this is a tricky one. Maybe Sharman Joshi, but less handsome than usual!
Monsieur des Roces -- Jean-Hugues Anglade
Jehan -- argh. I can never cast Jehan, though I'd know him if I met him. He's one of those pleasant faced ordinary people; a plain Saif Ali Khan, maybe, or Atul Kulkarni (without the usual moustache).
5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Umm, the title, with added revolution
6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
It's under contract to DAW, and was sold by my agency (Zeno)
7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
A year.
8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Oh, help. The Anubis Gates, maybe, or The Labyrinth Gate but with more revolution than those to.
9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Dumas! (As ever.)
10) What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?
No ferrets, this time, but a lot of it is about Liyan and Qiaqia and their story. And about revolutionary politics, workers' rights, and the awakening of the dead.

Comments

[pennski.livejournal.com]

Fantasy with socialism as written by you is my new favourite genre!

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Or even Socialism with fantasy! :o)

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Sounds terrific!

[trinuviel.livejournal.com]

This sounds great! Just finished Grass-King, which was refereshingly different from a lot of genre. I especially loved the divided city and am really looking forward to reading more about it.

It seems that a lot of recent fantasy incorporate modernity into the world-building, which I love, and in a way that isn't regressive nostalgia (there's a good subject for a study...)

Anyways, loved your books and am very happy that another is on the way.

[miintikwa.livejournal.com]

I am already looking forward to this! :D

[mevennen.livejournal.com]

It's a stunner! Go and read it!

[athenais.livejournal.com]

Now I will always picture Liyan as Yuen Biao!

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

Hurrah for fantasy with socialism! And hurrah for the further adventures of Jehan and Aude!

[aliettedb.livejournal.com]

Ooooh.... This sounds awesome. I heartily agree with your cast; I'd watch that movie in a heartbeat :)

[much-of-a.livejournal.com]

Oh good - I would like to know what happens next (I don't *need* to, but would like to).

And it occurs to me that doing socialist fantasy puts you in the small-but-select company of SF/fantasy writes who do politics as an integral part of the story (I ignore polemics of US libertarianism with a story loosely wrapped around them, although there's at least one of those in my comfort books list). Specifically, I'm thinking of China Miéville and Ken MacLeod. All three of you doing interestingly different things.