Interview with Tobias Buckell

Q: In your short story "Necahual," there is a tantalizing hint about the origins of the Azteca. Will we be learning more about them in future stories?

Bits and pieces yeah. I'm working more on where they are going as a culture than where they came from.

Q: What can you tell us about your forthcoming collection of shortstories which will be published by Wyrm Press?

I've published over thirty short stories in magazines and anthologies that have been translated into five or six languages now over the last seven years. But they've been scattered all over the place. My readers do try to track them all down (I know of one dedicated reader or two who has the whole collection and has had me sign them all), but it's tricky, particularly if they're just now finding out about me. And my stories play with all sorts of things. I've wanted to pull most of them together for a while now, and Wyrm Press came to me to offer to do it. I'm really excited about it, as I think people will get a chance to see my range here. We'll also put something new in the anthology for readers, so that should be fun.

Q: What will be your next novel-length project? What's the progress report?

I'm just past halfway in my third book, Sly Mongoose. It's got au nique setting that I've been geeking out on, one that lets me posit aphysics-backed rationale for cities floating in the air. And lots of blimps. And zombies as well. It's a bit out there, but it's the most science and technology backed novel I've done yet. And as a result the pyrotechnics are pretty dang cool.

Q: Honestly, do you believe that the speculative fiction genre will ever come to be recognized as veritable literature? Truth be told, in my opinion there has never been this many good books/series as we have right now,and yet there is still very little respect (not to say none) associated with the genre.

You know I'm not in high school anymore, so lit people's attempts to convince the public that they're really the cool crowd is about as useful to me as listening to a band geek shout that only classical music is real music. Meanwhile everyone is out there huffing on SF, F, mystery, suspense, spy novels, romance. Genre: we're the hip hop, rock, and pop that people are consuming in print, or watching on TV, even if no one is supposed to like us. Yeah some people don't want to associate, or validate, but you know, people are never so uncool as when they're uncomfortable with their own skin. I don't need anyone's permission to want to play on the bigger, cool field with more and wilder ideas and tools. I'm just doing it because it's fun.

Q: Anything you wish to add?

Gosh, I think I've probably said enough! Thanks for interviewing me, this was a great pleasure!

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Interview by Patrick
fantasyhotlist.blogspot