Interview with Ian McDonald

Q: Some readers were a bit put off by the ending, which leaves a lot of things up in the air. And yet, in a novel in which storylines shift across time and reality itself, would it have been possible to come up with an ending that offered resolution for every plotline? I doubt it. . .

You're right. It's game-on at the end of the book. The team is assembled. I didn't want to get into SFnal things like overthrowing the universal order and all that --after all, they're a priest, a TV producer and a two-bit impressario --much less some ridiculous Bad Guy behind it all. What is important for them is that they're on the side of the angels now.

Q: Brasyl marks your return with Gollancz in the UK. What prompted that decision? In the USA, you remain one of Pyr's headliners. How satisfied are you with the way they've been marketing you in North America?

Good to be back with Gollancz again: I wasn't goign to get the marketing push from S&S for this one that I had with River of Gods, so my agent suggested a move. In the US, Lou Anders is a marketing powerhouse and that's pretty close to everything. You can have the greatest book since the Bible, but if people don't know about it... Lou is in there slugging away for every book in his line. And it's paying off: vis his Longform editor Hugo nomination.

Q: Your next book, The Dervish House, is set in 2027 Turkey. What can you tell us about this new project?

Istanbul about 2027, after Turkey joins the EU and Europe now runs from the Aramn Islands to Ararat. Takes place over five days, six main characters. Greater Istanbul already has ten million people...

Q: Like me, you appear to be an avid traveler. Do you believe that the old traveling adage "the journey is more important than the destination" applies to you when the time comes to write a new novel?

Much as I Love the act of journeying (I've never grown out of the thrill of flying, though budget airlines are doing their best to disabuse me): no destination, no book.

Q: In our last interview, you praised David Louis Edelman's Infoquake. Are there any new titles you feel we should keep an eye on?

Er.. I'm not reading any SF at the moment, but I have a sneak preview of Chris Roberson's next from Pyr and you will like it. You will like it a lot.