Daniel is a nice chap, not unlike most authors I’ve met. Don’t let that fool you, though! This scheming, plotting individual is responsible for the much anticipated New Pompeii, published by Titan in the UK. In his novel a company discovers it has developed the ability to transport objects to the present from the past. Daniel’s been hailed as the UK’s version of Michael Crichton, so there’s no pressure for his first venture into the speculative fiction world!
Daniel, welcome to the bright light that is SFFWorld. Let’s start with the obvious question, how does it feel to be compared to Michael Crichton?
Well, it’s very flattering to have received several cover quotes from established authors along those lines… but first and foremost I just wanted to write a fun book! As an un-signed writer (as I was, before New Pompeii sold to Titan), you have to be writing something you really believe in to knuckle down every night rather than just watch TV – knowing the chances of anyone reading your work are slim. So I guess comparisons are less important to me than people getting to read (and hopefully enjoy!) my novel.
All right, so that question might not have been the obvious one, I’ll try again! Out of all of the historical towns and cities in the globe, why did you choose Pompeii to focus the novel around?
I’ve always been fascinated by Pompeii. It’s not just a town that was destroyed; it’s somewhere that was effectively put to sleep. Decorator’s equipment has been found where it was abandoned, shop takings discovered left waiting to be counted, bread baking in its ovens etc. When I was thinking about a location from which I could move a large number of people through time without creating a paradox, it was a perfect fit.
Nick Houghton, the main character in New Pompeii, is thrown in at the deep end. Caught up in events Nick needs to think on his feet to stay ahead of the ambitions of others. With the character’s knowledge and understanding of Pompeii’s history, was he a difficult point of view to write and keep track of?
I enjoyed writing Nick; he’s the funnel through which we get to know New Pompeii. He likes to explore and to pick things apart. The key thing though is that although historians know a lot about Pompeii, we don’t know everything. It was fun to fill in these gaps and have Nick ‘discover’ the town.
New Pompeii has been highlighted as one of *the* books to read this year by review sites. It’s your 
first speculative fiction novel, but you have several stories out there in various publications. How does the experience compare?
Titan has been fantastic, and it’s been a real eye opener to see the process of taking a manuscript and turning it into a book: from the initial line edit through to the copy edit, cover design and promotion. Getting hold of a copy of *your* book is also an incredible feeling.
A wizard of incomparable power has escaped a parallel universe. In the midst of your usual daily chaos, you ‘notice’ that a rather large volcano* has been summoned outside your house. It’s clear this is going to be the wizard’s impenetrable fortress of evil. The ash cloud is doing a fantastic job at blocking all phone signals, not to mention those pesky timey-whimey machines. Forget worrying about the lava, the ash will bury the whole area within the next hour. What piece of SFF technology would you demand to save the day and how would you return the wizard back to his own universe?
The Death Star! That would probably provide an efficient solution to both the volcano and the wizard! Of course, some minor modifications would be required around the exhaust ports in case of a dragon-led counter attack…
I’m ‘mildly’ worried about the appearance of the Death Star in our system! Remind me not to annoy you.
When it comes to writing historical based fiction there’s a split between those authors who stick close to fact, and those who stretch things to suit the plot. Which is most important to you as a reader?
It depends; if it’s a book that’s following well known events (such as Henry VIII, battles from WWII etc.) then I think the facts are very important and it can bump you out of the narrative if the author wobbles around with well-known truth. For something like New Pompeii, I’m not following historic events as the book occurs after the eruption of Vesuvius, but there is a lot of historical detail included. The key thing with any book though is surely that it’s enjoyable enough to pass a few hours, so… sorry, I’m still thinking about the wizard and the Death Star! (Can I change my mind and send in the T-800?) 🙂
The T-800 now? The poor wizard! After the release of New Pompeii in June, what is next for you as an author?
I’m well on with a sequel: New Pompeii was written as a standalone novel, but there’s a few aspects of the idea I’m pleased to be getting the chance to further explore.
I dread to think what could happen in a sequel to New Pompeii. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions Daniel, good luck with the new book!
Thank you for inviting me!
You can read an extract of New Pompeii here. Daniel’s novel is available direct from Titan Books, and of course all good bookstores. If you want to discover more about the author you can follow Daniel over on Twitter.
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Interview by Shellie Horst – SFFWorld.com © 2016
*There are no known reports of vanishing volcanoes at the time of going to press.
