Friday 18 July 2014

In Space No One Can Hear You Scream - Panel

Steve Mosby moderated this panel with Lauren Beukes, Sharon Bolton, James Smythe and Lavie Tidhar discussing their cross genre books which don't all sit comfortably in the crime genre. 
Lavie talked about his book Osama, which "takes place in a mental landscape." Mosby wanted to know where his ideas came from and Lavie explained "I just sit in front of the computer and something happens." He talked about how hard it is to write anything contemporary because as soon as a book is published it becomes obsolete.
Sharon Bolton said she writes the sort of book she loves to read. "I love the sense that anything can happen." She described crime fiction as mystery that has to be explained.
James Smythe was happy to be described as "a magpie." He reads "pretty much anything", an eclectic taste which is reflected in his writing where his books are all very different in theme and content. 
Lauren told us "I go where the ideas take me and I write exactly the books I want to write." Her time travelling serial killer is a comment on how little we have learned from history. 
In a wide ranging discussion the panel considered location, horror, and the nature of crime. 

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