Bob: So Gareth, you’re a bit of a moving target to try and abduct. I mean I know the 2020’s is supposed to be mad, but I thought writers were meant to sit down and, y’know, write?
G : Life has been kind of hectic recently…
Bob: So what’s your writing setup like? Talk us through what’s at your desk?
G: I have a Mac desktop, and I write on MS Word. I’ve stuck with Word since the 1990s, mainly because it seems to be the publishing industry standard, and it suits the way my brain works.
Bob: And which of those revolting human brown sludge drinks do you imbibe while sitting there?
G: For various reasons, I went without caffeine for 20 years and only came back to it about five years ago. I’m a huge fan of tea and can’t function either as a human or a writer without it.
Bob: So having read a few of your books, a theme that seems to come up on the regular is non-humans as central characters? Kinda like they’re *way* better than humans? Not that I’m biased. Can you talk about that a bit?
G: Much of my work revolves around the question of what it is that makes us human, and to fully unpack and explore that subject, it sometimes helps to have an outsider perspective.
Bob: You live in this Bristol place. It seems quite weird. Does where you live diffuse into your work in any way?
G: I think Bristol has had an effect on my writing, in that it feels like a very liminal place. It’s a port city, and for many years was a jumping-off point for people heading to the New World. Kind of like LA in Blade Runner. And it was also home to pirates and smugglers and, unfortunately, slavers. It’s a mixed bag, like Mos Eisley. And I guess a lot of that sense of a collapsed empire and a new frontier has crept into my imagination.
Bob: And what do you get up to on the occasions you And obviously interstellar grey of travel that I am, I like to take a souvenir with me from where I’ve been. What can I take back with me that’s particularly Bristolian?
G: How about a pint of proper Bristol cider. If it doesn’t kill you, it will make you invincible.
Bob: Well thank you for being so forthcoming in your interview, it saves me a fortune in batteries for the mind probe. What’s next for you?
G: My novel Stars and Bones has just been published by Titan Books, and I’m working on the sequel.
Bob: Any last words? Can I drop you anywhere on my way home?
G : If you could drop me in LA, that would save me some air fare.
Bob: That’s all from me for this for now. Let me know on the primitive comments section if you like this. If any more human writers who are members of BSFA would like to participate in a probing interview from Bob, please let me know at info@paularvidson.co.uk.
Note from The Human Known as Paul L Arvidson: If you’ve already pinged me for a slot, I am on it, I’ve just not gotten in touch with anyone yet as the list got quite full quite quick 🙂 I’ll try and fit everyone in and be in touch with everyone in the coming weeks!
Bob’s other interviews can be found here!
ABOUT Gareth L Powell
Gareth L. Powell is an award-winning British science fiction author. He is best known for his Embers of War and Ack-Ack Macaque trilogies, but he has also written numerous short stories and novellas, and even turned his hand to screenplays and comic strips.
To date, he has written and published nine novels, two short story collections, three novellas and a nonfiction writing guide. His writing is often praised for its strong characterizations, vivid action sequences, and thought-provoking explorations of the human condition.
He has twice won the coveted British Science Fiction Association Award for Best Novel, and has been shortlisted for the Locus Award (twice), the British Fantasy Society Award, and the Seiun Award (also twice) in Japan.
Gareth is a member of both the British Science Fiction Association and the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. He currently lives in North Somerset with his two children and is engaged to the American science fiction author J. Dianne Dotson.
Visit www.garethlpowell.com to find out more.
