Last Saturday, the 8th of April, in “Moscow house of books” was held a meeting of readers with an American writer, author of the acclaimed trilogy “Wayward pines” (Pine) – Blake Crucem. At the meeting, a lot has happened: the writer introduced the first Russian language publication of his debut novel “a Wasteland. The house of fear”, talked with everyone and signed a bunch of books. “Zone horror” could not pass, sent his man with the camera and the recorder, and he dragged out a pile of photos and puttee interview. Read and watch!
“Heath. The house of fear.” How long was the journey of the book from writing to the first edition?
It was a very long journey. I started writing it when I was in University, just for fun, and then when I wrote it, took it to one of his professors. Asked to help with the text, to read and to Express what he thinks about it. He said, ” Hmm, that is a very scary book, it’s well written, and I think that can help you to make her something good.” We conducted a number of additional studies, and there completed work on a novel.
Whether this is your first book turned out the worst?
Yes. In General, it was an accident – I was writing a novel being a big fan of Thomas Harris, the author of “silence of the lambs”, and my main goal was to scare myself. And I did it – I had nightmares after writing.
Please share your secret of success as a famous personality.
I would say that it all boils down to one rule: first I try to write books that I myself would want to read, second, I finish each Chapter so that I wanted to turn to the next page and never stop.
In addition to Thomas Harris, what authors you have read?
I like Stephen king and Cormac McCarthy. And I also really like the Russian writer Anton Chekhov.
The events of the book begin with the fact that the corpse. What, in your opinion, the worst way to die?
I think the worst death is to die of boredom.
Dear Blake, tell me, and your home read your books? And they then say?
Yes, my family reads my books. When I wrote “the Wasteland…” and gave my mom to read, she was terrified. I looked at her, she was holding a book in his hands, and all the time looked like this (covers mouth with hand).
As you can see Russia, and are there any moments that you maybe didn’t expect?
I am having a great time, this is my first visit to Russia. Very surprised as it was warm just two days ago, and today cold. And I almost never saw vodka.
Tell me please, do you have any desire or plans to write comics or a graphic novel?
Actually I started to write “Pine” as a graphic novel, but it is long and complicated, so I decided to reduce everything to the usual format. But I love graphic novels, and I would like to someday do something in this format.
Whether you have success in the UK? What do you think, will you be able to scare of the British?
I’ve been published in the UK, and I was told that the British reader afraid to read my books.
If you were given the choice to move to any of your books, what book was it?
I wouldn’t want to be in any of his books, because there are characters there are absolutely terrible things. If you suddenly find yourself in one of my books – then, happened something terrible.
“Heath. The house of fear” – this is your very first book, but there’s character acts as the author-writer. You had to draw yourself or your image of how you would like to see myself as a writer?
Good question. It was the image of what I’d like to see myself as a writer in the future, because at that time I was still in College and could not to be. I was nineteen years old, and the main character as much as me now, and actually kind of fun to remember when as a nineteen-year-old boys, I thought: “Oh my God, when I was about thirty-five, it’s going to be a nightmare… some ripe old age!” And now I wonder what I are.
If you had a twin brother?
No, twin brother no, but I have a brother who is six years younger than me. And it is much nicer than Orson from the book.
What events in the world, in your opinion, influence your vision, what would you like at this point to portray?
For the most part stories of survival, when people were in some kind of disaster, like somewhere in the mountains, or after the crash.
Tell me, do you have anything for the second and third season of “Pine”?
Yes, I acted as producer and writer of several episodes in the process of working on the first season, and generally very closely participated in the creation of this series.
The TV series “Pine” popular among the Russian audience. How do you feel about the fact that the filming had to revise a story?
I calmly refer to the fact that in the series many things have changed, because twenty hours of the show require a very large number of storylines, and the books they are not. As the show wanted to carry on, in addition to the first season, which missed the events of the entire trilogy, needed a new history. Many writers get upset when the plot of their books changed in the process of creating TV series or movies, but I think it’s good, so how is it to develop the story in a completely different direction.
Mr. Crouch is now very interested in who you went to College, and then worked in the specialty?
My specialty in College was English, I thought I’d be a Professor, a specialist in English language, but then I started to write and realized that it is much more fun and interesting.
You don’t want to write a sequel to “Pines”?
I don’t know. Sometimes I really want to do something for the world, “Pines”, but I’m actually absorbed in the books that I write now, so… let’s say – maybe.
Why did you start writing scary books that inspired you?
I don’t know if I have a dark heart (laughs).
And would you change ever your style, write, for example, the fantasy to compete with George Martin?
Actually I write now not so much scary books, how many thrillers with elements of science fiction. Not sure I will ever write fantasy, but who knows?
Why don’t you like Lovecraft? Is this true?
Well, I wouldn’t say that I really do not like, not so much read it… and what I’ve read, for my taste, too weird for words. But I like the name.
You there in America have problems with censorship, and how are they relevant?
No, censorship is no problem, and in fact you can write anything you want.
Would you like to write a book using old English grammar, for example, XV-XVI centuries?
No, I’m English and read with difficulty, so for me it will be very difficult.
And you are a vegetarian?
(in Russian) No.
Tell me why the Thriller genre so popular among readers?
I think because the romance sucked out of the reader and take away somewhere from real life inside the books and grab so much that they like these feelings. Sometimes the book is so interesting that it is not allowed to sleep, it is simply impossible to get to sleep, not having read the book. I personally love to read this.
Are there any new adaptation of your works, and if so, tell us a little about them?
Not so long ago was released in the U.S. series, which formed my stories, called “Good behaviour” (Good behavior) and I had just finished writing the script for his latest book, “Dark matter”. It will soon be filmed.
You said you don’t want to hit a hero in my book… and not want to do as an actor?
It will be much worse.
Please tell me, all those books you just out of your head, or you have something documented study?
The stories are completely fictional, but a lot of scientific detail – the result of deep study. Sometimes the basis of some characters or some traits of their character are my friends, but I’ll never say who these people are.
Do you consider yourself a successful person, and if so, what’s the secret to your success?
I think the secret is simple – be honest to yourself, don’t try to compromise and try to remain who I really am.
Please tell me that’s Russia, a country that is different from US, and you can be seen not all, a little, maybe from the car window… And whether that heart skipped a beat as masters of horror, and you thought, “Yeah… that’s it… this can be…”?
(laughter)
(categorical) Metro.
At what age did you start writing books?
I think I was about nine or ten years, I spoke to my brother scary stories at night. He got so scared that he hid under the blanket, and then I stopped to talk and said, “Well, I went to” my brother asked, “No, come back, I want to hear.” I liked his reaction that I thought might be in the world there are people like him, and it would be nice to tell all these stories to them. Perhaps that is when I thought of becoming a writer.
Which of your books is your favorite and why?
“Dark matter” is my favorite. Because it is a story about love, and I never thought that I could write a story about love.
You said that in America there is no censorship… you probably mean some kind of official body that we had in the Soviet Union, but from a financial point of view, whether the person can write a book objectionable… not some big person like the President, but in General. And Yes, you said you had never seen vodka… the fact that its late in the evening do not buy, and we are home tomorrow a small holiday…
(the man pulls out a package of a bottle of vodka and shows it)
Thank you for the demonstration of vodka… (laughs) Generally, you can write any book, but one must always remember that if this story crossed the line of important social and moral values, then for her and the readers is not there. I want to write such stories they could share with people.
You said that you wouldn’t want to be the hero of his book, is there a kind of book which you would like to visit?
This is not a book, but I would like to become a character from Star trek. Captain Kirk.
Please tell me you would like to come to Russia?
Yes, with pleasure.
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