Michael Grant

Author of the gripping FAYZ series Michael Grant joins us to talk about the penultimate book in the series, FEAR- as well as his innovative new transmedia project BZRK, which brings together YA fiction and gaming. Beginning with an ARG (Alternate Reality Game), which launched online last September, the first book in the BZRK series was published in February.

Your latest book, FEAR is the penultimate book in the FAYZ series. Where did the original idea for the series come from?

The idea came from my deranged mind. Actually, I have a theory on this. You know you have a dream and it's composed of fractured, irrational imagery? And you wake up and think, 'Wow, that's odd.' Then you get to work explaining what the dream meant, imposing a narrative after-the-fact. I think for me at least the process is a bit like that: bits and pieces of ideas that float up out of my subconscious. Later, when people ask me how I came to the idea I create an after-the-fact narrative to explain what is really a pretty non rational process. All of which is a long way to say: I don't know where ideas come from.

There are so many compelling characters in the series. Do you have a favourite?

I love my villains. I love the bad guys and the secondary characters like Dekka. In GONE we have the brilliant manipulator, Caine, the evil psychopath, Drake, and the bad girl who may or may not have a heart of gold, Diana. And in BZRK we have the amoral gamer, Bug Man, and the road-to-hell conjoined twins, Charles and Benjamin Armstrong. It's so fun to write the bad ones.

Can you give us a hint about what we can expect from the final book in the FAYZ series?

Yes: finality. Really. I'm calling it LIGHT because it will bring clarity. In the end you will understand, you'll see, you'll know. And my promise is this: it won't be a dream, it won't be a fantasy, it will all have been real, and the kids buried in Town Plaza will remain there.

Why do you think dystopian fiction appeals so much to teenage and young adult readers today?

 I think what appeals to them is an interesting story. I happen to deliver mine in the form of dystopian fiction, but I think teen readers want a good read, and it can be any genre so long as it's fun, fascinating and doesn't talk down to them as though they were children. For the me the term 'young adult' should emphasise the 'adult' part.

Tell us a bit about your new project, BZRK: what made you want to explore transmedia storytelling, and how did the project come about?

I almost felt I had no choice. The reality is that we have multiple media platforms. How can I not want to use them? My job is to tell stories, so I go where the audience is and try to tell them a story.

How did you approach creating the story for BZRK? Was the process very different from the process of writing a more 'traditional' novel?

I started the same way I always do: with a not-very-well-formed idea. Then I start typing. I wish I had some better origin story, but the truth is I open my laptop, open the Pages software and ask myself, 'So, how do we start this baby up?' Some dark, submerged part of my brain says, 'Well, how about we crash a jet into a stadium?' To which I respond, 'Excellent! Can we have anyone's brains end up in a glass of beer?'  To which my subconscious says, 'Dude! Totally!' And then I type with two fingers until I get to the next question which is always, 'Okay, now what?'

Do you think we will see more transmedia approaches to storytelling in the future?

Absolutely. And I expect to be part of that. I'm especially fascinated by enhanced e-books -- iPad or Kindle based books with all sorts of extras. Music, video, maps, author interviews, backstory. It's very exciting stuff.

Are you planning to continue the story of BZRK - and if so, in what format?

Well, we have a movie deal. A big-time, Hollywood movie deal with Sony/Columbia and Sam Raimi's production company. At the mention of Sam Raimi every sci-fi and horror nerd's head will snap around as mine did. Evil Dead, Spiderman, Xena Warrior Princess, the Spartacus TV show. I mean, really, does it get better than that? Of course we're a ways from having a movie - many obstacle still to overcome. And yet: Raimi and Sony.

Find out more about BZRK at www.gobzrk.com- or take a look at the book trailer: