Ask the Author: Alexandra Duncan
Answered Questions (10)
Alexandra Duncan
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I would love to write a sequel someday, but for now, it's a standalone.
Alexandra Duncan
Hi Kaylin! I'm so glad you liked the books. Cultural anthropology nerds unite!
The absolute best worldbuilding I've seen in a book this year is N.K. Jemisin's THE FIFTH SEASON, which is an adult fantasy set in a world of constant earthquakes where geomancers are feared and kept under strict control by the rest of the population. I dreamed in her setting for several nights after I finished the book.
For YA books with great worldbuilding, I recommend Cindy Pon's Kingdom of Xia novels (SILVER PHOENIX,etc.), Laini Taylor's DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE trilogy, Garth Nix's ABHORSEN trilogy, Kristin Cashore's GRACELING series (but especially FIRE), and Paolo Bacigalupi's SHIP BREAKER.
And then there's Ursula LeGuin. You might have already come across her, but if you haven't, she is a master worldbuilder, whether you're talking sci-fi or fantasy, YA or adult.
I could go on and on forever, but I hope that gets you started!
The absolute best worldbuilding I've seen in a book this year is N.K. Jemisin's THE FIFTH SEASON, which is an adult fantasy set in a world of constant earthquakes where geomancers are feared and kept under strict control by the rest of the population. I dreamed in her setting for several nights after I finished the book.
For YA books with great worldbuilding, I recommend Cindy Pon's Kingdom of Xia novels (SILVER PHOENIX,etc.), Laini Taylor's DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE trilogy, Garth Nix's ABHORSEN trilogy, Kristin Cashore's GRACELING series (but especially FIRE), and Paolo Bacigalupi's SHIP BREAKER.
And then there's Ursula LeGuin. You might have already come across her, but if you haven't, she is a master worldbuilder, whether you're talking sci-fi or fantasy, YA or adult.
I could go on and on forever, but I hope that gets you started!
Alexandra Duncan
Hi Lois. You are in luck! My companion novel to SALVAGE, titled SOUND, just came out earlier this week (9/22/15), and it is from Miyole's point of view. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Alexandra Duncan
Hi Brittany,
I'm so glad you liked SALVAGE. And I agree about the cover. I love how fierce Miyole looks. SOUND takes place about nine years after SALVAGE. Miyole (who is now a teenager) is the main character, but Ava makes some appearances, too. You'll get to find out what she's been up to in the meantime. I hope you'll be pleased! :)
I'm so glad you liked SALVAGE. And I agree about the cover. I love how fierce Miyole looks. SOUND takes place about nine years after SALVAGE. Miyole (who is now a teenager) is the main character, but Ava makes some appearances, too. You'll get to find out what she's been up to in the meantime. I hope you'll be pleased! :)
Alexandra Duncan
Hi Nian! It's pronounced similarly to "perpetual," but with an emphasis on the middle "e." The final "ue" makes an "a" sound, as in "stay." Per-pEH-tu-A. Thanks for the question!
Alexandra Duncan
Hi Liz! What a great question.
When I do research for a book, I tend to do it concurrently with writing. So, over the two and a half-ish years I was writing SALVAGE, I was also reading and watching everything I could about India. It's long been a place that has fascinated and impressed me, because it has this fascinating blend of ancient culture and modern technological know-how. I didn't know much about India or Indian history until college, because we weren't taught much of anything about the world outside the U.S. in middle or high school. That's really a shame, because India has such a rich and dramatic history that is so interconnected to other parts of the world. Learning about it in college was like finding another room that had been in my house for my entire life without me ever knowing it was there.
This isn't a comprehensive list, but some of the things that most inspired me were the books BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL FOREVERS, by Katherine Boo, FIRST DARLING OF THE MORNING, by Thrity Umrigar, and MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN, by Salman Rushdie. I also read travel guides, encyclopedia entries, newspaper articles, and children's books, which are actually a really great starting place for research, because they can give you a general overview of a subject.
One of the things that was the most fun to research was Mumbai-specific slang. There are entire web sites dedicated to Mumbai slang and others dedicated to Hindi slang. I'm a huge linguistics nerd, so I spent hours poring over those.
I also watched a ton of movies, including SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (of course), director Mira Nair's excellent MONSOON WEDDING and THE NAMESAKE, Bollywood comedies like TEES MAAR KHAN, and the heartbreaking documentary BORN INTO BROTHELS.
The only thing I wish I could have done that I couldn't afford to do was to actually go to Mumbai, where a large portion of SALVAGE is set. I did my best to evoke what a future subcontinental mega-tropolis might look like, but I'm sure it would have come across as more authentic if I'd actually been there. I love to travel whenever I have the opportunity, so I still hope I can go some day!
When I do research for a book, I tend to do it concurrently with writing. So, over the two and a half-ish years I was writing SALVAGE, I was also reading and watching everything I could about India. It's long been a place that has fascinated and impressed me, because it has this fascinating blend of ancient culture and modern technological know-how. I didn't know much about India or Indian history until college, because we weren't taught much of anything about the world outside the U.S. in middle or high school. That's really a shame, because India has such a rich and dramatic history that is so interconnected to other parts of the world. Learning about it in college was like finding another room that had been in my house for my entire life without me ever knowing it was there.
This isn't a comprehensive list, but some of the things that most inspired me were the books BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL FOREVERS, by Katherine Boo, FIRST DARLING OF THE MORNING, by Thrity Umrigar, and MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN, by Salman Rushdie. I also read travel guides, encyclopedia entries, newspaper articles, and children's books, which are actually a really great starting place for research, because they can give you a general overview of a subject.
One of the things that was the most fun to research was Mumbai-specific slang. There are entire web sites dedicated to Mumbai slang and others dedicated to Hindi slang. I'm a huge linguistics nerd, so I spent hours poring over those.
I also watched a ton of movies, including SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (of course), director Mira Nair's excellent MONSOON WEDDING and THE NAMESAKE, Bollywood comedies like TEES MAAR KHAN, and the heartbreaking documentary BORN INTO BROTHELS.
The only thing I wish I could have done that I couldn't afford to do was to actually go to Mumbai, where a large portion of SALVAGE is set. I did my best to evoke what a future subcontinental mega-tropolis might look like, but I'm sure it would have come across as more authentic if I'd actually been there. I love to travel whenever I have the opportunity, so I still hope I can go some day!
Alexandra Duncan
Thanks for asking! I just finished working on edits for SOUND, the companion novel to SALVAGE, which is coming out Sept. 22nd. I'm drafting a third novel, which I unfortunately can't talk too much about, because it's still in the early stages. But! I can tell you that it will involve both explosions and feelings.
Alexandra Duncan
Hi Kylie,
I'm so glad you liked the ending of SALVAGE! I'm currently working on a companion novel that stars Miyole as a teenager, so although it isn't a direct sequel, you'll get to follow her adventures and catch another glimpse of Ava. We don't have a specific release date yet, but right now Greenwillow is saying that it will likely be out in Fall 2015. I hope you enjoy it!
I'm so glad you liked the ending of SALVAGE! I'm currently working on a companion novel that stars Miyole as a teenager, so although it isn't a direct sequel, you'll get to follow her adventures and catch another glimpse of Ava. We don't have a specific release date yet, but right now Greenwillow is saying that it will likely be out in Fall 2015. I hope you enjoy it!
Alexandra Duncan
Hi Tez! I'm so glad you enjoyed SALVAGE. I have a companion novel named SOUND in the works. It is in the editing stages right now, with a projected release date of Fall 2015.
Alexandra Duncan
Hi Serafina. I'm so sorry to hear that! I'll get in touch with the publisher and see if they were the ones running the giveaway. When did the giveaway end?
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