Interview with Kim Lakin-Smith

      So as a part of Sci-Fi Month, I got the awesome opportunity to interview Sci-Fi writer, Kim Lakin-Smith. Here's her bio (from her website), followed by the interview. Hope you guys love it as much as I did!    

      Kim is passionate about all aspects of transgression, from freedom of creativity to gender bending to an individual’s right to dress as wildly as they see fit. This desire to push against the norm prompted her to reject the grandiose religious zeal she developed as a partially-deaf child and take up the academic study of anything with a good dose of revolt at its core.

After attaining a first class honours degree in English Lit and Creative Writing from the University of Glamorgan, Kim was awarded a studentship to study for her MA in Writing at Nottingham Trent. There she was tutored by the multi-award winning author, Graham Joyce. She also became fascinated by the internet, skills she later put to use in her work as a copywriter, advertising exec, and website designer. But it was her desire to write fantasy and science fiction novels which soon took precedence. Inspired by the time she spent living in Nottingham, a place she truly felt at home, Kim wrote Tourniquet: Tales From The Renegade City and was delighted to find a home for it with Immanion Press.

Keeping her roots in dark fantasy, Kim explored new interests in mechanics, geology and bioengineering. Her 1950s gaspunk short story, ‘Johnny and Emmie-Lou Get Married’ was published in Interzone #222 and shortlisted for the 2009 British Science Fiction Association short story award.

The notion of the lone warrior in an apocalyptic setting dominated Kim’s short stories, ‘The Killing Fields’ from the anthology Celebration (Newcon Press, 2008), ‘The Harvest’ from the anthology Further Conflicts (Newcon Press, 2011) and ‘Deluge’ from the anthologyPandemonium: Tales of the Apocalypse (Jurassic, 2011). Meanwhile, Kim’s gothic inclinations showed in her more traditional horror stories including ‘Unearthed’ (Black Static #12), ‘The Shadow Keeper’ (Black Static #13), ‘Heart Song’ from the anthology MythUnderstandings(Newcon Press, 2008), ‘Field of the Dead’ from The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women (Robinson Publishing, October 2012) and the biopunk tale, ‘The Island of Peter Pandora’ (Snowbooks, 2012).

This blend of dark fantasy and post-apocalyptic SF came to the fore in Kim’s second novel,Cyber Circus (Newcon, 2011.) Originally conceived of as a twin novella to her short story ‘Black Sunday’, Cyber Circus grew into a novel in its own right. The story of a floating circus of bio-engineered freaks in a post-apocalyptic future is currently shortlisted for the 2011 British Science Fiction Association Best Novel award. Kim’s Young Adult novella, Queen Rat(Murkey Depths, 2012), will be launched at this year’s SFX Weekender event.

Kim is a regular guest speaker at literary events and has run numerous writing workshops at colleges and conventions. She lives in 2/5ths of a Victorian gothic mansion house with her mini demon of a daughter and dark lord of a husband. As a writer, she is inspired by artists who take pop culture, crack it open, and hatch something new; artist HR Giger, music video director Floria Sigismondi, rock god Marilyn Manson, alt.fashion designer Jeannie Nitro, and scriptwriter Joss Whedon. She believes she is well placed to connect with her readers, having a hazy attitude to maturity, an eclectic dress sense, and a true zest for the weird and the freakish.

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  What got you into science-fiction in the first place? What drew you in?

Growing up, I had a love of whimsical fairy tales. Rather than follow the natural route to epic or heroic fantasy, I was drawn to the tangible ‘magic’ of science fiction. Tanith Lee’s fusion of imaginative worlds with gender play taught me that science fiction is so much wider in scope than space opera. That said, as a 70’s child, how could I not fall in love with Star Wars? It was a period when family viewing was dominated by science fiction shows – Buck Rogers, Metal Mickey, reruns of Star Trek, Doctor Who, The 8 Million Dollar Man, Mork and Mindy, Battlestar Galactica, etc – and seminal SF movies were exciting young minds – 2001 A Space Odyssey,  Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and, come the early 80’s, ET. The idea that gadgetry, machines and extra-territorial origins could combine with creative story telling appealed to me immensely.

-         What is your favorite part about the science-fiction community?

Everything! I love the intensity of science fiction fans; as a writer, they never let you off, constantly pushing for more detail, ultimate accuracy in research, and wanting to understand new worlds inside out. I love that. It may not be for everyone, but I want to fully immerse myself in a community which endorses intelligence and debate. SF fans are also truly lovely people.

-         What’s your favorite science-fiction book?

In terms of adult reads, I’d have to say Air by Geoff Ryman. It is a uniquely delicate and, at the same time, earthy book. This is a tale of technology infringing on the lives of a rural community and one woman’s struggle to prepare her community for the changes to come. Ryman’s characterisation is sublime; it is the only book in recent years to make me cry.

I am a huge fan of Young Adult, and my favourite SF series is Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve. The notion of these vast traction cities moving across a post-apocalyptic landscape - and eating each other up – is fantastic. Again, Philip has wonderful characterisation and knows exactly when to pull the rug out from under the feet of his readers.

-         You write science-fiction and fantasy, do you find that one is easier to write than the other? And do you have different processes for each genre?

When I am writing Mid Grade fantasy, I tune into the fairy story telling side of me and the process is very quick; pen and paper and imagination, and off I go. In terms of my YA and adult stories, I have the same process of research, plotting, writing long hand and editing as I type up. I love research – it is one of the perks of my job – and I like to infuse both my fantasy and SF stories with hints of realism. My favourite stories as a reader as those with a solid basis in fact, be it historical, geographical, or scientific. I carry this through into my writing in the hope that readers will find my worlds and characters more substantial.

-         What book are you reading now?

I’m reading Coda by Emma Trevayne, a fascinating dystopian YA. The plot revolves around fascism and underground music as the key to revolution. The blurb reminded me of my first adult novel, Tourniquet, which was an ode to the rock music scene in Nottingham, England. I am really enjoying the book so far.

-        Since Queen Rat is a YA novella (which I really enjoyed by the way :)), are you anxious to write more of that particular style (genre wise and length wise)?

Queen Rat was tremendous fun to write. I got to let loose with my love of clunky mechanisms and oddball characters. It is the most obviously steampunk story I have written, although most of my stories have elements of alternative technologies. I love to write stories in the steampunk vein, but I am more interested in a wider timeline than just Victoriana. I am particularly drawn to the 1930s and 1950s and all things Americana, most evident in my latest book, Autodrome, where residents of the city’s outer boroughs, The Eras, dress and behave like they are in a living history lesson.

Length-wise, it is always fun to write shorts. Novels can be such a long writing process and it can be hard to keep up momentum. By writing short stories and novellas, I can achieve the buzz of completion quicker. I’m also convinced that writing short stories is incredibly good writing practice, forcing authors to create golden nuggets of plot and characterisation.

-         What inspires you to write when you hit a block? Any advice in regards to writer’s block?

My version of writer’s block is not so much running out of ideas as losing faith in a project and drifting off to a new one. I currently have 4 or 5 half-written novels and every one of them had merit when I look back. The problem is the old case of isolation as a writer and not pushing through the pain barrier of that tricky midsection. It is something I am trying to improve on all the time, and very much a case of do as I say, not as I do J

Advice in regards to writer’s block? It is all fairly standard. Value your thinking time as much as your writing time. This may mean sitting in a chair and staring out of a window, or going out for a walk, or doing some housework. Yes, it may feel like procrastination, but I often see the brain as a cistern (a lovely image!). I empty out the words onto the page and then I need to step away to allow the mind to fill back up again.

-        Science-fiction is such a cool genre because there’s so much creativity and imagination that goes into it, where do you get your ideas? And how much world-building goes into that process?

I find that combining apparently unrelated subjects ends up with a great story mix. Often I don’t have a clue why I am researching something, but I just have a sense that it will go somewhere. For instance, I remember researching beet farming for my short story, ‘The Killing Fields’, and having no idea why. It turned out that the beets were key to energy – and, subsequently, currency – in this post-apocalyptic world, and so my story about a living, kinetic scarecrow fending off field pirates evolved.

In terms of world building, quite often my setting is a city, and that city is a main character in the book. SFF readers appreciate a well-constructed setting and want to know all the details - religions, currency, political systems, geography, trade routes, relation to the wider world, and so on. I scribble down ideas and have found it useful to draw a rough map. But I don’t spend too long constructing my cities in advance; they evolve as I write. 

-        Sci-fi is generally thought of as having a male dominated audience, but more and more women are quickly discovering its awesomeness. Why do you think that is, and as a sci-fi writer, what are your thoughts on that stereotype? Or is that even an issue for you when you write?

I don’t think enough women see writing Science Fiction as an option because I don’t think they are even aware that what they are writing qualifies as Science Fiction. This was certainly the case when I started out. At literary conventions, I was automatically put on panels with female fantasy writers where we were meant to talk about romance. I put pay to that when I wrote ‘The Killing Fields’; suddenly my debut novel Tourniquet was read in terms of its techno-future content rather than pure gothic fantasy. A lot of my work focuses on geology, meteorology, and the physicality of earth sciences alongside physical mechanisms. I hope more and more women will begin to see that science fiction as a genre is so much broader than just spaceships and alien worlds – although these are super cool too.

I suspect that the discrepancy between men and women SF writers is a generational thing. Geek culture has come into its own over recent years. My ten year old daughter, Scarlet, is into cosplay, comic-cons, manga, and a brave new literary world of SFF hybrids. Increasingly, bright young women are being drawn to the science fiction community, knowing they will find a space of safety to dream outside of prescriptive ‘pink’ and so called-feminine ideologies. Scarlet’s one complaint is that, even today, boys are the action heroes and girls are sidekicks. I hope to address this more as I write in the future. Women of all ages need to feel free to explore the enchanted realm of science, to see it as an exciting stimulus for story writing, and to add their voices to the SF community.
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She's wonderful, isn't she? Make sure to check out her books (Queen Rat is an awesome YA novella) and follow her on twitter. Once again, a big thank you to Kim for participating in Sci-Fi Month and for answering my questions. It was such a pleasure working with you.

Coming up next: Before I do another review on a YA Sci-Fi book, I get to change it up a bit. As many of you know, this Saturday (November 23) is the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. Since I'm unhealthily obsessed with the show, I'm writing a post on Doctor Who and its connection to literature over the last five decades of awesome. So make sure to check back on Saturday for that post! After that, I'll return to my normal routine by reviewing Demitria Lunetta's book, In The After.

(synopsis from Amazon)

In this heart-stopping postapocalyptic thriller from debut author Demitria Lunetta, one courageous girl must navigate a world that has been overtaken by Them—vile creatures that are rapidly devouring mankind. Perfect for fans of books like Marie Lu's Legend, In the After examines a harrowing place where day-to-day survival is never guaranteed. . . .

In what seems like an instant, Amy Harris's life is changed forever. They arrive and quickly begin killing off humanity one by one. No one knows how they got here—and even worse, no one knows how to stop Them.

Marooned in a high-security house, Amy manages to stay alive—and even rescues "Baby," a toddler she finds in an abandoned supermarket. For years they escape death, forging a bond as strong as sisters, until they are finally rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living on a former government research compound.

On the surface, New Hope is the happy ending Amy was looking for. She's even started falling for Rice, a handsome researcher she's become close with at the facility. But then she makes a shocking discovery. And staying in New Hope could mean losing her freedom . . . or her life.

With pulse-pounding narrow escapes and horrifying twists of fate, In the After is an action-packed dystopian page-turner that will keep fans guessing until each secret is revealed and every lie is uncovered.

-Annie