Interview with Mark Lavine, Author of ForeverChild

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write ForeverChild?

Science fiction can often be inspired by imagining a world where current social trends are followed to their extreme end-point. Our current society values youth and longevity. What would the world look like if we continued to place more and more value on these features, and if science were to support these ideals? ForeverChild was inspired by my own musings into what such a future might look like.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I love science fiction, but most of my day-to-day reading tends to fall into the crime and detective genres. I love reading Scandinavian crime books. Most of the books I’ve written also fall into this category. However, even though ForeverChild is my only science fiction novel, it’s still my favorite.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I’m a sucker for heist stories, so I am eager to read Grace D. Li’s Portrait of a Thief. I’m also looking forward to reading Sea of Tranquility, which I still haven’t read. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari is a non-fiction book that has been calling to me for a while now.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

I always get an immense amount of satisfaction writing the last paragraph of a novel, so I can’t deny that the ending was very enjoyable to write. Another scene which was fun to write was the earthquake scene, in which a child is out by himself in the wilderness when a great earthquake strikes. One doesn’t typically think of the effects of an earthquake in a natural setting, and I was able to draw on my own memories of having experienced the 1989 Northern California quake on a beach very close to the epicenter.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

No, I really don’t. I do like to write early in the day while I am still fresh, but I don’t think you could call any of my habits particularly quirky.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

ForeverChild deals with some very striking social issues. It’s not by any means a “safe” book. However, I hesitate to share my own interpretation because it might be seen as somehow more valuable or meaningful than those of the readers. Different readers and reviewers have seen different things in this novel, and I believe those take-aways are equally valid to my own. I think good science fiction raises lots of questions, and at times can be a bit controversial as well. So I will leave it to each reader to find their own meaning from this novel.

Mark Lavine is the author of the new book ForeverChild

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