An interview with Jon Wallace

Jon Wallace is a science fiction author based in London, England. His debut novel, "Barricade", is published on June 19 2014 from Gollancz. A review of that book can be read here.

Michelle Herbert spoke with Jon a week before the book’s publication.

Would you class Barricade as dystopian or post apocalyptic, or perhaps a meeting of the two?

It is a definitely a post-apocalyptic novel, set after a nuclear war.

However, there are flashbacks to the dystopia that created the post-apocalyptic world. That’s because Barricade is told from the perspective of the ‘bad guys’, and I wanted to explore the dying civilisation that spawned them. That way I could give some context to their society, and show that perhaps the bad guy tag isn’t always that easily applied.

I found Barricade a very grim novel. Why did you choose to focus the story on the Ficials (artificial beings) rather than the Reals (Humans)?

It’s a grim setting alright, but the story is exciting and funny and full of colourful characters.

I focused on the Ficials because I wanted to approach the post-apocalyptic novel from this ‘bad guy’ perspective. When I started on the book I wasn’t totally sure I would stick with that approach, but the more I wrote of Kenstibec (the main character) the more I thought it worked. It was interesting to look at the world through the eyes of a character with no regard for life, love or morality.

He has these very cold, pre-conceived ideas about human history, and all his experience of our behaviour leads him to think us a redundant species. His kind was created to help salvage our crumbling civilisation – but as far as he is concerned it was a lost cause: we wouldn’t listen to Ficial advice, only fought harder to preserve a flawed system: therefore we had to go.

On his own, you’d get tired of him – but that’s where the main human character is so important. Through the course of the book he spars with Kenstibec, with pretty funny results, and challenges Ficial notions about humanity: he is resourceful, cunning, and possessed of enormous reserves of strength. He shows that for all his faults, man retains a capacity for great accomplishments.

What was it that inspired you to write this story about artificial intelligence? Was its source the over reliance on technology that can already be seen in the 21st Century?

I was probably inspired by a creeping sense which I think most of us share in some measure: That as a species we’re failing to respond to the threat of planet-wide catastrophe; that instead of using technology to deal with it, we’re using it to more efficiently spy, kill and shop – and that last-minute emergency measures might hasten the end, rather than prevent it.

OK I’m beginning to see where your ‘grim’ comment comes from…

Regarding Ficials, I wondered how they came about? Are they cloned or bred from human cells, taking away the human emotions to only be logical and rational thinkers?

Well, that’s a tough one to get into as this is explored a lot more in Books 2 and 3. The main thing to say is that Ficials are defined mostly by their symbiosis with nanotechnology, and by altered brain chemistry.

Barricade is based in the UK but there was not much information given on what has happened to the rest of the world. Was this done on purpose, to allow the reader to imagine how bad the rest of the world has become? Or will you go into more detail in future books?

A lot more detail comes about the rest of the world in Book 3, but yes in Barricade I wanted to hint at total chaos overseas before the war, and leave the reader to imagine what state it might be in now. It is certainly the case that before the war Ficials were born, bred and limited to Britain, making the UK a pariah state.

On your website it mentions that Barricade will be a trilogy and, without giving spoilers about the end of the first book, will this be looking into the far future or will it be focused on characters we have already met?

It will introduce new characters, but Kenstibec will still be telling the story.

What book would you say inspired you to become a writer?

The one that always jumps out is Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell. It was the first book I couldn’t put down.

What one question would you like to answer that you’re never asked?

“How does it feel to be a millionaire novelist with nothing to do but lie on the sofa all day, eating cookies and writing?”

That would be nice, but I’ll not be asked it unless I sell a lot of books.

My answer would be “great”, by the way.

Thank you for your time.

You can find out more about Jon on his website, or follow him on Twitter @Jon_Wallace.