'Nic Brasch: Welcome to The Garret. Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff are the biggest thing in Australian literature right now. Technically, they’re writing YA - Young Adult Fiction. But their Illuminae Files series is a brilliant, ground-breaking piece of YA science fiction. Amie and Jay call it Space Opera. I just call it great writing. It’s writing that forces you to forget about the labels and just lose yourself in the story. Their first two books, Illuminae and Gemina are out now, and readers around the world are anxiously awaiting for the finale. It’s my absolute privilege to welcome Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff to The Garret.' (Introduction)
Show notes
Amie Kaufman
- Amie’s favourite book from childhood is The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper, and she is currently reading And I Darken by Kiersten White.
- Beaumaris Books is Amie’s local bookstore.
- Amie started reading science fiction by reading Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke and Robert A. Heinlein, and she knows about Science Fiction Grand Masters (yes, they are a thing).
- Amie also has a writing partnership with Megan Spooner for The Starbound Trilogy.
Jay Kristoff
- Jay loves old school Star Trek, and by that he means the originals written by Gene Roddenberry.
- Jay read the science fiction greats, including Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Series, Frank Herbert’s Dune Chronicles, Piers Anthony, William Gibson, and Philip K. Dick.
- Jay is also reading And I Darken by Kiersten White and has read Slash’s autobiography. He also mentions Abbadon’s Gate by James S. A. Corey, House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski and Night Film by Marisha Pessl.
- Jay and Amie watched Commander Chris Hadfield’s NASA videos filmed in space.
- Jay mentions the literary theory there are only seven stories… If you want to explore that idea, look up The Seven Basic Plots by Christopher Booker.
- And of course, Jay recommends all things Stephen King.
