Today I am interviewing Mike Resnick, author of the new science-fiction novel, The Master of Dreams, first book in The Dreamscape trilogy.
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DJ: Hi Mike! Thanks for agreeing to do this interview!
For readers who aren’t familiar with you, could you tell us a little about yourself?
Mike Resnick: I’m the author of about 80 novels – all of them science fiction except for three mysteries, 10 non-fiction books, and some 280 short stories. According to Locus, the trade paper of the science fiction field, I’m the all-time leading award winner for short fiction, and 4th on the list when you add in novels. I have 5 Hugo Awards (science fiction’s Oscar) from a record 37 nominations.
DJ: What is The Master of Dreams about?
Mike: About a normal man who finds himself in totally un-normal (not quite abnormal) circumstances – as the owner of a bar in Casablanca, as a Munchkin helping a girl reach a Wizard, and as a citizen of Camelot.
DJ: What were some of your influences The Master of Dreams and the series?
Mike: Well, clearly Casablanca and The Wizard of Oz were two of them. Any book or story that had the protagonist inadvertently changing bodies, identities, or venues would certainly count as a less immediate but valid influence.
DJ: Could you briefly tell us a little about your main characters? Do they have any cool quirks or habits, or any reason why readers will sympathize with them?
Mike: Eddie Raven and his girlfriend Lisa are, on the surface, a very normal young man and woman. It is precisely because they seem (note that: seem) to have nothing unique or special about them that will cause the readers to sympathize with them. By the conclusion of the trilogy the readers will realize that first impressions can be misleading.
DJ: Aside from the main characters in the story, who is a favorite side character or a character with a smaller role for in story? Why?
Mike: There’s Lucifuge Rofocale, who is described in various non-fiction venues as the Chief Demon in Hell, but is something far more (and far more interesting) in this book.
DJ: What is the world and setting of The Dreamscape trilogy like?
Mike: Exactly like this one, which is what makes the events it describes so fantastic.
DJ: What was your favorite part about writing The Master of Dreams?
Mike: Making the reader willing to suspend his sense of disbelief (at least for the length of time he’s reading it).
DJ: What do you think readers will be talking about most once they finish it?
Mike: I hope they’ll be talking about the second book in the trilogy, The Mistress of Illusions, and what changes and challenges it will bring to Eddie and his universe.
DJ: Did you have a particular goal when you began The Dreamscape trilogy? The Master of Dreams is only the first book, but is there a particular message or meaning you are hoping to get across when readers finish it? Or is there perhaps a certain theme to the story?
Mike: This trilogy is mostly for entertainment. I’d like the reader to view some concepts and some traditional myths and characters in new ways, but mostly I want to keep him guessing and enjoying.
DJ: Now that The Master of Dreams is released, what is next for you?
Mike: I’ve handed in the 2nd book of the Dreamscape Trilogy, yclept The Mistress of Illusions, and I’ll soon be finishing the third, The Lord of Nightmares. I know what I plan to be writing after that, but it’s best not to discuss it until I have a contract or have at least finished a few chapters.
DJ: Where can readers find out more about you?
Mike: Well, they can Google me, of course. I have a web page (www.mikeresnick.com), and I’m on Facebook just about every day, with my own topic and commenting on any other topic that interests me.
DJ: Before we go, what is that one thing you’d like readers to know about The Master of Dreams and The Dreamscape trilogy that we haven’t talked about yet?
Mike: Just that this many books, stories, and awards into my career, I can pretty much guarantee that you’ll find it/them extremely readable (and, I hope, enjoyable).
DJ: Is there anything else you would like add?
Mike: Just that all books are not the same, even from the same author. I’ve written serious science fiction, humorous science fiction, science fiction as morality plays, fantasy adventure, half a dozen other variations and sub-sets. This trilogy may enlighten you a bit here and there, but its main purpose is to entertain.
DJ: Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to answer my questions!
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***The Master of Dreams is published by DAW and is available TODAY!!!***
Buy the Book:
Amazon | Goodreads
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About the Book:
Opening a new fantasy trilogy from Hugo award winner Resnick, this novel offers an adventure through space and time as Eddie Raven tries to outrun the dark forces pursuing him.
Eddie Raven isn’t quite sure what’s happening to him–and he’s in a race to find out before it kills him.
His adventures begin with a shooting in a very strange shop in Manhattan–but soon he finds himself the owner of a very familiar bar in Casablanca. By the time he adjusts to that reality, he’s suddenly become one of several undersized people helping a young woman search for a wizard. And after confronting the wizard, he somehow finds himself in Camelot.
But as he rushes to solve the mystery of his many appearances, a larger threat looms. Because someone or something is stalking him through time and space with deadly intent….
About the Author:
Michael “Mike” Diamond Resnick, better known by his published name Mike Resnick, is a popular and prolific American science fiction author. He is, according to Locus, the all-time leading award winner, living or dead, for short science fiction. He is the winner of five Hugos, a Nebula, and other major awards in the United States, France, Spain, Japan, Croatia and Poland. and has been short-listed for major awards in England, Italy and Australia. He is the author of 68 novels, over 250 stories, and 2 screenplays, and is the editor of 41 anthologies. His work has been translated into 25 languages. He is the Guest of Honor at the 2012 Worldcon and can be found online as @ResnickMike on Twitter or at www.mikeresnick.com.
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