How long have you been writing?
I started Chaos toward the end of summer, 2010, and published it in April of 2011. So, I guess I’ve been writing for about 3 ½ years now.
Do you remember the first thing you ever wrote?
Other than a few poems early on in my life, Chaos was my first endeavor into the writing world.
There are 9 books in your post-apocalyptic series, A New World. What made you decide to write a series?
I’ve always had survival scenarios that I would play in my head. I’d throw a few random factors in and work my way through them. That way, I’d be ready for things that may come along. One evening, I was reading and a light bulb went off telling me that I had a story to tell. I wanted to tell a story set in a post-apocalyptic world and how I would actually go about handling it in as realistic scenario as I could. Once I started on the story, it blossomed far past any expectations I could have ever held.
What is the series about?
Over two billion people dead within a matter of days. Thirty percent of the world’s population lying lifeless, strewn across parking lots, slumped in cars, fallen in their homes, and streets littered with corpses. The Cape Town Flu was deadly but not as much as was the vaccine that was rushed through the approval process.
The vaccine didn’t stem the tide of the pandemic; it was the very reason that civilization came to a standstill, and then fell. Almost a third of humankind dead. That was just the beginning. The vaccine distribution was halted but it was too late. The remaining populace underwent genetic mutations from which emerged a new species – the night runners.
Ferocious, cunning, and unrelenting, the night runners control the night. They become more agile, develop canine-like hearing and smell, and can see in the dark. Sweeping through the nighttime streets, they hunt for the one percent of humankind which proved to be immune to the effects of the vaccine. Only one aspect allows any survivors a meager chance at survival, the night runners cannot operate in the daylight. They spend the daytime hours holed up in lairs they create deep within darkened buildings. When the sun sets, they emerge and, with a pack-like mentality, hunt the streets seeking prey.
The downfall of humanity was lightning fast and didn’t allow for any intervention. The infrastructure of humankind fell within hours. The scant survivors had to quickly band together in order to withstand the onslaught of the night runners.
Jack Walker, an ex-special operations soldier and pilot, is thrust into this new world. Saving his teenage son and daughter, he struggles to survive in this new environment – to provide safety for his children.
Will there be a book 10?
There definitely will be a book 10 and I’ll be writing on it soon. I’m currently writing on a companion novel to the series which is a set of short stories with others at the onset of the crisis.
Do you have a favorite A New World book?
I don’t know that I have an overall favorite as I’ve enjoyed writing each and every one. Within each book is a scene or two which I really enjoyed creating. So, for me, it’s the scenes of the series that I hold in mind rather than a particular book.
Have you always been a fan of the zombie genre?
Honestly, I grew up on fantasy books, immersing myself in those other worlds. Zombies or some other kind of feral creature adds to the dangers inherent in a post-apocalyptic survival tale. They up the ante per se. It becomes the ultimate test of survival if you will, but one that is winnable if you keep your head on straight.
If you could invite any five authors from any time period to dinner, who would they be?
Stephen King – just because, well, you have to.
Robert Jordan
J.R.R. Tolkien – I mean, how do you not?
Tom Clancy
The fifth I will hold in reserve because there are so many great authors.
I see you enjoy spending time outdoors. Do you think this love of nature and exploration has had an impact on your writing?
I’m not sure that has much to do with the books themselves. Now, having said that, I’m sure that experiences that I’ve garnered throughout the years play into the storyline from time to time. It’s mostly to lend realism into the story.
Do events from your past play a role in your fiction?
There may be a flashback or two in the books that I’ve drawn from real life.
Do you try to put messages and morals into your fiction, or do you write simply to entertain the reader?
I really try and stay away from a set of morals, politics, or any particular messages. Each person has their own set and I don’t want the books to be a means of conveyance. I write them purely for my and the reader’s entertainment.
What are you working on at the moment?
I am writing on a companion novel of short stories set within the New World series. They are mostly experiences of people during the onset of the downfall of humankind as we know it.
Where can we find you on the web?
Web Site:
http://anewworldseries.com
Facebook Profile:
http://www.facebook.com/JohnWBOBrien
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/A_NewWorld
Amazon author page:
http://www.amazon.com/John-OBrien/e/B005IDEPP0
