The VOIGHT-KAMPFF* Interview
*Bladerunner
Leon: Do you make up these questions Mr. Holden, or do they write them down for you?
Mr. Holden: They’re just questions Leon.
WHERE DID YOUR TOMORROW SPRING FROM? IN OTHER WORDS, HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE CRAZY WORLD?
I was trying to come up with a first paragraph of a novel for some online contest – naturally none of my current works was sufficiently awesome, so I wanted to create something new. As I was drifting off to sleep, this image popped into my head: a girl who didn’t read minds, sitting in a classroom filled with mindreaders. Her isolation was painful and complete. There were no words, only glares and hatred for her. I immediately had to get up and write the first paragraph of her story.
JUST HOW FAR IN THE FUTURE IS YOUR TOMORROW?
About 90 years.
DID YOU HAVE TO CONDUCT ANY EXPERIMENTS FOR THIS BOOK?
I tried to mind-control my cats, but I think it back-fired. Now I’m conditioned to pet them whenever they assault me with their flickering tails.
WHO SHOULD NOT READ YOUR BOOK?
People who already own tin foil hats. Readers tell me that, after a while, they’re convinced that people are not only reading their minds, but they keep checking over their shoulders, wondering if their spouse is actually a mindjacker disguised as a mindreader. Especially when they feel compelled to share that last piece of cheesecake.
GIVE YOUR BOOK THE BECHDEL TEST
1. IT HAS TO HAVE AT LEAST TWO (NAMED) WOMEN IN IT
2. WHO TALK TO EACH OTHER
3. ABOUT SOMETHING BESIDES A MAN
Proudly, yes, I pass the test. There are lots of women in Open Minds, and even more in the other books in the trilogy, Closed Hearts and Free Souls. There is romance, to be sure, but the women are primarily interested in not dying or not being jacked – that’s usually the prime topic of discussion. That, and winning the revolution.
YOUR TOMORROW GETS MADE INTO A MOVIE. WHO DO YOU TAKE TO THE PREMIERE AND WHO DO YOU SIT BY?
Open Minds actually was made into a mini-movie of sorts! The two minute live-action trailer was produced by an award-winning director and took Best Trailer at the Illinois International Film Festival. It has over 20k views on YouTube and you can check it out here. (BTW, I took my family to the Film Fest and we had a blast watching it on the big screen.)
YOUR MAIN CHARACTER VS BATMAN, WHO WOULD WIN?
Obviously my main character, Kira. She would simply mindjack Batman into being her butler. (Actually, she’s too nice for that. But if Batman came after one of the people she loves, he better hope he looks good in tails.)