Interview with Claire Merle author of The Glimpse

by Julienne Durber

Claire Merle wrote her first paranormal screenplay at the age of thirteen and named it after a road sign. Even though DANGER ALIVE never made it to the big screen, she continued to write and daydream and her first novel,The Glimpse is out this month. She has been kind enough to include Demention in her blog tour. 

Claire Merle

Firstly, many thanks for including the Demention blog in your blog tour. (For a full list of the dates of Claire's blog tour scroll down to the end of the interview.)

Well, I'm very excited you guys could participate!

Your main character, Ana, is shaken from her privileged life very early in the book, and the theme of her realising how sheltered she was from the experiences of the majority is a thread that runs throughout the story.  How important was this thread to you when you were writing the book?  Was it your intention to include it from the start or did it develop along with Ana’s personality?

I was definitely conscious early on as I was drafting, that Ana's internal conflict would come from the way she's been taught to think about society, versus the things she actually sees and experiences for herself once she's out 'in the real world'.  In my late teens, I had a rocky experience along these lines and I knew I wanted to use this as an emotional anchor to explore what Ana goes through. She is raised in a very closed-minded environment, and once she leaves it she's suddenly faced with variety, difference, people who are more free to 'think for themselves' and don't all perceive things in the same way. I also think it's fascinating to see how much our environment shapes and conditions the way we think.

The Glimpse

In your dystopia, society is divided along mental health lines - those who are ‘Pure’ and the ‘Crazies’, people at risk of, or in various stages of mental illness.  I found this a very thought-provoking take on the theme of them-and-us.  What inspired you to go down that route?

Mmm, wow, there are so many things I think that feed into this, my answer will probably only scratch the surface - but I'll try. It began when I went to a talk a number of years ago on mental health, children and childhood disorders, particularly ADHD. I think there's an important difference between a child being diagnosed with a metal illness and an adult: a child is often being diagnosed because others feel there's something wrong with them; an adult usually seeks treatment because they themselves feel there's something wrong. To me, there's an inherent problem in labeling a child with something that automatically has negative connotations -  'disorder'. There are those who argue that in days-gone-by a child with ADHD would have been labelled 'bad', and now it's better because they're being labeled as having a disorder and thus getting the necessary help and understanding that goes with that. Personally, I'm concerned that when you put this sort of 'identification' on a child, you are telling them as well as their teachers, their parents and their friends that there is something inherently wrong with them - something they may grow out of, or something they may have for life. You've made them 'other'. Now the weird thing is, according to psychologists like Dabrowski, gifted childen are often 'misdiagnosed' with ADHD since a certain 'type' of gifted child may have characteristics that are similar to those listed as symptoms of ADHD. OK, so the brain of a 'ADHD' child might be responding to their environment differently to the brain of a 'normal' child, just like the brain of a 'gifted' child is responding differently. Does that make the child mentally ill? Does that mean we should teach them to think of themselves as having something wrong with them? Does that mean we should start attempting to rebalance these differences with drugs?

English creativity expert, Sir Ken Robinson, gives a wonderful talk on 'Changing Education Paradigms' and goes some way to explaining western society's tendency to try and fit everyone into a mold, particularly in school. (He likens it to the industrial factory line.) The symptoms defined by ADHD actually seem to be strongly linked to creativity, ability to think-out-of-the-box and good leadership skills. I'd love to see those positive qualities embraced, nurtured and catered for in children and schools, rather than trying to fit the square peg in a round hole and saying the square peg is not correctly formed and if we just alter it a bit, it'll fit. (Please note: this is not to say I don't think there are issues that need to be addressed for maximum benefit to the 'ADHD' child, such as medical testing to check for allergies to metals & chemicals, difficult home environment, nutritional deficiencies, shock or trauma therapy, and a school environment that is more adapted to individual learning. I am also not a doctor! This is my personal opinion.)

Blog Tour Dates

I know you now live in France, but the setting you chose for the book - an extremely well-structured London of the near future - really felt like it was familiar to you.  Have you spent much time in London and did it take a lot of research to decide which parts of the future city should be segregated?

I grew up in Highgate, (a suburb in north London). It's an important part of my past and my memories so when I began working on The Glimpse I didn't even question my impulse to use the area as the central setting.  I lived in north London for twenty-two years - it didn't take a lot of research to be able to revisit these places in the story!

The Glimpse is set in the very near future and despite the deprivation in the city, the fact that everyone has access to their own personal entertainment/communication devices that also serve as trackers for the government is quite a bleak view of future technology.  Do you worry that technology is becoming all pervading?

The fact that everyone has access to their own personal entertainment/communication devices was partly inspired by a documentary I saw where the filmmakers were traveling around Africa visiting places where people were living in very basic conditions, and yet they still had mobile phones. For me, scientific developments create this strange dichotomy of 'good' and 'bad'. Take something as simple as television. What's not to love about television? And yet, on a deeper level, yes, I do find it worrying. How many hours have my kids spent in front of the television this week? How many people go home and spend every evening after work watching TV? How influenced are we as a society by what the media chooses to show us and not to show us? Deep down I guess a part of me is concerned that we're being 'conditioned' and 'entertained' at the detriment of being able to think.

The Glimpse is released this month.  Can you tell me a little about your future projects?

There will be a second and final part to The Glimpse duet out this time next year. I'm also working on a YA contemporary with a fantasy twist.

Claire, thanks for answering my questions.

Thanks for interviewing me!


For more information about Claire Merle visit her website.

Julienne's review of The Glimpse by Claire Merle


Claire Merle’s first novel The Glimpse is a twisting, slow-burning thriller full of complex themes.

Set in a dark challenging vision of near-future Britain where society is divided into ‘Pures’ - those with no genetic predisposition towards mental health issues, and ‘Crazies’ - those that do, it follows Ariana 'Ana' Barber daughter of the scientist who developed the purity tests as she struggles to cope with the knowledge that she herself isn’t Pure.

The Glimpse paints a bleak, thought-provoking picture of human nature, society and technology in a story dotted with flashes of humanity, realisation and romance.  Sometimes warm and at other times disturbingly harsh, the well-drawn settings and building intrigue will keep you reading to the tantalising climax.

I can’t wait for book two!

The Launch of Slated by Teri Terry

by Julienne Durber

At the launch of Slated, the debut novel by Demention’s own Teri Terry, I was challenged to blog about the launch in the style of a dystopian narrative.  Given the extremely high quality of the author who challenged me (who asked to remain nameless), and that fact that I can’t refuse an interesting task, I accepted.  I hope you enjoy it.

The Aspiring and the Elevated

The rendezvous was set. The disguised picture of my co-conspirators – the Aspiring and the Elevated – had been circulated. We each had an idea whom the others were, but hopefully the Organisation didn't!
(To read about the brilliant Facebook stealth mob for the Slated launch campaign, and other great articles on all things writing-related visit the notes from the slushpile blog).

I had managed to infiltrate the sprawling metropolis with the minimum of disturbance. My black market pass had only been checked once, by a low-brow border guard too involved in his own nefarious schemes to question its validity, and now I was standing outside the meeting point – a hidden treasury of books.  The door hung open. Tantalising, beckoning, too much like a trap. From my vantage point I could make out two shadows inside the building. Undesirables? Underclass? Enforcers?!? 

Then, floating across the cracked paving of the long-forgotten square came a giggle. Only when authors gathered to celebrate the success of one of their own was such a sound heard these days. I sprinted across the square and dived through the doors.

The shadowy figures nodded their acknowledgement, recognising me from my picture and I loped up the rickety stars three at a time. Before I'd reached the top, a hidden panel opened, leaking more giggling that lifted my heart. Corinne Gotch - wisewoman, gatekeeper and dispenser of refreshment - welcomed me into the enveloping warmth of the Gathered.

The Gathered

As I looked around the room, I could spot fragments of faces from the distorted images we'd all seen. Some I knew from previous meetings, others were new to me – the latest Aspiring recruits to the cause. All were hastily exchanging information, stories, secrets. We all knew that our time here was limited.

My own time was also short. Without a record of such meetings, future Aspiring members could not be recruited. I pulled out my much repaired picture-capture machine and began collecting images. The dichotomy – any one of these pictures was more than enough to bring the full force of the Organisation down on everyone in them.

Caroline Sheldon

Soon, Corrine called the Gathered to order. The reason for our gathering, the progression of one of our own, Teri Terry, from Aspiring to Elevated was to be celebrated. Caroline Sheldon - co-ordinator, Mistress of Strings and instrumental in assisting the Elevation of so many - began the celebration, by praising the fine work and dedication of Teri in reaching such heights of narrative vision and lauding the thrilling and emotive effects that she experienced.

Megan Larkin

Megan Larkin - gatherer of words, slicer of exposition, Queen of the Orchard - continued, regaling us with tales of the members of her clan and their desire to glimpse Slated in its raw form as news of its majesty spread.

Teri Terry

Finally, Teri took the floor to the applause of the Gathered. Those who had already succeeded, those on the very cusp, new members and even ones racked with doubt that they would ever be Elevated – the young and the old – all hung on Teri's words as she recounted the trials and triumphs that she had experienced on her journey. Of those who had helped her, Mr X received the greatest and most deserved praise.

The Fudge

The line to receive words of wisdom from the newly Elevated Teri was long, but she worked tirelessly, inscribing personal messages to all who sought them, whilst Corinne and her assistants circulated refreshments and life-giving fudge treats to all in need.

But all too soon, the lights dimmed and a hush fell over the gathering at this sign that Enforcers were near and it was time to disperse.  In twos and threes we melted into the night, safe in the knowledge that another of our number had achieved the success we all craved. Every tiny victory against the Organisation is one step closer for us all.  None of us know when the next gathering might happen.  But when it does, we will be there.

For the chance to win a sign copy of Slated and for more information about Teri Terry see last weeks post 'Slated Book Birthday: Q&A, and a giveaway!' below.

Introducing DEMENTION! A dark and dystopian blogging adventure

by Teri Terry, Julienne Durber and Julie Bertagna

To celebrate the launch of Demention, there is an amazing giveaway, open until May 6! Each of us will nominate a favourite book to include, plus a few of our own. Read on to find out more…

Note: this competition is now closed. Winners are posted below! But please read on....

What is Demention?

A group blog by authors who share a love of the weird and wonderful, the dark, the dystopian. Alternative fiction and all things between. We'd love this blog to be a place for readers, writers and bloggers - all ages, aspiring or established - to share their love of these kinds of stories, post news and reviews, and make Demention an exciting space where ideas and debates can spark and inspire! 
Guest bloggers are welcome; apply here.

Who is Demention?

Teri Terry

Hi! This is me: and there is more on my page. I’m the author of Slated, the first of three futuristic thrillers out in the UK on the 3rd May with Orchard Books, and in early 2013 with Nancy Paulsen Books in the US and Canada.

I got the idea for setting up a group blog like this AGES ago, but it is really when I thought of involving Julienne that it took off. As well as an amazing writer, Julienne is also a designer: he came up with our gorgeous banner and the name Demention. And then we were thrilled that Julie Bertagna wanted to join us!

Why I love both writing and reading dystopian and other Demention fiction: it's all about the What Ifs:

• What if instead of punishing criminals they could have their memories wiped, and start all over again? What if for one law breaker, Slating didn’t quite work? (Slated)
• What if teens can be unwound, every part of them kept alive for transplantation, so they aren’t technically ‘dead’? (Unwind)
• What if the oceans were rising and you had to fight for your future on a changed Earth? (The Exodus Trilogy)
• What if the planet’s fuel resources have been depleted, and the only way to make energy is by winding it? (Springpunk)

 
The best advice given to aspiring writers is often this: read, read, read. But I don’t read these kinds of books as homework. To me it is what I love.

For the giveaway, I’ve picked Neil Shusterman’s Unwind as my favourite. And I’ve got a signed, shiny, new copy of my novel, Slated: it isn’t published until May 3, so you could be one of the first to have it.

Julienne Durber

Hi. I’m the most experienced designer in Demention, but the least experienced writer. My first novel, Springpunk is … on its way! (watch this space)

My obsession with all things dark and demented, otherworldly and odd began in the pages of 2000AD with the dismally brilliant Nemesis the Warlock and Judge Dredd stories before crawling through both cinema (Bladerunner, Brazil) and the classic dystopias of Brave New World, Farenheit 451 and of course 1984.

The idea of struggle against adversity is the basis of storytelling, and the darker and more sinister the adversity, the more heroic the struggle.

Throw in the paranoid feeling that everyone really is out to get everyone else and that there is nothing anyone can do about it, and each tiny victory is that much sweeter.

As I know my co-conspirators have chosen two modern classics of the genre, my giveaway choice is something different – Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift. Forget the films and tv adaptations, this is the ultimate in poisoned razorblades hidden within a dark, otherworldly fairy story.

Julie Bertagna

I’m the author of 12 books, young adult and children's, published in 20-something countries around the world. Aurora, the final part of my futuristic Exodus trilogy, is now out and I’m writing my 13th novel (hopefully not unlucky!) set in a very different future, but just as dramatic. You can find more about me on my page.

I loved dystopian stories long before anyone called them that. As a teenager, I loved edgy fiction that left me rattled, set my imagination on fire. Stories with big ideas, futuristic settings where the world was altered - books so powerful they took me right out of myself, and when I finished them my heart ached and my reality felt different. I was full of new feelings, yearnings, perceptions, possibilities...

Powerful stuff, books.

So when I wrote the Exodus trilogy, I was trying to create the kind of story I loved. 

Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses is my choice for the prize giveaway. Though we didn’t know it then, she and I were groundbreakers of a sort - writing YA dystopian fiction, ahead of the trend. It’s a brilliant book that turns the world on its head. I'll also include a signed copy of Exodus, book 1 of my trilogy.

The Demention giveaway!

To enter, follow this blog and leave a comment below. What do you like about dystopian fiction, and if you had to pick one favourite to giveaway like we have done, what would it be? Tweet about the competition and mention that in your comment, and you get an extra entry. The competition closes on May 6 at noon UK time, and is open internationally.

Please note: this competition is now closed. Winners are posted below! Thanks for entering.


The Winners - chosen totally at random - are: (drum roll, please....)
Unwind: Amber
Slated: Hannah
Gulliver's Travels: KM Lockwood
Noughts and Crosses: Nina, Death Books and Tea
Exodus: Scheherazade
Please get in touch on the contact form with your details! We'll try to track you down if we don't hear back, but will pick new winners in a week if necessary. Thanks for entering.


The books: one copy each of Unwind, by Neil Shusterman; a signed copy of Slated, by Teri Terry; Gulliver's Travels, by Jonathan Swift; Noughts and Crosses, by Malorie Blackman; and a signed copy of Exodus, by Julie Bertagna.

 
The details: A winner will be selected for each book using a random number generator, and posted on Demention: they then have a week to contact us with their details so we can post the book before another winner will be chosen. Our favourites weren’t donated by publishers, they are our genuine picks. Good luck!