Author Interview: Susan Bigelow

Susan Bigelow is the author of debut novel Broken - check out my review here.

What inspired your dystopian world?

There are a few answers. The first is that I wrote it directly after the 2004 election, and I'd been a big supporter of the guy who lost. I was feeling down, and wanted to put all that political energy into a writing project. The political overtones in the book are partly a result of that. 

Another answer is that I wanted to write about a very dark moment in the history of this world, which is something I've been building for a long time, and these characters fit very well in that space. 

A third answer might be that I've studied totalitarianism quite a bit, and reading all that history (and current events) informed the shape of this world.

Your characters have various superpowers - if you could have any power, what would you pick?  Would you use it for good or evil?

Oh, I'd want to fly, no question! Sadly, I'm pretty sure I'd mostly use it to beat the traffic. Maybe I'd save kittens from trees, if I saw any.

That's kind of a flip answer, I know! I do think I'd try to use whatever powers I had for good, whenever the opportunity arose. 

Do you play favorites with your characters?  If so, who is your favorite and why?

My favorite character is Janeane, who has a minor role in this book. I love it when she shows up. She's amazingly mysterious, very powerful, and utterly self-assured.

If your novel were to become a movie, who would be in your dream cast?

Ack, I have no idea! I know next to nothing about who might star in movies, sadly. Um. How about David Boreanez as Sky Ranger? He could grow a beard? 

What writers would you say have inspired you?

Robin McKinley, Judy Blume, Lois McMaster Bujold and many, many others.

Thanks for stopping by, Susan!  Great answers!