(First book in the series)
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Publisher: Mira Ink
Release Date: January 2011
Category: Young Adult, Dystopia
Source: From the publisher
Paperback: 315
Summary from Amazon:
Keep your head down. Don't get noticed. Or else. I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? Not like it's all that dangerous - the only neck at risk is my own. Until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution...
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Interview with Maria V. Snyder!
Thanks to the lovely people at Mira Ink, I had the opportunity to ask a few questions to the wonderful Maria V. Snyder!
My review of Inside Out will follow tonight!
Hi Maria!
I am really thrilled to be asking you some questions about the amazing Inside Out!!
First of all, I wanted to know how came to you the idea of a world where everyone lives inside, where there is a hierarchical society of uppers and scrubs and about the scrubs in particular?
A dream! I dreamt the whole story, including plot, characters, the Pop Cops, the society, and even the twists! I’ve never had a dream like that before or since, and I’ve been wracking my brain to remember what I had for dinner that night :)
I thought that the oppression at living inside and being a scrub felt by Trella is really well described, how did you set to write the book? Did you isolate yourself to write these scenes or did it just come to you in your imagination and you didn't need to change any of your writing habits?
They came to me in my imagination. I wrote the book the same as all my others. In fact, it was easier since I had almost a complete plot to work with at the start. My other books, I had to fill in the details and discover the story as I wrote.
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Dystopia is fast becoming one of the most popular genres in Young Adult Literature and I was wondering if we could see more into this than just the thrilling action and the fascinating worlds. With books like The Hunger Games, Matched and now Inside Out, rebellion is a major theme of Dystopia, do you think that we should see this as a generational feeling for teenagers (and not so teenagers)?
I agree that Dystopia is popular right now, and I think there are many reasons for this trend. One, because there have been a number of great books released in the last few years, including the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld and readers are clamouring for more. Two, the current global economy is rather glum and it's all over the news. These books portraying horrible societies gives readers a sense that compared to say The Hunger Games, things aren't THAT bad. Third, I agree with you. It could be a generational feel since the main characters in these books change their world and teens are constantly being told they're the future and they CAN change the world. Plus these characters are strong survivors and proactive – they're great role models, making the best of the worst situations. (Note- I haven't read Matched, yet :)
And I would like to comment that I had the idea for Inside Out back in 2003 and finished the book well before The Hunger Games was released in July 2008. I'm sure other authors have as well and I think it's interesting how these ideas form in many writers around the same time. It's not like we rush to write a dystopia because it's popular – many writers have already finished the story and it's either been sitting in their drawer or making the rounds of editors.
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Could you give us a top 5 of your favourite heroines in books?
Am I allowed to choose the heroines from my own books? :) I didn't think so. Here they are in no particular order: Tess Sorensen from Jaran by Kate Elliott; Lessa from the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey; Hermione Granger from Harry Potter; Claire Danvers from the Morganville Vampire Series by Rachel Caine; and Alexia Tarabotti from Soulless by Gail Carriger.
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And finally, do you have some deets about your current and future projects (ok, and Outside In in particular!!)?
Outside In begins about twelve weeks after the events in Inside Out. The world is trying to recover from all the changes that has happened and not everyone is happy about the new state of affairs. Trouble starts soon after and Trella has to deal with a whole laundry list of problems: sabotage, the new Committee, and her mother. If that wasn't bad enough, there is something from Outside and it wants in! I do have the first chapter of the book up on my website, but I would strongly suggest you DO NOT read it unless you finished Inside Out.
Here's the link:http://www.mariavsnyder.com/books/OutsideIn.php
Right now I’m working on another fantasy novel about a healer set in a world that is recovering from a deadly plague. Her world has blamed the plague on the healers and has hunted them down. She is finally caught only to be rescued by a group who wants her to heal their Prince. The group's leader, Kerrick, knows the healers aren't to blame for the plague and that she could do some good for a change instead of hiding. Unfortunately, she believes this Prince is the one who started the plague as an attempt at biological warfare so she isn't risking her life for some pampered Prince. As they travel to the Prince's hidden location, they're pursued by others who have realized having a healer around might just be a good thing for them, but not necessarily for her. This book is set for a January 2012 release in the US.
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Many, many thanks for writing such wonderful books and for taking the time to answer these questions!
Thank you so much for inviting me! If your readers would like more info about me and my books, I have the first chapter of all my books on my website as well as a number of free short stories they can read. I also have a page full of writing advice for any aspiring writers out there :)
Here's the link: http://www.mariavsnyder.com
And my blog is: http://officialmariavsnyder.blogspot.com
Thank you so much to Mira Ink for sending me the book and giving me the opportunity to interview Maria!
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