What does the person who creates books read?

Well, I can't speak for everyone, but in my case, unfortunately, I don't read much. Most of what I read is non-fiction or historical fiction that is close to what I'm working on. So, for example, when I was writing Red Country, I read a lot of non-fiction about the American West and a few westerns, I've been watching Deadwood and a lot of Clint Eastwood movies… to be honest, I'm having a hard time reading for pleasure these days. It's hard to turn off the editorial part of your brain and just enjoy yourself.

What are you currently working on? But when can we expect new announcements?

I am working on a book called Devils. It's a sort of fantasy suicide squad where the Pope keeps a collection of monsters in his basement to deal with problems the righteous aren't ready for. I don't know when exactly it will be out, but my American publisher likes to have plenty of time, so it looks like 2025...

Are there any special rituals that help you write?

Only human casualties, for the most part.

Do you have a playlist that inspires you when you work, and if so, can you share it?

There's really nothing much to share. I know a lot of authors listen to music while they work, but I've always found it a little distracting. Sometimes I use something particularly relevant when I'm writing a certain scene, but usually I work in beautiful silence.

Do the illustrations in the Ukrainian editions of "Half of the King" and "Half of the World" correspond to your vision of the heroes?

Yes, to a certain extent, but I often don't have that exact idea of ​​what the characters look like, and I'm often more interested in seeing what an artist comes up with than expecting him to create what's already in my head. What I think is more important is that the art captures the feel of the books - and that's where the illustrations come in Taras Kopanskyi are truly unsurpassed.They are incredibly atmospheric, they combine characters with images, runes, actions, to create a kind of mosaic that really gets to the heart of what the book is about. It's also clear that he read the books very carefully and incorporated all kinds of elements of the world in a really subtle and effective way way - for example, the faces of small gods to whom people pray for help in certain areas of their lives life is full of such details in the illustrations.

What other books or series of yours would you like to see in the Ukrainian illustrated edition?

Oh, listen, I'd like to see everything I've written published as lavishly and widely as possible, in all formats and languages. But it is not so often that translated books become so thoughtful and rich.

9 years have passed since the release of "Half a King". If you were writing this novel now, would you change anything or, on the contrary, add to the story?

There are things in many of my books that I would do differently now, but nothing comes to mind in the Gutted Sea books - I am very pleased with how they turned out. Compared to some of my other work, they are quite short, tight and focused, so there aren't many indents that I would cut or redo. But even if I could rewrite and change them, I'm not sure I'd want that - books are a kind of testament to what kind of writer you were and what kind of person you were, when he wrote them. How do you know you won't want to change them again in a few years?

Are any of your characters based on real people? Or, maybe each of them is a reflection of certain features of the author? I'm especially curious about Glokta, is he based on someone you know (I'm assuming he kind of resembles you because I get the feeling you really love the scumbag)

Of course, I don't take people out of reality completely, but of course I observed certain people or certain behavior, which in a certain way entered one or another hero of my books. You're right that ultimately most of them have to reflect the author in some way - all their words and thoughts come from my heads, so I think they should - but it doesn't necessarily feel that way to me. Glokta arose in part from an experience where I had a backache for some time, from a feeling of bitterness towards the world, which occurs when you feel constant pain.

We're all excited about Best Served Cold Can we expect a film adaptation of The First Law anytime soon? Would you prefer it to be a TV series or a film trilogy? Would you prefer live action or animation? Speaking of live action, which actor do you prefer? would you dream to see in the trilogy "The First Law"?

Well, I've been in this business long enough to know that a dream cast is one that will get a project off the ground. To be honest, I think the best casting is often the odd or unconventional one that brings something in a character that you really don't expect, so I try to be completely open about that. Arcane was brilliant, but it's still something of an exception, and creating animations of this quality is really expensive, it's certainly not an easy option. Right now everything is focused on the movie "Best Served Cold", but the writers' and actors' strikes have put everything on hold for now, so it's hard to say when things will start moving again. I have to see how it goes before I think about what will happen next If this movie will be successful, then we will see. I've been working on moving things for a decade now from the First Law to the screen. So ask me again in ten years, maybe…

In your acknowledgments, you often mention your wife. I know she is also an author, although she works in other genres. Do you turn to her for professional advice?

My wife is one of the few people who reads my books while I'm working on them - my father, mother and brother are usually my first audience, and my wife and editor often read things when they're a bit fuller - they're my set of fresh eyes. I don't necessarily pay too much attention to one person's opinion, but when they agree on something, then I really can't ignore it (it's kind of annoying)…

Do your children like to read? Do they like your books?

They all read a lot, but none of them have picked up my books yet. Maybe they're worried about how awkward it would be if they didn't like them. It would be hard to never speak to my children again.

I know you studied psychology. Have you ever worked in this field? Perhaps you have consulted with wounded soldiers because your description of their emotions is incredible!

You are right, I have a degree in psychology, but I have never used it professionally, unless of course you count my writing. One of the main things I studied was human error and the psychology of failure—why ships sink, why reactors melt down, why generals make disastrous decisions—so that could very well be the root of all the failures and disasters in my books. I've always found failure and disaster more interesting than heroics and success.

What do you think about fanfics based on your books? Did you read something, did you like something?

I know there's something out there, but to be honest, I've never looked for it. To be honest, it's a little weird to read how other people write your characters. It's like coming home to a stranger sleeping in your bed...