Today we will be interviewing Daniel Wilson’s intriguing new technological thriller, Amped.
Kenny: First of all let me ask you something I’ve always been curious about. Do books take reviews of themselves personally? Do you experience jealousy, for example?
Amped: Books have a saying, “all regard is good regard.” Feelings don’t come into it.
Kenny: Glad to hear it. Now in my opinion you are a much better book than your author’s previous novel Robopocalypse, is that true?
Voice from the adjacent book shelf: That’s an outrage!
Amped: Stow it Robopocalypse, this is my time! Now as to your question, the answer is yes, my characters are better developed, my narrative more convincing and the moral implications of my story are more challenging.
Kenny: The premise of your story really does engage the reader morally. Can you talk about that element a bit.
Amped: Yes, my story supposes that a medical advance, neural implants, have taken root in human culture. The implants increase brain efficiency, along with curing things like Down’s Syndrome, autism, and epilepsy. Neural implants are externally visible as a small plug-in port on the user’s scalp. In the story, a backlash occurs in which Pure Priders, unmodified humans who feel that people with neural implants, or Amps, are not human anymore, and are draining societal resources and making non-amplified humans second class citizens.
Kenny: That is a fascinating premise. It raises all manner of issues involving personal identity, and whether such technology simply amplifies who we are, or whether it fundamentally alters it. One thing I liked about you was that your author took a strong, position on that.
Amped: Yes, I feel that made me better to read. On another topic I’m curious as to how you felt I did as a thriller.
Kenny: Oh very well, in fact. If I may say so, I found you both thought provoking and nail biting.
Amped: I’m pleased to hear it.
Kenny: Sure. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about yourself.
Amped: It was my pleasure Kenny!
