Welcome, friend! I am so excited to bring you this conversation with Mary G. Thompson, author of The Word, Flicker and Mist, and other novels for children and young adults, as well as the latest sci-fi novella One Level Down that I shared about in my last post. Let’s welcome her.
Get to know the author: Mary G. Thompson
Hi Mary! It is a pleasure to have you on Armed with A Book. Please tell me and my readers a bit about yourself.
By day I’m a mild mannered law librarian. Nights and weekends, I like to create people just to put them in terrible situations. You’ll often find me walking around my neighbourhood taking pictures of bunnies. Now you know everything important about me!
Speculative fiction often involves blending complex ideas with engaging storytelling. What draws you to this genre, and what do you find most rewarding about writing within it?
I also write contemporary novels, but what’s great about speculative fiction is that you can pack a lot in. The character’s not just trapped in a house with a terrible father, she’s trapped in a house with a terrible father in a simulation that’s on a colony planet. And wait, there’s more! I find it a lot more interesting to have that complexity. Hopefully you can make the reader both feel something and think—and never get bored.
I enjoyed One Level Down and reading about the journey of its creation in your note at the end of the book. Can you share your inspiration for this story and how the idea evolved from concept to finished book?
At first I was interested in what would happen if a colony uploaded themselves into a simulation and someone had to stay outside to take care of it. That evolved into a story about the technicians who come service the universe, which then evolved into the final version, which is about a woman who is trapped inside. I still hope to write more about the technician featured in this story, but ultimately the person in the worst situation was the most interesting!
Ella is such a complex character, balancing the act of being a 5-year-old while yearning for freedom. How did you approach writing her perspective and maintaining her emotional depth throughout the story?
I always try to put myself in the character’s situation. The foundation for a lot of speculative fiction, including mine, is what would you do if …? In real life, people in seemingly powerless situations manage to find agency and drive their own stories, so I was focused on ensuring Ella could do that. It helps that as a woman and former girl I’ve been treated like a kid plenty of times, so I could relate!
Daddy is a chilling figure of control and manipulation. How did you develop his character, and what did you hope readers would take away from his role in the story?
I wanted to make sure he had a reason in his mind for doing the things he was doing. At the same time, I didn’t want him to be sympathetic. He’s the villain. But I do hope that people consider what could drive a person to behave in this way.
The Technicians and the Academy add a layer of intrigue to the story. Can you share more about their backstory?
The idea for the Technicians grew from the need for someone to take care of the equipment where the universes are stored. Everything needs maintenance, so it seemed logical that someone like the Technicians would have to exist. So, they would need specialized knowledge, and in this world, they gain this knowledge at the Academy and have their own power structure. There is a lot more in my mind about this aspect of the world that I’d love to eventually write about.
Your book raises thought-provoking questions about the nature of simulated universes and what it means to create or live in one. What do you hope readers will reflect on after finishing the story?
In this world, people can create any universe they can afford to pay for. So what universe would you choose? Would you rather upload yourself into a universe you can never escape from or die a natural death? Also, as a former attorney, I hope people think about what rules we should create if simulated universes ever become possible. How can we have the benefits without the abuses that are so easy to imagine?
At under 200 pages, One Level Down delivers a rich and impactful narrative. What challenges did you face in keeping the story concise while building such an immersive world?
I tend to write short, so sometimes the challenge for me is finding a way to stretch something out. So novellas are probably the perfect length for me. You can pack a lot of information into a sentence or two. I think even for longer books the process involves constantly paring down and asking if you really need this paragraph or this line or this word. I always add things during revision, too, but ultimately it’s a judgment call on where to draw the line between conveying the information and cutting the fat.
Do you have a favourite quote or scene in One Level Down that you find yourself going back to?
For me, the bit where Daddy cuts up Ella’s food is memorable. It’s so infantilizing—everyday horror.
Do you have plans to revisit Ella’s world or explore other stories within the same universe? What directions could you see future books taking?
I would love to explore more of this world. I have ideas for what happens after the end of the book and also for more about the Technicians, and Niclaus in particular. So hopefully I will be able to do that one day.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thank you for reading! I hope everyone enjoys Ella’s story.
Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me and share with my readers.
I hope you will check out One Level Down on Goodreads and read my review on the blog.
Many thanks to Tachyon Publications LLC for connecting me with Mary and providing a review copy of the book for an honest review. Connect with Mary on www.marygthompson.com.
Thank you for reading the interview! 🙂
Be First to Comment