I’m super interested in dystopian books right now. The latest #bookthoughts on the blog have been about The Warehouse by Rob Hart and it is always a pleasure and honor to talk to the author about their book and more. Set in the future, when all deliveries are made using drones, guns are no longer a part of America, and many big cities have collapsed, giving rise to MotherClouds that become big cities themselves, much has changed from today’s time. The Warehouse is a deep study of the drive and choices that led to this future, the effects on the people of the world, and the comfort that it provides.
As I was reading, I thought it sounded so much like Amazon of the future but talking to Rob about his inspiration and research, I was bond to learn something new. It has been wonderful to connect with him! If you have already read The Warehouse, I hope some of your questions are answered below. If you haven’t picked it yet, definitely check it out. While it arrives on your device or your doorstep, sit back, relax and learn about it more from Rob (no spoilers)! 🙂
- What was the moment when the idea of the book first came to be? What made you pursue it?
I read this article (link below). And I thought: “There’s a book here.” I kept circling back to the idea, until eventually I realized that if I didn’t write it, someone else would. And I would have been furious with myself if I let it get away.
- What were some things you had to research for the purpose of writing this book?
Most of my research went into Wal-Mart. They’ve been around since the 1960s so you can see how they went from a very small local business to a massive corporation that rewrote the economy. Other than that—I read the news. A lot. I’m a bit of a news junkie so I kept a file, and whenever I saw something even a little related, I would save it. I ended up with about 80 pages of just links.
- Throughout your book you mention what has happened to the rest of the world. “Small towns collapsed. Coastal villages underwater. Cities packed to capacity. Beyond capacity. Some third-world countries are practically wastelands.” How did that come to be?
That’s what I think is happening now. I live in New York City and you go upstate and you see all these small towns that are falling apart, or nearly vacant. It’s getting harder for small businesses to survive, and people are moving to cities to be closer to jobs and goods. And the climate is in a state of crisis. So… I think this is what the world is going to look like in the very, very near future.
- Paxton was put in a number of situations where his personal values did not align with how his colleagues and Cloud handled things. You have had major roles in organizations and based on your experiences, what has been your experience, in these regards? And what ways would you suggest to reconcile your personal vision with that of the company you are working for?
I feel like a lot of us have comprised ourselves and our values because we felt like we had to—to protect our job, or to protect someone we love, or because we feel like we’re a part of a team. I worked in politics—there were plenty of times I was doing a thing that I didn’t agree with, but I still wanted to be good at it and do the best job possible. As for how we reconcile ourselves with the companies we work for… that’s an incredibly hard question to answer. It depends on the person. And the situation.
You may disagree with the company you work for—but if it’s the only way to support yourself and your family, what do you do?
- The Warehouse begins with Gibson, the CEO of Cloud, and his illness. It was a subtle reminder that no matter how comfortable or successful we might become in life, we all have a fixed time. Was there any other reason to show Gibson’s character in this stage of life?
I thought it was a punchy opening, with this huge, messianic figure announcing his impending death. It would completely alter the economy! And it also sets the events of the book into motion, to a degree. It gets Zinnia into the game, it gives Paxton the drive to want to confront Gibson.
- Zinnia is intelligent, ruthless in pursuit of her goals, and at the same time, shrouded in mystery. What is her story? What kind of life did she have before she came to the Cloud and what drove her to become specialized in espionage?
I don’t really want to say! Because I’ve thought of exploring some of that in short stories. I love writing her so much.
- You are the author of a number of novels, such as New Yorked and the Ash McKenna series. How is The Warehouse different from your other books?
This was my first standalone. It’s fun to write a series but I like the idea of playing in a sandbox for a little while, and then blowing up the sandbox (not counting some Zinnia shorts, if I write them). This was also my first time juggling multiple narrators and a third person perspective. Which was both terrifying and liberating.
- What would you recommend your readers to read after The Warehouse?
Wanderers by Chuck Wendig and American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson are my two favorite books that I’ve read this year. I read a lot of other good books but I think these are a good start.
- What would you tell your younger self when it comes to writing?
Calm down. Read more. Don’t be so hard on yourself.
** The Warehouse is now out in stores so get a copy today! **
Amazon Print
Amazon Kindle
Let me and Rob know what you think! We can be found on Twitter as @robwhart and @_armedwithabook. Don’t forget to check out my book thoughts here. Thanks for stopping by!
Cover image: Photo by Ramon Cordeiro on Unsplash
Great interview! Love the insights of the author!