From international bestselling author Brad Parks comes an emotional, heart-pounding thriller that explores the scientific unknown—and one woman’s efforts to save her husband from its consequences.
We chat to author Brad Parks about his latest novel Interference, along with book recommendations, writing, and more!
Hi, Brad! Tell us a bit about yourself!
Hi, fellow nerds! I was that kid in class who always had his hand up, because he always knew the answer (or at least thought he did). This didn’t get me picked on or bullied or anything. I’ve since evolved into a middle-aged guy who keeps my hand down because it embarrasses my wife and children when I talk too much. Also, I write books for a living because I have no other marketable skills.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I wrote my first novel when I was 7. It was about a bear wandering through the wilderness with his friends, except I spelled it B-E-E-R. My attention to detail has only improved so much since then.
Interference is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Science thriller with big heart.
Now tell us a little more! What can readers expect?
You can expect a dose of quantum entanglement—but not so heavy a dose that you’ll get lost. You can expect a protagonist you’ll cheer for—a librarian with hearing loss whose husband goes missing. And you can expect to be totally surprised by the twists and turns. Because if you’re not I’ve failed at my job.
Where did the inspiration for Interference come from?
I had (nerd alert!) been wanting to write a book with physics in it for several years, because I’m fascinated by it. Not the doing of physics, per se (I was never much good at that); but the ideas of physics and the stories behind them. For a long time, I couldn’t figure out how to fit my book to the science. Then I got the blinding flash of inspiration to fit the science to my book. Fifteen minutes later, I had the idea of a physics professor going missing and of people attempting to use quantum physics to find him.
Were there any challenges you faced while writing?
Were there ever not challenges would be a better question. Look, I don’t care who you are, if writing is easy for you, you’re not doing it right. For me, drafting a novel is like walking a high wire with no net and a balance pole that consists of squirming guinea pigs. It takes quite an effort not to fall to my death with each manuscript and yet I somehow have to. The pigs are counting on me.
What piece of advice would you give to aspiring writers?
I’ll steal a Reed Farrell Coleman line: Fall in love with writing, not with what you’ve written. Look, the goal—especially when you’re first starting out—is to be able to look back on the stuff you were writing a year or two earlier and be totally mortified because it’s utter crap compared to what you’re writing now. Keep doing that for about ten years and you might finally be onto something.
With the current state of the world, what are you doing to cope with the changes we’ve had to make with our day-to-day?
The two most important aspects of my coping strategy are ear plugs and India Pale Ale. Though because I’ve already gained my Q-15, I need to start cutting down on the latter. Next week.
Lastly, what are you currently reading and do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
Currently on my nightstand: Jill Lepore’s magnificent THESE TRUTHS; Emanual Saez and Gabriel Zucman’s THE TRIUMPH OF INJUSTICE; Steven Pinker’s ENLIGHTENMENT NOW; and Erica Ruth Neubauer’s MURDER AT THE MENA HOUSE. What can I say, I want to have a book for every mood.
You can find Brad on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and BookBub, along with at his website.
