The Nerd Daily had the chance to sit down with Shaun David Hutchinson, acclaimed author of Brave Face, The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried and We Are the Ants. We got to ask Shaun all our burning questions about his latest novel The State of Us, his current nerdy obsessions and so much more!
You can find Shaun on Twitter and Instagram, along with at his website.
Hi, Shaun! Thanks for taking the time to talk to us! Why don’t you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Thanks for having me! I’ve been writing young adult novels for ten years now, and I’ve been baking (and eating!) my way through the pandemic. I’m an unabashed geek when it comes to science fiction and computers and video games. I live in Seattle, though I grew up and spent most of my adult life in South Florida—I don’t miss it at all!
Since this is The Nerd Daily, do you mind sharing what nerdy/geeky things you’re loving at the moment?
I’m absolutely in love with the new show Upload about virtual worlds where people can go to live when they die. It’s smart like The Good Place but dark like Black Mirror. I’m also in love with the Murderbot series by Martha Wells. If I could marry Murderbot, I would.
The Valve Index VR headset has also been a huge part of how I’ve stayed mentally healthy during the pandemic. Getting to tour museums and talk to other people while helming the Enterprise has been a life saver.
Now tell us about The State of Us!
Absolutely! The State of Us centers around Dean and Dre, the sons of the Republican and Democrat candidates for President of the United States. They seem like total opposites, but when they meet during a debate between their parents and get the chance to talk, sparks fly. It’s Romeo and Juliet for the 21st century…but without the all the death.
The way you handle the discussion surrounding politics and opposing stances on critical issues was something I really enjoyed about The State of Us. Dean and Dre obviously come from two very different households that have opposing political agendas. Was it hard writing such a political novel from both the Republican and Democratic side without “siding” with either one?
Thank you. It was incredibly difficult. I absolutely have opinions about which side I think does more harm, and I’m not afraid to talk about them, but my goal when writing the politics in this book wasn’t about that. It was about challenging readers to think about their own views, it was about challenging them to interrogate their views with their family and friends, it was about reminding readers that people are capable of change.
I grew up with a liberal mom, but I also grew up in the South. I’m used to the living with those kinds of contradictions. I went to a Catholic middle school where I took religion and attended weekly mass, but where I also had science taught by a Harley-riding, ex-military lesbian who prioritized teaching evolution. My dad and step-brothers are very country and conservative, so I definitely understand what it’s like trying to navigate a familial relationship with a person who claims to love you but votes for people who think you don’t deserve the same rights as others. At the end of the day, I still think he’s capable of change. I think he can be the person I know he can be. I think he’s worth the effort.
One thing I fangirled a bit about in The State of Us is that both Dean and Dre bring up a lot of popular culture and books in general in their POVs – one of them being Neville Longbottom as a potential crush. What would be Dean and Dre’s favorite movie or show to watch on Netflix? Would they exchange books and if so, what would they recommend each other?
I love this question. I think Dre is definitely addicted to The Magicians and is sad that it’s over, and Dean is a closet Riverdale fan. For books, Dre would give Dean a list, and at the top of that list would be Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender. Dean would give Dre Homo Deus: A History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari, and would then spend the next few days wondering if he should have given him something else.
There’s this line in The State of Us, “You have an opportunity to speak for people who can’t speak for themselves” that really resonated with me. Speaking up for others comes with a lot of responsibility and Dre is worried about falling short. Can you talk a bit about what you envision for Dre after the novel ends?
I think Dre remains a reluctant advocate—simply because he doesn’t love being in the spotlight—but that in college he finds ways to follow his passions while using his privilege and position to champion for a better world. The thing I love about Dre is that he changes Dean just by being who he is, so I think Dre just keeps being true to himself, and that doing so has a big impact on the people around him.
Also, he does the special effects for a student movie that quickly gains an underground cult following, so that’s pretty cool.
The demisexual representation in The State of Us really resonated with me and I was so glad it was included! With pride month coming up, do you have any recommendations for our readers who are looking for more diverse #LGBTQ+ rep?
I’m reading All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson, which is incredible. Anything and everything by Julian Winters; he’s got a new one coming out in August called The Summer of Everything. You should definitely be reading Dread Nation and The Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland. Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas.
And then, I haven’t read but am really looking forward to: Where We Go From Here by Lucas Rocha, You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson, and The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall.
Out of all the books you have written so far, which has been the easiest and which the most difficult to finish?
That’s a tough one! The most difficult was probably Brave Face. Writing a memoir is so different from writing fiction. There’s nothing to hide behind in non-fiction, and I made the commitment before I began writing to be brutally honest no matter how much it hurt—and it definitely hurt. Every day, it seemed, I would start an email to my editor backing out of the project, but I never sent it, and I’m glad for that.
The easiest was probably The State of Us, not because it was easy but because it wasn’t just the book I wanted to write, it was the book I wanted to read. I was in a darker place at the time, and finding the joy in Dre and Dean’s relationship was the balm that soothed my soul. I woke up each day eager to get to my computer and find out what they were going to do next. The joy of their story just poured out of me.
Mindy, Dean’s friend, completely stole my heart. I thought that she was the perfect balance to Dean and Dre’s political views and also offered up a space to discuss younger voters leaning towards more ‘popular’ political candidates. What do you think draws younger voters in to types of candidates like you portrayed in the novel?
Thank you! I also really love Mindy. She was one of those characters who peeked out and then nearly stole the whole book. I think that younger voters honestly feel invisible to politicians and older voters. I think they feel like their votes don’t matter and their views aren’t respected. And they’re not wrong. The world is a disaster. We need strong, decisive leadership. Instead, we got the most lukewarm candidate possible. So I think there’s a kind of nihilism that settles in. A desire to completely burn the system down and start again.
And it’s a feeling I sympathize with. We do an exceptionally terrible job in this country of listening to young voters. They’re the ones who have to live with the choices older voters are making. They deserve a say. Populist candidates speak to that need in a way that I think traditional politicians don’t. It’s a powerful thing to be heard, to feel like your voice matters, and I can understand why young voters might be lured in by it even if the candidate is a total creep.
Without spoiling the ending, I do want to know: did you know how The State of Us was going to end when you first came up with the idea for the novel or did the ending present itself while writing?
I kind of knew. I usually have a general idea that I’m working toward even though I don’t outline. Some bits changed as the book progressed, but I definitely had an idea where I wanted to end up.
With The State of Us releasing soon, are you already working on another project? If so, can you share a few tidbits with us?
I’m definitely working. I’ve got a book out Spring 2021 called A Complicated Love Story Set in Space. I teased it on Twitter as “Gays in Space” for months before coming up with a real title (actually, my agent came up with the title because she’s amazing), and it’s about Noa and DJ who wake up on a spaceship with no idea how they got there. I’ve flirted with sci-fi in the past, but this is my first deep dive, and I’m so excited.
Last but not least, do you have any bookish recommendations for our readers?
I can’t say enough good things about The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, Do You Dream of Terra Two by Temi Oh, Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi, and the Tensorate series by JY Yang.
