We chat with author Van Jensen about Godfall, which is a riveting small town thriller that follows Sheriff David Blunt who is faced with a string of murders following the arrival of an alien life form—perfect for fans of Blake Crouch and Jeff Vandermeer, and soon to be a television series from Ron Howard!
Hi, Van! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! I’ve mostly been known as a writer of comic books and graphic novels, including working on characters like Godzilla, James Bond, Superman, and the Flash, as well as creating several original projects. Currently, I’m writing a sci-fi/thriller novel trilogy and show-running an in-development TV series.
I always work on genre stories, but I think I tend to come up with unique ideas and then really delve into the characters. I want to create art that can just be enjoyed at the most simple level, but also that rewards a deeper engagement.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I had this incredibly fortunate childhood, in that I grew up in a creative family—my mom is an accomplished painter, both grandmothers were poets, lots of musicians. Most of all, we were a family of storytellers. I’m sure part of it is that my dad’s side of the family ran the town movie theatre going back to the silent film era.
When I was three, I was already drawing cartoons. Later, I would write short fiction and make films. A lot of that owes to boredom. My hometown was about 300 people at the time, and we lived a couple of miles outside of town on some 70 acres. That land became a blank slate for my imagination.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Tree House Mystery by Carol Beach York.
- The one that made you want to become an author: I. Joe comics, written and drawn by Larry Hama.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Anything by Italo Calvino.
Your debut novel, Godfall, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Giant alien plus a murderer!
What can readers expect?
A giant alien! And a murderer!
Okay, I guess I should expand on that… Godfall imagines a world in which a three-mile-long alien falls out of the sky, dead, next to a small Nebraska town. A very sci-fi hook, I know. And while the science fiction is part of it, mostly the book follows the sheriff of this town, who just wanted to be Andy Griffith in his own little Mayberry. Instead, he has to contend with an influx of soldiers, scientists, bureaucrats, and cultists. All while trying to solve a series of murders that have a mysterious connection to the giant.
I think readers can expect a white-knuckle ride, but the book also has a lot to say about the way America is divided between the urban and rural—and maybe offers some hope for a way we could all get along.
Where did the inspiration for Godfall come from?
I literally had a fever dream about a giant alien falling on my town. I woke up and thought, “Okay, that’s something.” It really clicked when I realized that something like that would transform a sleepy town, turning it from a village into a mecca overnight. That left me with a lot of great grist for characters, a lot of conflict.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Honestly, my favorite thing was probably stocking the book full of characters inspired by all the oddballs I grew up with. Small farm towns are full of some colorful folks!
The main character, Sheriff David Blunt, is for sure the character I feel closest to. He’s a very stubborn but well intentioned man—a good, decent man—put into an impossible situation. I suppose that’s just the way it goes as a writer. You create characters you like, and then you run them through the ringer.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
This was my first novel, so the biggest thing was continuing to work while I doubted that I could or should write prose. About a hundred pages in, I had to send the draft to a writer friend. “Just read a couple of chapters and tell me if I suck,” I said. He read the pages and told me I didn’t suck. It was quite a bit easier after that.
This is your debut novel! With graphic novels, reporting, and editing all under your belt, what was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
It’s been quite a journey! I started writing everyday as a journalist some 20 years ago. Along the way, I think I did two things. I kept producing work, no matter what the form. And I kept my focus on storytelling. I had so many opportunities to quit along the way, but I stubbornly refused.
Even just getting Godfall out into the world wasn’t easy. I sent in the first draft to my then-agent, and it sat on his desk for nearly two years without him reading it. There’s a reason I call him my “then-agent.”
What’s next for you?
There are two more Godfall books coming from my lovely publisher, Grand Central, and I might’ve started working on a standalone novel as well.
Outside of prose, I sold a TV project to a studio and have written the pilot for it, so hopefully that will be coming out in the not-distant future. I’m also an executive producer on the TV adaptation of Godfall, which Ron Howard is set to direct.
Beyond that, who knows? Maybe another fever dream will bring some new inspiration.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
Vigil by George Saunders, of course. The English release of I Give You My Silence, Mario Vargas Llosa’s final novel. Whenever there’s new Mick Herron, that’s top of the list.
