Visit the the Q&A category on Rhiannon's blog for more questions and answersQuestions about writing and books
- Hex trilogy
- Bad Blood
- More questions about writing
How would you describe The Hex Trilogy?
[Asked by Rachel Goh on the Facebook fan page in December 2008]
Rhiannon's answer: It’s a story about teenage hackers with a paranormal ability to interface with computers. The central character, Raven, is particularly gifted at this. These people are known as Hexes; they are branded as mutants in the media and hunted by a special branch of the police. Throughout the books Raven and her associates are drawn further and further into outright rebellion against the totalitarian government of Europe.
Raven herself is an unlikely heroine and too much of a loner to be the true leader of her group. But, as she occasionally reminds them, without her they’d be in deep trouble because no one else has her skill in evading the police and hiding in plain sight. Raven trusts to her abilities to save her from any danger but even she is caught once and subjected to experimentation by the twisted Dr Kalden. Towards the end of the trilogy the government is expending everything they have to find her and there are other dangers emerging from the net.
In essence it’s an action story that blends science and magic but there’s a lot of character development across the team that surrounds Raven.
Were there any facts, symbols, or themes that you would have liked to include in The Hex Trilogy, but that just didn't make into the story?
[Asked by Rachel Goh on the Facebook fan page in December 2008]
Rhiannon's answer: Some things were cut which I wish I’d kept in. At one point Raven is essentially vowing to kill Kalden but she never quite says so. In the original draft she was more explicit. My editor at the time thought it might be too strong to have her deliberately plot murder but in retrospect I think she would have been right for what she was feeling right then.
There were other aspects of the plot that were more adult which were toned down in the final draft. For example, Kez’s past living on the streets was darker in the earlier drafts and it affected his friendship with Raven and Wraith. That’s still there in the text but it’s been reduced.
But, with those couple of exceptions, I think I really put in everything that I was thinking of at the time. There were so many plot strands and actions and interactions – I didn’t feel I was holding anything back!
Is there any chance you'll write a follow-up or spin-off to the Hex books?
[Asked by Rachel Goh on the Facebook fan page in December 2008]
Rhiannon's answer:
I’ve sometimes considered it. But it was a long time ago now that I wrote those books. Going back isn’t easy when you’re so far removed from the world. If I did write another Hex story it would have to be moving on somehow. I’ve not yet had an idea for what could be added to the story as it stands.
Why did you decide to write a horror novel?
[Asked by unknown in 2008]
Rhiannon's answer: I didn't exactly set out to. But after several novels that have had science fiction or fantastical settings I wanted to write something that would take place in the real world. While I was staying in the Lake District I found the scenery very evocative and the house where I was staying made me think about hidden rooms and old secrets. The story that grew out of that became very sinister and I realised that I wanted to write something frightening. Bad Blood turned out to be psychological horror about sinister secrets hidden in a make believe game.
Do you read horror novels and watch horror films?
[Asked by unknown in 2008]
Rhiannon's answer: When I was ten I fell in love with the incredibly sinister Marianne Dreams and recently I was very impressed by Chris Wooding's The Haunting of Alaizabel Grey. I've read some Stephen King and like his Bachman Books most of his writing. In adult fiction I read Barbara Vine and Minette Waters. I'm not overly attracted to blood and gore - although a lot of characters do meet violent deaths in my Hex trilogy, so I tend to prefer psychological horror to gorefests. I recommend the anime film Perfect Blue but generally I don't watch horror films. Marianne Dreams was made into a film called Paperhouse and I found it so frightening i couldn't finish watching it.
I get very involved with stories and with horror fiction you are not in control. Even as a reader or watcher, it's nerve-racking wondering what will happen when someone opens a door or turns out a light or goes for a walk in the wood... I find it easier to write horror - where I am in control - than to watch or read it.
What's your favourite book that you've written?
[Asked by unknown in 2007]
Rhiannon's answer: For a long time I would have said Waking Dream, because I felt that in that novel I managed to convey my vision of that world effectively and I learned so much while writing it. Now (in 2007) I might have to change my answer to Bad Blood because I feel my writing has greatly improved in this novel and because I found the characters and the story so compelling - even as I was writing it.
What makes a good book?
[Asked by Rachel Goh on the Facebook fan page in December 2008]
Rhiannon's answer:
That’s a tough question. Obviously opinions are going to vary massively but the things I look for in a good book are: an original concept, believable characters, a good sense of pace and flow and the delicate balance between action and exposition. There are other factors such as subtlety and style, aesthetically pleasing and intellectually challenging prose, and cleverness in using the expected and the unexpected. I also personally like fiction with mythological resonance, socio-cultural relevance and an undercurrent of the mysterious.
Some examples of books I think are good are: The Child Garden by Geoff Ryman, A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge and The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson.