Q&A with Adam Aresty

 

 

Adam Aresty is the author of the new young adult novel Skyboy. His other work includes the novella The Communication Room. He teaches screenwriting at Fordham University, and he lives in Brooklyn.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Skyboy, and how did you create your character Konstant?

A: I was inspired by a question: “Who builds the first flying car?” In some of my favorite sci fi franchises (Star Wars, The Fifth Element, Blade Runner) the future is a foregone conclusion, where cities gleam and vehicles effortlessly fly through the air… but what came before? What was the catalyst that drove that innovation and, more importantly, who is responsible?

 

With this question burning in my mind, Konstant appeared to me—a boy genius with a chip on his shoulder. I knew that, in order to pave the way for this sci fi future we know and love so well, Konstant would need to be deeply flawed and it’s this flaw (his reluctance to collaborate) that, when he overcomes it, paves the way for the future we know and love.

Q: How did you create the world in which the story takes place?

A: The term “world building” is tossed around a lot in genre fiction. To my mind, all fiction requires the author to build a world for the reader, even if it’s something very grounded, like a farm in Iowa that isn’t too difficult to imagine on its own.

 

This was my approach to the near-future world of Skyboy (set about 50 years from now). I didn’t want to create a dystopia, but instead wanted to give the impression of a world on the brink of dystopia, where things feel like they’re slowly falling apart.

 

This feels unfortunately relatable to the world we live in today, as if the slow progress of time will wash everything away, not one war or disaster or event. To me this felt more grounded, even though the world of Skyboy is marvelous.

Q: So you would not consider this a dystopian novel?

A: No—unlike The Hunger Games or the Unwind books, which take place in times far removed from our own, I wanted Skyboy to be accessible and relatable to readers.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?

A: The lesson of the book is very much that the only path forward is together.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: The sequel to Skyboy! I’m about halfway through the manuscript and I’m really excited about it. Not only is it very rewarding to revisit the world and characters that I spent years working on, but the sequel is bigger, the stakes are higher, and I’ve chosen a fresh character from Book 1 to be my protagonist…

 

I’m excited to share more, but that’s all I’ll say for now!

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: This is my first novel! I mostly write for film, TV, and video games—I absolutely loved the challenge of thinking outside those formats and always find prose to be refreshing and allows for greater perspective for my characters. 

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb