Q&A with Mark Budman

  

 

 

 

 

Mark Budman is the author of the new young adult novel My Friend Is an Earthling. His other books include The Lives and Deaths of Vladimir Lenin. He lives in Boston.

 

Q: What inspired you to write My Friend Is an Earthling, and how did you create your character Slavik?

 

A: Many books and movies describe space aliens as monstrous invaders. I thought of turning the cliché on its head. Slavik, one of my protagonists, is a descendant of the refugees from Earth to the remote planet Krasny. His people are taught from birth to think that the Earthlings are the real monsters. But when Slavik digs deeper and escapes to Earth, the answer surprises him.

 

Q: How would you describe the dynamic between Slavik and Rita?

 

A: They are quintessential aliens to each other at first. Their dynamic becomes mutual fascination, then grows into cooperation and respect, and then into the beginning of teenage love. It helps that Slavik is a talented wizard and Rita is a psychic. And they are destined to prevent an interplanetary war together.

 

Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: Slavik had many friends on his home planet, Krasny, but after escaping to Earth, he didn’t expect to find the best friend of his life there. Hence the title.

 

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

 

A: The world of Krasny is complex. It’s a religious society, beginning as refugees, but it grows into a totalitarian regime, governed by the evil Council and protected by its all-female Elite force. And they practice magic, including teleportation. Magic is taught in schools, and Slavik learns it well. And did I tell you that the fauna and flora at Krasny are out of this world?

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m putting the finishing touches on two novels.

 

No Deaths Allowed, a novel combining speculative science fiction, magic realism, a dash of romance, and a pinch of humor, is just the story you might love. It explores the double-edged sword of possible immortality, escape from chronic pain, and the plight of refugees denied a haven in space.

 

The Mirage is about two immigrants searching for what they believe is a lost diamond, but instead find the Breastplate of God, which can predict the future. The novel combines the adventures of Raiders of the Lost Ark with the comedy of The Twelve Chairs.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Everyone needs to know how much I appreciate everything you are doing, Deborah. Thank you.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Mark Budman.