Duane Swierczynski: The Monday Interview

Not that knowing this will help Duane Swierczynski get up each morning and face the day with a smile, but he has greatly expanded my horizons as a reader. I’m a guy that loves to read, but I usually limit myself to books and stories about things that actually could happen.  Swierczynski’s back catalog seems tailor-made for pulling an SF/fanstasy-phobe like me into the light.

I started with Wheelman, a book about a guy who drives the getaway car for bankrobbers. It was a visceral pleasure that had me pining for more. That came in the form of The Blonde, a sort of espionage thriller with some interesting sci-fi elements. Not usually my speed, but the story sucked me in. His last, Severance Package, was again mostly in the realm of the possible, looking at a particularly bad day at work for the staff of a firm with some very shadowy ties.

Now comes Expiration Date. We’re back on the sci-fi end of the spectrum, but by now, I’m primed and ready for whatever Swierczynski throws at me. He tells of Mickey Wade, a journalist who loses his job and moves into an apartment vacated by his grandfather, who recently took ill. As in all good stories, not everything is as it seems, and suddenly serial killers, nefarious plots and, most importantly, time travel factor into the plot.

With this, Swierczynski has elevated his game. No slouch up to this point, he has streamlined his storytelling and injected a lot of heart and soul, making us care about his characters in a way he hasn’t before. The intrigue may hook you, but your desire to find out what happens to these people will keep you glued to the page.

The story began life as a New York Times Sunday serial, but when that deal fell through, Swierczynski kept much of that plotting and pacing. That wouldn’t work for every story, but its perfect here.

I usually have a long list of to-be-read books and a competing stack on every available flat surface of my home, so it’s rare that I say this – I was angry with Swierczynski when this book ended because I wanted it to keep going.  Instead, I must wait for what comes next… and whatever it is, I’ll be ready.

TIRBD: You’ve said that the story behind Expiration Date was gestating for years? What took so long and why does the finished product differ from what you originally envisioned?

DS: The mind is a mysterious thing. I’ve had the central idea (time-traveling detective) in my head since 1999, but there was a vital piece missing, and I wasn’t able to identify it until I received an offer to write a serial. And then, for some reason, this story popped into my head instantly, along with the missing piece (namely, the father-son component). As my subconscious was waiting for this moment, this opportunity. I find it best not to question my subconscious too much.

There seems to be a lot of Duane Swierczynski’s backstory in Mickey Wade. Keeping in mind that this is fiction, was the telling of this story more personal for you than your past books?

Definitely. It’s the most autobiographical novel I’ve written, or will ever write. Then again, it’s a story about time-travel, pill-popping, missing limbs, dead hookers and serial killers. I’d caution anyone against reading too much into this novel…

Did the discipline of originally planning this as a serial affect the plot, or did it have more to do with the pacing?

The pacing. I wanted to have a bunch of cliffhangers, to keep readers hungry for the next installment. But then again, that’s why I try to do with all of my novels. The difference here was that I knew these cliffhangers had to appear every, say, 2,500 words or so. When I realized that it wouldn’t be a serial, I let things relax a bit. Some chapters are longer than others as a result. You can still see the original architecture, though, if you squint.

Thanks to your success, you’ve gone from being a fanboy with aspirations of being a writer to being a writer who can now actually wield some influence from the fanboy side of things by shining a light on under-appreciated authors, books and movies. What has that been like for you, and how will you use that power for good in the future?

If I do have such a power (in other words, if people actually give a crap about what I like), then I’m thrilled. But I don’t see myself as a “tastemaker.” I’m just trying to contribute to the conversation. What I love most about the blogs/twitter feeds I follow are the book and movie recommendations. For instance, there’s a movie blogger named “Mr. Peel” (mrpeelsardineliqueur.blogspot.com) who serves up these little brilliant essays about movies floating just below the radar (he’s turned me on to “Cisco Pike” and “Into the Night,” among others), and I think there’s no better gift. If someone likes what I recommend, I’m thrilled.

Since we last did one of these (around the release of The Blonde), you’ve tackled a lot: comics writing, collaborating with other writers and working on interactive books. How do these projects complement one another and when asked what it is you do, how do you now respond?

I still call myself a “writer.” I think storytelling is the core of what I do. With comics, it’s more a collarborative thing (with other writers, artists, editors), and the deadlines are fast and furious. With novels, I’m doing this slow, one-man show until an editor readers it. Each scratches a different itch.

The biggest difference between now and our last interview? That I’m doing this full time, 100% making shit up. I cherish every day I’m able to do it.

Do you find much crossover in the audience for all of these — are comics fans seeking out your novels, and vice versa?

I’ve been happily surprised to hear from comic fans who’ve taken a chance on my novels, and vice versa. Whenever I find a writer I love, I’ll follow him/her pretty much anywhere.

Do you think the illustrations in your books affect your ability to paint a picture in the reader’s mind? Do you have a hand in choosing what is illustrated and what is not?

Hopefully it’s a bonus for the reader. It’s not like you have an illustration on every page. The example that comes to mind: Stephen King’s Dark Tower series, all of which have fantastic illustrations. Roland looks different in every incarnation, but that doesn’t bother me at all. The movie in my mind is only enhanced by the illustrations.

A few months ago I read the first “Heavy Metal Pulp” novel — Pleasure Model. It impressed the hell out of me, because it was a sharp fusion of graphic novel (with one, two, sometimes three illustrations on almost every spread) and fast-paced dirty nasty pulp SF novel. The illustrations didn’t intrude on the movie in my mind; it actually kind of helped.

Expiration Date practically begs to be told on the big screen. Anything in the works? What is the status of other of your books in terms of film treatments?

I’m glad you think so. Nothing to report on Expiration yet, and the rest of the books are in various stages of development. There is one new thing: a production company has optioned Secret Dead Men (my first novel) for TV. It’s nice to see some love for the old man.