Wren Hartman brings a little magic into reality.
The New Westminster-based author writes a mixture of young adult and adult fiction, and is characterized by a mix of the paranormal and the everyday. Werewolves, fairies and AI dystopias are omnipresent, contrasted with social life at private school, running small businesses and lousy ex-partners: an imaginary parallel world with deep roots in this one.
Her new novel, A deadly midnight (out August 28) is a cozy thriller set in Vancouver. When dream content creators Maeve and Peri discover that the illusions of slumberland are leaching into the waking world, reality itself begins to crumble. Between blurry, half-remembered slumbers and wry descriptions of Main Street breweries, a mystery bigger than both of them takes shape.
With its precise prose and gripping plot, it’s easy to get carried away. Given the emphasis on what happens with your eyes closed, it may not be a book for bedtime reading.
Below, Handman tells us about her favorite duck pond, the appeal of speculative fiction, and how writing runs in her family.
Tell us something about yourself.
I’ve just been a little bit obsessed with the written word and telling stories for as long as I can remember. I always knew I wanted to be a writer, although the meaning of what that means to me has changed over the years. As a professional writer, I write in many different ways to pay the bills. I’ve done everything from ghostwriting a guidebook on dating in a wheelchair to helping programmers write articles about virtual reality.
What do you want everyone to know about you?
My favorite work is my novel Wire wings. It’s an exploration of grief and identity in a world where all of these things are fluid. I wrote the first draft in just three weeks and was completely captivated by the story.
Which book changed your way of thinking?
I often describe the book by Catherynne M. Valente Immortal as the book I loved the most, but also the one I didn’t like the most. It is the most stunning, powerful, lyrical book I have ever read, and her craft with the English language is, in my opinion, absolutely unmatched. However, I found the book depressing, and what it had to say about love and relationships was at odds with my own, much more optimistic, worldview. This book made me want to be a more lyrical writer, and it also opened my eyes to the ways in which novels take our minds, and the ways in which I wanted to take my readers with my own writing.
What are you reading right now?
I’m halfway through The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake and love the dark academic atmosphere. I generally tend towards books that are a little lighter in tone and character, so this is a nice change for me.
Which book do you like to give as a gift?
The city and the cityby China Mieville, especially for someone whose tastes I’m not entirely sure about. It’s a bit of a genre-bender, and I think it’s a great book for readers who are a little hesitant when it comes to fantasy or science fiction. It’s a crime thriller that defies genre definitions, and the writing style is crisp and clear and accessible.
How would you describe your taste in books?
I love science fiction books with beautiful prose and a cast of characters awkwardly making their way toward redemption. I prefer light reading and those that affirm my belief in the good in people and the world we live in, and avoid anything too dark or bleak. And a cast of diverse, queer characters is the icing on the cake of my reading pleasure.
What book can you not wait to read?
I don’t have a TBR shelf – I have a TBR bookshelf! I love buying new releases from my favorite authors and they all go on the shelf until I have time to read them. Right now I’m most looking forward to reading How to Become a Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler, because I’m more than a little obsessed with time loop stories (even though I’ve never written one myself).
What book did you think you would like but didn’t (or vice versa)?
I am a big fan of the film Whatever dreams may comeand when I found out it was based on a novel (by Richard Matheson) I was absolutely hooked! Unfortunately, as is often the case, it was less “based on the book” and more “loosely inspired by an element of the book”. It turned out it wasn’t quite my cup of tea.
Favorite bookstore in Vancouver?
Cross & Crow Books on Commercial Drive is my favorite place for books. It’s a queer-owned bookstore and they always have great events and host local authors.
Favorite local author?
Writing is in my blood, so it’s probably no surprise that my brother is also a writer. His name is Misha Handman, and if you like supernatural mysteries, he’s your man. His first series is about solving puzzles in a post-industrial Everland, starting with Shadow Stitcher. And speaking of genre mixing, I think this series could be described as a cozy noir! You’ll have to read it to tell me if you agree.
Controversial: Are you someone who has to finish every book you start, or can you skip books that you don’t like?
I find it really hard to give up on a story. If I get far enough into it and I don’t like it, I often read the end quickly just to find out how it ends. The only time I don’t finish a book is if I realize after the first 50 pages that it just isn’t for me.
What book would you have liked to have written?
When I read Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher. I remember thinking that it was the most similar to my own writing style of all the books I had read. I really liked her story and would have loved to have made it up myself.
Where do you like to read in Vancouver?
I live in New Westminster and we have a beautiful park here called Tipperary Park. There are little waterfalls and a path through the trees, all just a block from a main road and yet so quiet and peaceful. There is a duck pond with a bench in the shade and it is the perfect place to sit and read in peace during your lunch break.
