To set fairy tale retellings in our modern world is not a new thing to do. With her “Lunar Chronicles” author Marissa Meyer however is even going further: Her fairy tale-inspired saga about a Cyborg-Cinderella from New Bejing is taking place in a distant future. In the beginning I wasn’t sure if this could work, but Meyers science fiction version of those old stories are just great. Once you stared, you cannot put her books down. Her Red Riding Hood-inspired second novel “Scarlet” came out just a few weeks ago. I talked to her about her version of the fairy tale princesses, what sparked the idea to her series and much more:
Interview with Marissa Meyer
Cinder is a kind of tomboyish mechanic in New Bejing with a sense of irony. What kind of girls are Scarlet, Cress and Winter?
Scarlet’s the feistiest of the bunch—she has a problem keeping her mouth shut when she senses an injustice, which tends to get her in trouble.
Cress, on the other hand, is very shy. She’s been trapped in a satellite all her life, so is rather socially awkward and lives inside romantic fantasies, at least until the real world starts to intrude on them.
Winter has a rebellious streak in that, even though she’s been raised in the glamorous courts of Luna, she decided at a young age she didn’t want to turn into Queen Levana, so she’s decided not to use her glamour—ever. Unfortunately, this means that she’s slowly going crazy.
What inspired you to write the Lunar Chronicles in the first place?
I entered a short story writing contest years ago in which I wrote a science-fiction version of the fairy tale “Puss in Boots.” I had a lot of fun with it, so I started contemplating other ways I might futurize some of my favorite fairy tales. A few months later, the idea of a cyborg Cinderella popped into my head, and the story very quickly began to spin out of control from there.
I came up with the idea of combining these four fairy tales into one continuous story, and having the “princesses” eventually meet up and form a rebel force of sorts agains the evil queen. I fell so in love with the idea—and I’m still so in love with it!—that I knew I had to write it and attempt to put it out into the world.
Are you a fairy tale fan yourself? If so which one is your favorite fairy tale?
Yes, I’ve loved fairy tales since I was a little kid and saw The Little Mermaid in theaters, only to later be shocked at how different it was from the Hans Christian Andersen tale. I even studied them in college when I took a class on the symbolism and psychology behind the tales, which fascinated me. That was largely responsible for my continued interest in them.
That said, I honestly don’t know that I could choose a favorite. I tend to gravitate toward the stories that everyone thinks they know, but that really have a dark history that’s largely lost to our society today. Such as how in some versions of Little Red Riding Hood featured cannibalism and a striptease. True story.
Fairy tales seem to be cool in the tv and movie industry right now. You’ve got tv shows such as “Grimm” and “Once Upon A Time” and earlier this year we had not one, but two Snow White movies. Why do you think fairy tales are so popular recently?
It’s so hard to say why some things catch on in the cultural subconscious at any given time. Maybe people are looking for the nostalgia factor or the escapism associated with “happily ever after”, or maybe it’s purely cyclical—what goes around, comes around, and this just happens to be a period of time in which fairy tales have risen to the top again.
Whatever the reason, though, I’m glad for it. Not only because it’s been great timing for my books, but because I love seeing what other creators are doing with the tales, too!
I honestly think “Cinder” would make a cool movie. Any chance we’ll get a movie version soon?
I hope so! We’re currently discussing movie rights with a Hollywood studio, and I’m very hopeful that I’ll have news to announce in the next few months. After that, fingers will be crossed that they move forward with it!
When did you start writing and how did you realize that you have a talent for it?
I started writing stories when I was a little kid—I even remember telling them to my mom so she could type them up for me, before I could actually write. As for having a talent for it, I guess that came when I was writing Sailor Moon fanfiction when I was a teenager. At first it was just a fun way to express my love for the show, but then readers started to become fans, and even encouraged me to write a novel and seek publication. I’ll always be very grateful for the support the fanfiction community showed me.
Would you share with us how an ordinary working day looks like for you?
An ordinary day? What’s that? Really, my days fluctuate from 12+ hours of straight writing/revising/editing, to a day in which I’m swamped in promotion and marketing work, to a day in which I sit on the couch and read from breakfast and bedtime, so I don’t feel that I get too many “ordinary” days.
But, I suppose if I had an ideal day, it would be: an hour or two of social networking and blogging in the morning, followed by four to five hours of working on the current writing project, then a couple hours of miscellaneous promo or business tasks in the afternoon, and reading and relaxing with my husband in the evening.
Do you have any strange habits while writing on a novel?
I need to be wearing socks. I can’t focus if I have cold feet. That’s probably not that weird, though.
Why did you decide to write for young adults mainly?
It wasn’t so much a choice as it’s just what I found myself writing. I started trying to write my first novel when I was sixteen, and would go through many failed novel attempts over the next ten years. I got older, but my characters never did.
If you could meet a fictional character – both from your own work or from someone elses – who would it be and why?
Han Solo, Captain Mal Reynolds, or (from my own work) Captain Carswell Thorne, who readers will meet in Book 2. Because I maybe have a thing for spaceship captains.
Thank you very much!
Marissa Meyers website: here!