Ask the Author: Mark McClelland
Answered Questions (5)
Mark McClelland
Upload is certainly the most significant thing I've published. I also had a short story in Communications of the ACM, and recently started pursuing publication of my poetry, for the first time in at least twenty years. I'm working on a short story that I think will be worth sharing via publication, as well as another novel. To be honest, I think I'm selective to a fault about what I choose for potential publication. If I don't feel my writing really has something to add to the world, I stow it away -- and what does, when there are so many writers creating so much great literature?
Mark McClelland
When I read Kurzweil's "The Age of Spiritual Machines", I wanted to write about uploading a human consciousness to a computer. The singularity will be the biggest thing to hit this planet since DNA, and it may well happen in my lifetime. When I started writing "Upload", back in 1999, I felt like a lot of people were unaware of the very real potential for computer-based life to supplant biological humans at the top of the "food chain", and I wanted to write about it. The opportunity for compelling science fiction here is immense.
However, as a genre, science fiction frustrated me. Many of the stories and books I'd read lacked depth of character, and relied on world-building and unexpected plot twists to draw the reader in. I wanted to write a story that was heavily character driven, and would get me -- and the reader, hopefully -- really thinking about the psychological and philosophical impact of a future where our virtual lives have become more important to us than reality prime. I wanted a main character whose dream was to escape completely into a virtual existence, and saw uploading as a way to achieve that. From there, I sketched out lots of different possibilities, and eventually landed on a story I thought could be a good mix of fun-to-read and thought-provoking.
However, as a genre, science fiction frustrated me. Many of the stories and books I'd read lacked depth of character, and relied on world-building and unexpected plot twists to draw the reader in. I wanted to write a story that was heavily character driven, and would get me -- and the reader, hopefully -- really thinking about the psychological and philosophical impact of a future where our virtual lives have become more important to us than reality prime. I wanted a main character whose dream was to escape completely into a virtual existence, and saw uploading as a way to achieve that. From there, I sketched out lots of different possibilities, and eventually landed on a story I thought could be a good mix of fun-to-read and thought-provoking.
Mark McClelland
I journal about why I'm writing. If I can nail down my own motives for creating something, I can often take that insight, go back to my notes and manuscript with a fresh eye, and see a way forward. Which often involves ripping out whatever the most recent scene or dialog was, since that's what got me into the dead end in the first place.
I also find that taking a shower works wonders. Nothing spurs my mind into a state of distracted creativity quite like a hot shower.
I also find that taking a shower works wonders. Nothing spurs my mind into a state of distracted creativity quite like a hot shower.
Mark McClelland
Writing allows my imagination to unfold into a space larger than my mind/memory can hold at any one moment. I'm often frustrated by the limits of my memory, and getting my ideas on paper -- if I do it well -- gives me a deep, very personal sense of satisfaction. I imagine filmmakers and video game developers experience something similar; writing just happens to be the tool-set I'm most comfortable with.
Mark McClelland
A couple of months ago, I dreamt a world. Complete with rules, realms, and an overall feel that later reminded me of a cross between Brazil and Barry Yourgrau, with a major dose of Upload.
When I awoke from this dream, I had to write. Partially because it was an answer to my question, "What would it be like if we could live in a v-world scaled to the human experience?" And partially because I just couldn't get enough of it. I didn't want the dream to end.
Now, it's my next book. I'm 80 pages into it, and I think it has wonderful potential, both as a very personal story and as an indication of what lies ahead for humans in a post-singularity world.
Will biological humans have a place in the world after the singularity? Or will they be channeled off to an alternate reality, leaving Reality Prime to AI and post-humans?
If you enjoyed Upload for its imagination and character-driven story, you'll enjoy what I have brewing. Working title: "The Scapes".
When I awoke from this dream, I had to write. Partially because it was an answer to my question, "What would it be like if we could live in a v-world scaled to the human experience?" And partially because I just couldn't get enough of it. I didn't want the dream to end.
Now, it's my next book. I'm 80 pages into it, and I think it has wonderful potential, both as a very personal story and as an indication of what lies ahead for humans in a post-singularity world.
Will biological humans have a place in the world after the singularity? Or will they be channeled off to an alternate reality, leaving Reality Prime to AI and post-humans?
If you enjoyed Upload for its imagination and character-driven story, you'll enjoy what I have brewing. Working title: "The Scapes".
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