Throughout a childhood in London spent watching cold war propaganda gems such as He Man, an adolescence confined in various institutions, and a career that has encompassed stints in academic research and the sports industry, Guy has been a keen if somewhat cynical social observer.
Humour of the sardonic variety is a reoccurring theme in all Guy’s writing. His first novel, Charles Middleworth, is an insightful tale of the unexpected. The protagonist in his second novel, the satirical black comedy Necropolis, is, like the author, a darkly humorous individual - though, unlike the author, he is a psychopath.
Guy is a dedicated blogger and an avid reader. Reviews of the books he has read can be found in the review section of his blog.
I was inspired to write Charles Middleworth because I was interested in the banal versus the metaphysical/unexplainable. The main character Adrian, an actuary, leads a mundane, technologically obsessed existence until unexplainable events lead him to question his understanding of the World. This was a fascinating idea to explore, at least I thought so.
2. Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
I get my ideas from my imagination and from my own experiences. My sardonic nature in combination with my experience in the public sector, interest in the death business and love of satire provided the foundation for my second novel, Necropolis. As for information, I like to think I possess a certain amount of knowledge, and fortunately for me I am living in the Internet age, as otherwise I don't know what I would do. I conducted a lot of the research for both Charles Middleworth and Necropolis on the Internet, and also utilised my limited research skills to do some interviews and questionnaires.
3. Who is your favourite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
That is a difficult question Martin. To date I would have to say my favourite authors are John Steinbeck and Bret Easton Ellis. I know you said author not authors, but that is my final answer. Steinbeck is the master of character development in my opinion, and I hope that I have learnt. something from his writing. With regards Bret Easton Ellis, I really enjoyed his earlier books, particularly Less Than Zero and American Psycho. I was less enamoured with Lunar Park, the only one of his more recent works I have read. I appreciate Ellis's stream of consciousness style, satirical observations and cultural references.
4. What inspired you to write Necropolis?
I have always been fascinated by psychopaths/sociopaths and satire. Necropolis seemed like the perfect platform to combine these two interests. A Burials and Cemeteries department in a local council was an ideal environment for a black comedy that would appeal to readers with a mordant wit, at least this was my reasoning behind the idea for Necropolis.
5. Was it difficult to imagine the world from the perspective of a psychopath?
No, it was rather easy to imagine the world from the perspective of a psychopath, but perhaps I shouldn't be admitting that.
6. Can we expect to see more of Dyson?
That is a difficult question to answer Martin. I don't have any immediate plans to write a sequel, but it is possible that I will feel quite differently about the matter in a few years time.