Sunyi Dean is an autistic SFF writer, and mother of two. Originally born in the States and raised in Hong Kong, she now lives in Yorkshire. When not reading, running, falling over in yoga, or rolling d20s, she sometimes escapes the city to wildswim in lonely dales. The Book Eaters is her debut novel and she recently talked about it with Daryl Maxwell for the LAPL Blog.
What was your inspiration for The Book Eaters?
Lots of different things, I suppose! I'm interested in the ethical dilemma that underpins vampires, their need to commit evil in order to survive. I'm really interested in family relationships in sff. And thinking of books as food is probably normal for many readers; we often describe books as food words. It felt like it came together naturally, if that makes sense : )
Are Devon, Cai, Ramsey, Hester, or any of the other characters in the novel inspired by or based on specific individuals?
Not as such, but the character, Jarrow, fulfills a relational role similar to a close friendship I have in real life. Jarrow and my real-life friend are very different people, however.
How did the novel evolve and change as you wrote and revised it? Are there any characters or scenes that were lost in the process that you wish had made it to the published version?
So many! My original pitch for this book is unrecognizable. It had a whole other faction (called The Sabbatarians) and the plot was more chaotic, less focused. Salem's arc was originally intended to be in the novel, and Hester's slightly romance wasn't present at all (saving for a future book, at the time.) I'm a serial rewrite, ruthless in my revisions, and changed vast swathes during my own edits and later with the publisher.
While The Book Eaters is an enjoyable and self-contained story, at the end of the novel, Devon seems to be entering a new chapter in her life (as are the families). Will readers be able to follow her on her journey? Is The Book Eaters the beginning of a new series?
At the moment, it's planned as a standalone. I would like to wrap up Devon's story in the future, especially with regards to some "left behind" characters, but that might depend on various publishers giving it a thumbs up in a couple of years' time. Any future books would be technically standalone, though, and while Devon would be present, I don't see her as being a POV character next time around.
What’s currently on your nightstand?
I'm currently reading The First Binding by RR Virdi, and then want to get started on Pete McLean's Priest of Bones tetralogy. After that, I have a long backlog of Wolfe books to get through, the sequel of Justice of Kings (R Swan), and a few other things! I'd love to read the Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, too, later this year.
Can you name your top five favorite or most influential authors?
Narrowing it down to 5 is tough, but I will try! In first-name alphabetical order, Charlotte Bronte, Gene Wolfe, George MacDonald, JRR Tolkien, and Nnedi Okorafor. These are all authors whose works have altered the trajectory of my life or way of thinking in significant ways and whose works I still think of often.
As a debut author, what have you learned during the process of getting your novel published that you would like to share with other writers about this experience?
A collection of random advice: Worry about what you can control, which is the writing itself, and making good community connections with friends who will support you through thick and thin. Luck and timing make up a lot of what we call success in this industry, and sales are often out of authors' ability to affect, so try not to hyperfocus on those too much. If you are career minded, write what is in your heart, but with your practical hat on. And don't worry if your ideas are too weird or strange for publication; they're not! Marketability is more about narrative structure than story concept.
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
It would be a tie between Jane Eyre and Lord of the Rings. Jane was so deeply relatable and fascinating, and whose story I return to again and again across the years with a fresh perspective as I age. LOTR was a complete childhood obsession that became a life-long love affair with fantasy.
Was there a book you felt you needed to hide from your parents?
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, and the Animorph books. Thomas Covenant was considered inappropriate reading for my age due to its content (fair assessment, to be honest), while the Animorph series was accused of espousing secular, non-Christian, evolutionary "propaganda" its premise.
Is there a book you've faked reading?
Truthfully, no! I'm quite happy just to admit if I couldn't finish something or didn't like a classic, etc. Life is too short to read books that don't work for you! DNF at will :-)
Can you name a book you've bought for the cover?
American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. I saw it on a massive table display in an English Language bookstore in Hong Kong as I came up the escalators in a mall. The cover spoke to me at a deep and intuitive level; I didn't even read the back before picking it up. I just knew I would love it, and I was right.
Is there a book that changed your life?
Most of them in different ways! The History of Western Philosophy was a big one, and deconstructed a heavily conservative, highly religious worldview that I'd inherited from family.
Can you name a book for which you are an evangelist (and you think everyone should read)?
Truthfully, it changes person by person and year by year. At the moment it would be Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey, or perhaps The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August.
Is there a book you would most want to read again for the first time?
Annihilation, by Jeff Vandermeer. Puzzle books are exquisite on first read and it's such a good mystery/horror. It also has stunning rep of a ND lead character, though I don't think that was the author's intention. (Author's note: When asked what the reference “ND” referred to in her answer, Sunyi provided this response: “Hiya! Lol, sorry, I should have specified. ND as in neurodivergent. I'm hesitant sometimes to cast characters that way when they aren't openly declared as such, but a lot of other autistic folks saw the character in that light as well.” )
What is the last piece of art (music, movies, tv, more traditional art forms) that you've experienced or that has impacted you?
Finished watching Severance via Apple TV recently. I don't want to say anything because it's best going into it blind, but is incredibly well-written television, perfectly paced, and exquisitely balanced between bleak humor and absurd horror.
What is your idea of THE perfect day (where you could go anywhere/meet with anyone)?
Dream scenario: Start with a skydive over Bolivia to land near the incredible Uyuni salt flats, then fly back to the coast for a few hours of scuba diving somewhere beautiful, and go to sleep on a warm beach. (I don't have a SCUBA license or sky dive proficiency at present, but I'd learn in advance.) And I'd take as many friends as are willing to go!
What is the question that you’re always hoping you’ll be asked but never have been? What is your answer?
Q: What does your name mean?
A: It is an English transliteration of a Cantonese name, and it means "God's Child." My mother picked it.
What are you working on now?
A little bit of a gear change—a historical fantasy set in post-war Hong Kong, in the Walled City 1960s, featuring an exorcist who can't exorcise, a triad leader who wears multiple skins, and a water ghost who is driven to drown innocents. It's lighter and perhaps funnier than TBE, which was very dark and heavy.
