I feel like I should have a tag just for Barrington Stoke reviews, because they are some of my very favourite books. The Starlight Watchmaker by Lauren James is no exception (so huge thanks for sending me a proof)!
Wealthy students from across the galaxy come to learn at the prestigious academy where Hugo toils as a watchmaker. But he is one of the lucky ones. Many androids like him are jobless and homeless. Someone like Dorian could never understand their struggle – or so Hugo thinks when the pompous duke comes banging at his door. But when Dorian’s broken time-travel watch leads them to discover a sinister scheme, the pair must reconcile their differences if they are to find the culprit in time. A wildly imaginative sci-fi adventure from YA star Lauren James, particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 13+
I love sci-fi that makes you think without taking itself too seriously, and this fit the bill perfectly. The characters and their backgrounds are so imaginative and well rounded considering the length of the book, fitting such world building into such a short novella takes real craft! I was very excited to be given the opportunity to ask Lauren some questions, about the book and more…
Hi Lauren, welcome to Teen Librarian!
This is your first book for Barrington Stoke, was writing a novella a very different process to writing a longer novel?
It was a lot faster and more fun, and it gave me the freedom to experiment in ways I wouldn’t for a full-length novel.
Was it a longer editing process to fit the “readability” criteria of a Barrington Stoke book?
It was the most intensive editing process I’ve ever undertaken. There are usually several rounds of edits for a book – the first focussing on wide-ranging plot points, then focussing in scene-by-scene, then line to line, then finally looking at each word. With a readable novella, that process is then continued again for several more rounds of edits that make sure that every single word fits with the words around it, that everything is explained, and that the words only have one possible interpretation. They work to make sure that sentence structure is chronological and easy to understand, there are plenty of dialogue markers to make the speaker obvious, and there isn’t any complicated formatting. It was like watching masters at work.
My favourite character was Ada, how did you get the idea for (basically) a living volcano?
I really love Calcifer in Howl’s Moving Castle, who is a fire demon/burning ember. He expresses emotions through burning fire, which I always thought was excellent. I wanted to do something similar.
Might you revisit the characters in another story?
Yes! I want to write a sequel set on Dorian’s underwater planet – I have a plot already planned out, so fingers crossed I get chance to write it! Hugo and Dorian’s relationship still has a lot more story to tell.
What books/films/TV shows are your main source of inspiration?
I wanted to write a more readable story that still uses all of my favourite sci-fi elements – there are hints of Binti, Jeeves & Wooster, Starfleet Academy from Star Trek, Saga, Howl’s Moving Castle and The Watchmaker of Filigree Street.
This novella is designed to be a jumping-off point to help readers explore the whole canon of sci-fi, hopefully while feeling like there might be a place for them in the genre, after all.
If you go into schools, do you prefer writing workshops or author talks?
Great question! I love both, but I think workshops are a lot more fun because I can talk to individual students rather than speaking to a whole hall. Plus, students always have such great writing imaginations. They come up with ideas that I would never dream up.
What are you currently reading and who would you recommend it to?
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid – A fictional take on a spoke history of a seventies rock band feud. A great look at unreliable narrators and biased storytelling.
The True Queen by Zen Cho – This series is a Malaysian take on Regency romances, with magic and dragons and fairies. So wonderfully unique.
What are you working on now?
My next book hasn’t been announced yet, but I can tell you it’s about ghosts and murder and university life.
Lauren James is the author of Young Adult science fiction, including The Quiet at the End of the World, The Loneliest Girl in the Universe, The Starlight Watchmaker and The Next Together series. She teaches creative writing for the University of Cambridge, Coventry University and Writing West Midlands, and has written articles for numerous publications, including the Guardian, Buzzfeed, The Toast, and the Children’s Writers and Artist’s Yearbook. You can find her on Twitter at @Lauren_E_James or her website http://www.laurenejames.co.uk, where you can subscribe to her newsletter to be kept up to date with her new releases and receive bonus content.
The Starlight Watchmaker is published in July!
