Mur Lafferty is an author, pioneering podcaster, and Parsec Award-winner. Producer of such podcasting legends as Geek Fu Action Grip and I Should Be Writing, a long-time inspiration of this writer on long dark road trips with the iPod and Mur’s ephemeral voice as his companion, Mur has also been the editor of Escape Pod. She won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Science Fiction Writer in 2013. Her book, The Shambling Guide to New York City, is currently on sale from Orbit Books, with The Ghost Train to New Orleans forthcoming.
We are delighted to have her with us on the Cars, Cards & Carbines anthology project.
TH: What writers are some of your biggest influences?
ML: Early on were Robin McKinley, Madeline L’Engle, and Anne McCaffrey. Later was China Mieville and Douglas Adams. Now it’s Neil Gaiman and Connie Willis. All of them have inspired me in some way or another.
TH: What are some of your guilty pleasures?
ML: iPhone games. The animated show Total Drama. And I’m That Person who loves the fact that Christmas stuff comes out right after Halloween.
TH: What has been your favorite project to date and why? What was so satisfying and exciting about it?
ML: Probably my book, The Shambling Guide to New York City, as it had been lurking in my mind for years. To finally get it out, and get attention, was wonderful.
TH: What are you working on now?
ML: I’m working on a humorous fantasy with a setting inspired by ancient Rome.
TH: What attracted you to the Cars, Cards & Carbines anthology project?
ML: I trust Travis to run a quality project.
TH: What genre or mash-up of story are you most likely to contribute to the anthology? Do you have a story already in mind?
ML: QUESTION NOT THE CREATIVE PROCESS!
