a short interview with the tall & talented Scott Westerfeld

Since I'm in the midst of interviewapaschmooza (see Kelly Link convo at Return of the Reluctant), I thought it'd be fun to talk to one of my other most Superfriendy, generous, talented writery types: Mr. Scott Westerfeld. His new young adult novel So Yesterday was released last week and launched the new Razorbill imprint at Penguin. Of course, I was too lazy to do this interview myself so a Mysterious Ghost Interviewer was kind enough to do it for me. Enjoy. (And make sure you purchase So Yesterday for yourself and all your loved ones, along with all Scott's other books. If you've been missing Buffy, you're going to love Midnighters.)

Q: What’s the book in a nutshell?

A: So Yesterday is about a “cool-hunter,” one of those kids who gets paid by corporations to spot new trends on the street. He sits in on focus groups, opines about ads before they air, and takes pictures of how other kids are tying their shoes. He’s a bit conflicted about his profession, but can’t turn down the cash and the free music-players. So when he stumbles across a plot to end consumerism as we know it, he’s not sure which side he’s on.

Q: “End consumerism as we know it”? Who’s going to manage that?

A: They’re called the Jammers, a secret organization of renegade cool-types, sort of a cross between Ad-Busters and Dr. No. They want to disrupt the sacred bond between consumers and products, to wrest control of the cool pyramid from giant corporations.

Q: What the hell is the “cool pyramid”?

A: It’s how cool happens. Innovators are the eyeball on the top. They make things change, invent new stuff. Below them are the
Trend-Spotters, like my protag, who spot cool on the street and spread it. Then the First Adopters, who see it in a cool magazine. And on the bottom, the lowly Consumers--they buy it in the mall.

Q: What are the cool parts of the book?

A: There’s a spoonerism-inducing videotape, wi-fi-equipped cameras, Hello-Kitty toasters, and a chase scene in the Museum of Natural History. Not to mention a missing Nike spokesperson, a whirlwind romance between my protag and an Innovator, and the world’s coolest shoe. How cool is that?

Q: So, Scott, are you cool?

A: Damn straight. Just ask any of my science fiction writer friends. They’ll say I am.

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See Scott's bio at his fabulous website here.