To fans of science fiction, Ian Whates will need no introduction. An award-winning writer, editor and publisher, I was delighted when he agreed to submit a story to SHARKPUNK.
Sharkpunk: What, do you think, is
the reason for people's enduring fascination with sharks?
Ian Whates: Sharks
are streamlined killing machines, perfectly adapted to their environment. Enough of the hunter-gatherer’s fear of
predation lurks in our genetic heritage to make them unnerving. At the same time we can’t help but admire
just how fit for purpose they are. Add
to that the fact that because of their habitat you don’t see a shark coming
(unless you’re tooled up with specialist equipment) until that ominous fin
breaks the surface (cue theme music to Jaws), and how could we not be
fascinated? People are intrigued by
killers in general, whether human or animal – raptors, big cats, wolves –
sharks have all that going for them with an added dose of the sinister.
SP: What was the
inspiration behind your story “Sharkadelic”?
IW: A
few years ago I watched a documentary investigating why great white sharks had
disappeared for more than a year from a territory they were known to
frequent. The conclusion was that a pod
of orcas were responsible, that this particular group had perfected a method of
preying on sharks, even great whites, and their presence was enough to cause
the sharks to flee. I found the idea
that even an apex predator such as the great white had reason to fear, and
possessed the intelligence to know it was outmatched and communicate that to others of its kind, remarkable. That was the starting point for the
story. Where the rest of it came from,
I’ve no idea, except that I was able to weave in persistent but unsubstantiated
reports of great whites being spotted off the coast of Cornwall. Other than that, well… making stuff up is
what I do.
SP: What challenges, or
surprises, did you encounter in writing your story?
IW: I’d
never honestly considered writing a shark-related story before being approached
for this anthology. When I was, two
stories occurred to me, both very different.
One was a fairly action-packed pulp-ish tale involving genetically
enhanced sharks being utilised to guard a precious shipping convoy (which
seemed perfectly in line with the anthology’s brief), the other was a
psychological horror set in the art world.
It was the latter story that gripped me, that demanded to be written. To
be honest, the story itself flowed with uncharacteristic ease, though I
reworked the end section a couple of times before I was happy with it. My greatest challenge was whether or not the
anthology’s editor would like a story whose nature veered away from the
guidelines. Fortunately, he did, and
“Sharkaneer”, the sharks-guarding-shipping story, remains unwritten. Sharkpunk 2, maybe? [SP: Definitely!]
SP: If you had to pick a
favourite shark, which would it be?
IW: Ooh,
that’s a toughie. I’m going to keep the
definition of ‘shark’ pretty narrow, so that I’m not tempted to consider such
graceful giants as the manta ray, but even then I’m not sure I can decide
between three: the basking shark because they’re so huge and atypically
harmless, and because I stand a chance of actually seeing one off the UK coast
someday (I haven’t yet, though I have twice been out on boats looking for
them), the great white because they are so formidable, not to mention
persecuted, and the hammerhead, because, I mean, how could you not? They are so stunningly bizarre. Okay, three is cheating, but hey, I’m an
author, I’m allowed to bend the rules.
SP: Do you have a
favourite fictional shark (in books, comics, films, or video games)?
IW: I’m
going to have to be very predictable here and go with the shark in Jaws, primarily because I’ve never
really taken note of sharks in fiction, being fascinated enough by them in real
life. So, when it comes to picking a
favourite fictional shark I’m choosing from a field of, ehm… one. (Unless you
include the sequels, but hey, we all know that the first was the best.)
Thanks, Ian!
Ian Whates lives in a quiet Cambridgeshire
village with his partner, Helen, and Honey, a manic cocker spaniel. Ian is the author of six novels to date, most recently Pelquin’s Comet, released in April 2015.
Also, the City of 100 Rows
trilogy (Angry Robot), and the Noise duology (Solaris). Sixty-odd of his
short stories have appeared in various venues, two of which were shortlisted
for BSFA Awards, and his second collection Growing
Pains (PS Publishing) appeared in 2013. Ian has edited some two dozen
anthologies and in 2014 one of these, Solaris
Rising 2, was shortlisted for the Philip K. Dick Award. He has
served a term as Overseas Director of SFWA and spent five years as chairman the
BSFA, stepping down in 2013.
In his spare time Ian runs multiple award-winning independent publisher NewCon
Press, which he founded by accident in 2006. Find out more at
www.ianwhates.co.uk.
And don't forget - SHARKPUNK is published on Friday!
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