Notes

What do Things Taste Like?

Alex: You have also contributed to the free Marketplace map for Summer's base.



Max Brooks: Yes! When you open the map, it's after Summer and Guy have moved on and the mountain you see is not exactly as it was in the book. This was a different problem. I was about two-thirds through writing The Mountain when I finally got my feet down and began playing the game. The Nether was shifting from top to bottom. Instead of being angry, I realized that this was the most important lesson I have learned in my life. When the world changes, you must change with it.



Alex: The book is extremely thorough, just like The Island.



Max Brooks: Research is essential to me in everything I do. Because I spend so much time doing research I don't have the time to write as many books. When it comes to something like Minecraft I live with the fear of people saying, "That would never happen!" So I played thousands of hours of Minecraft and made sure that the game's mechanics work in the book. Plus, there are certain things that happen in Minecraft that you could never imagine on your own. In The Island, my character shoots his last shot at a creeper, and hits a bat that happens to fly by. That really happened when I was playing Minecraft!



Alex: The authenticity of these books is what makes them so fun.



Max Brooks: Yes, I do. And I want to build trust and rapport with my readers through each book I write. They must know that they can trust me to take them journey through a country that I knowabout, and that I serve as their tour guide.



Alex I was impressed by your insights into what Minecraft smells like. Netherrack, that was an eye-opener.
fake it till you make it


Max Brooks: You know I'm very fortunate to have a fantastic editor, Sarah Peed. She encouraged me to write the first book and asked me what the Island was like. What do things taste like? What does the breeze feel like on your face? What does the grass feel under your feet? I want the book to be an absorbing experience, so I thought netherrack would smell sulphurous. It must smell like a stench of farts. Yes, you read that right! When you drink Night Vision, it should taste like carrot soda, tangy and bubbly, with a small bite on your tongue. I wanted people to feel as if they were there.


My Website: https://fakeroot.net/