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Black Static


Getting To Know Alison Littlewood

22nd Feb, 2012

Author: Peter Tennant

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Alison Littlewood was our featured author in the Case Notes section of Black Static #27, with an in-depth review of her novel A Cold Season, an interview and a competition allowing five lucky readers to win copies of the book.

With all that nonsense out of the way I can now get down to the really important stuff, such as determining what sort of pizza to buy if you ever take the author out for a meal and her preferences in televisual entertainment.

I've also linked to a couple of somewhat more sensible interviews with Alison.

Houston, we have lift off:-

Q: Prefer on your toast - jam or marmalade?

A: What, no honey?

Q: Supernatural or Primeval?

A: Oh, a cruel choice!! How could you? Well Primeval lost it after they killed off whatshischops - the good looking one. Whereas the boys only lost it after series 5 or so, so I'd better stick with them. And they had that suicidal teddy bear in series 4 - can't beat that.

Q: Chocolate - quality or quantity? (Both is not an acceptable answer.)

A: Oh lord, give me quantity any day. Never mind your quality, just gimme the damn chocolate!!!

Q: J. K. Rowling or J. R. R. Tolkien?

A: Actually really rather a difficult question. I'm sure I'd be run out of town if I didn't say Tolkien, but there are wonderful things about the Potter series - amazing plotting, loads of fun, more of an active role for female characters, none of that dubious 'dark/swarthy = evil' and 'fair of face =good' stuff. On the other hand, Tolkien's use of language is fantastic, and it's all so grand and poetic, and had such a massive impact on fantasy writing. Erm, have I wittered on long enough that you've forgotten I'm supposed to be making a choice?

Q: For your writing, if you can't have both - critical acclaim or popular success?

A: Oh, wouldn't it be nice to have both. Still, I guess popular success has it. I've got to eat.

Q: Pizza - deep pan or thin and crispy?

A: Thin and crispy and with barbecue sauce on top. Crunch!

Q: More likely to be a distant cousin of -The Munsters or The Addams Family?

A: Could easily be both, but I'll say The Addams Family. That way I can look like Grandma Addams when I'm older.

Q: The Shining or The Haunting of Hill House?

A: The Shining - it gives me the shivers (book or film). I never really got all that chilled by Hill House, though I love that poetic first paragraph.

Q: Rather go on holiday with Posh and Becks or Brad and Angelina?

A: I think Posh and Becks would drive me nuts. So Brad and Angie (I'm sure I can call her that, since we're going on holiday together).

Q: Potatoes - mashed, fried or roast?

A: Definitely roasties, with the odd Yorkshire pud or two on the side.

Q: Fairy tale or urban legend?

A: Oh, fairy tales - I'm a sucker for a good fairy tale.

Q: Would least like to appear on - Celebrity Big Brother or I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here?

A: The idea of either gives me the creeps. I suppose at least with Big Brother you don't have to eat weird stuff. Or sleep in a tent.

Q: Anne Rice or Stephenie Meyer?

A: Anne Rice - I like a vampire who gets on with the job and eats people.

Q: To visit - a castle or a cathedral?

A: A castle. Cathedrals are all very magnificent, but make me feel vaguely guilty. And castles have more of a dark and broody thing going on.

Q: When eating out, if you can't manage both, do you go for the starter or the dessert?

A: Sigh...I wish I could say pud, but by then I'd have noshed a starter and a main and I'd be too full. If only puds were served first. No, they should definitely change it.

Q: Godzilla or King Kong?

A: King Kong. He's cuddly.

Q: Most likely to be arrested for - public drunkenness or stalking a celebrity?

A: Ha!! Being drunk while stalking a celebrity? OK, no, just being drunk then. Though I'd probably fall asleep before causing too much of a nuisance.

Q: Pet of choice - something scaly or something furry?

A: Something furry, although do I quite like scaly things. And there's rather less opportunity to use the word 'squamous' with a furry thing. So either. Really, so long as it has a sensible number of legs, we're fine.

Q: Wine - sparkling or dry?

A: Fizz!! Though it makes me giggle like a girl.

Q: Casino Royale or Quantum of Solace?

A: Casino Royale, though it doesn't matter all that much. Both have a suitable Craig quotient, so it's all good.

Q: Would least like to - bungee jump or white water raft?

A: Bungee - ew!! Who would? But I'd rather like to try rafting.

Q: Dali or Magritte?

A: Hm - a few years back I'd have said Magritte, but Dali has more depths - and he did those illustrations for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. And he had a twirlier moustache. So Dali then.

Q: If you were falsely accused of murder would you rather the case be investigated by Benedict Cumberbatch or Robert Downey Jr?

A: Ha!! Well, Cumberbatch is so perspicacious, he'd no doubt dismiss me in a second. Whereas I can imagine Robert Downey Jr flooping around a lot, and being all rather endearing and lovely. So him, definitely.

Q: Which is more tedious - standing in line at a post office or answering stupid questions like these?

A: I never seem to get stuck in lines in post offices. Don't hate me. But I always get the grumpy man at the hatch, so this is much more fun. J



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