Darren Shan says teenagers are reading as much as ever

As Darren Shan releases the final instalment in his Zom-B tales, he tells Marjorie Brennan why he believes teenagers are reading as much as ever

BEFORE the explosion in young adult fiction and the juggernauts of Twilight and the Hunger Games, there was Darren Shan, the so-called ‘master of horror’ who has sold more than 25 million books around the world.

The Irish author’s literary career took flight with the publication of Cirque du Freak in 2000, the first in the hugely successful vampire series The Saga of Darren Shan. Now the Limerick-based Shan, real name Darren O’Shaughnessy, is publishing Zom-B Goddess, the 12th, and last, volume in his ‘Zom-B’ series for teenagers. As well as entertaining readers, Shan also hopes the books can help teens explore the sometimes scary society they live in.

“The zombie books came from the rise of the far right that began after the bombings in London 10 years ago. I thought the BNP were making political gains, there was anti- immigrant, anti-Muslim feeling in the air. I wanted to write a book about that, about not trusting fear-mongers but while also writing an exciting, entertaining story. Zombies seemed a natural match.

“That’s one thing about horror and fantasy, it allows readers to explore these things through a different medium. It’s hard to engage with politics at times. There’s a lot going on, a lot coming through the media, whereas a good story can connect with a wider audience and help us make sense of the world.

“The ancient myths were a way for people to put their world into context, and I think that still holds true today. I think they’re a way for younger readers to deal with these issues without confronting them directly. I want to entertain them but to supply food for thought as well.”

TEENAGE READERS

For Shan, the continuing growth in popularity of young adult fiction proves that those who say children don’t read as much as they used to are wrong. “It’s a field I really enjoy and it’s great that it’s more popular. When I was trying to sell Cirque du Freak back in the late 1990s, I went to one publisher and they said they didn’t publish books for teenage boys because teenage boys don’t read.

“Washing their hands of the problem was their response, but teenage boys do read if you give them books they want to read, as we’ve seen over the years, with the likes of Anthony Horowitz, Eoin Colfer and so many more.

“There’s so much variety, and books for different tastes. A lot of people say young people don’t read, but that’s absolute nonsense. Every generation likes to think that, that we were avid readers reading Tolstoy at the age of 10, but our brains play tricks on us.

“I think reading is on the increase if anything because books are more accessible than ever before. A lot of it is digital reading, and I have no problem with that as long as the story is getting across. Paper, digital e-reader, papyrus — to me the format is irrelevant. Content is king.”

Shan was ahead of the curve when it came to social media, and was aware of the benefits of connecting with his fans from the start of his career.

@darrenshan my daughter's Zom-B collection is complete as of yesterday..and last book read in just a few hours. pic.twitter.com/ZLL6jwyxSu

— Jo Oliver (@Elfinjojo_HLTA) March 27, 2016

“I’ve been on that since the early days, although now I’ve noticed it going towards Facebook and Twitter, whereas years ago, the website was the best way to reach people. These days the vast majority of my connecting is via Facebook and Twitter, though I maintain the website, and a newsletter, even though the newsletter seems like an anachronism now most of my reviews come through social media. But I like that format myself.

“The industry is changing and moving on. When I started out, going out on tour, there was Waterstone’s, WH Smith’s, Borders — several big chains across the UK. Waterstone’s are still going, thankfully, but most of those have closed. There is Eason in Ireland and a few independents but the industry has changed hugely. As a writer, you have to change and adapt as well. Stand still and you’re swamped.”

Shan’s fan base may have changed over the years as they grow up but they are still a large and loyal brigade, as can be seen from the huge queues at his book signings.

“I’ve always loved that connection with the fans. I’m sure some authors don’t but I’ve always loved being in touch with them, making myself contactable. Facebook and Twitter help create a stronger bond with fans and I get great feedback. I love the new technology and as long as we embrace it and use it, it can benefit us.”

HARRY POTTER

It also pleases Shan that the lines between adult and children’s fiction have become blurred ever since Harry Potter took the world by storm.

“A good book isn’t written for a specific audience. It may be sold as YA but an audience will find a good book. Publishers and booksellers like to put things in a nice niche. I’ve never liked niches, I’ve struggled with that all my career. I don’t think of an audience, I write for myself. I try to remember what I liked as a teenager, the kind of books I liked and didn’t.

“It’s an interesting time because you are torn between the worlds of childhood and adulthood. I like to mix the worlds of adults and teenagers, but publishers don’t. Cirque du Freak mixed children’s and adult’s worlds and was turned down by every publisher in the UK originally.

“No-one would touch it because they saw it as a confused hybrid, but it wasn’t. It was a book that reached a wide audience, readers from aged 10 to 80, pretty much.

“I like reading children’s and teenager’s books because it’s a great way of viewing the world. Some of my favourite books of the last 20 years are YA books — Philip Pullman’s Dark Materials trilogy, The Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness, they’re some of the most challenging books I’ve read.

“The good thing about social media is that it’s made it easier for audiences to find books, whereas in the past publishers and booksellers decided ‘this is a book just for children’ and kept it in the children’s section, where adults didn’t go. Now, with the covers of YA books, it’s a case of ‘is it for children, is it for adults?’

“You can reach and appeal to both audiences. Most adults have that inner child and can remember what they were like as children; it’s sad if we leave that behind completely.”

STORY TELLING

Shan’s own reading habits have changed somewhat since the arrival of his son Dante 18 months ago.

“His favourite now is We’re Going On A Bear Hunt but I’m looking forward to when he gets a bit older and to reading real stories to him. But he likes books, which I’m really pleased about, looking at pictures and so on. He might go through 10 or 15 books at night, looking for something he likes, though he likes his iPad as well.”

Does Shan look forward to his son moving on from bears to vampires and zombies and perhaps investigating his dad’s books?

“If he likes them. I have loads in the house but I won’t push them on him. He may not want anything to do with his old man’s stories.”

Zom-B Goddess by Darren Shan is out now. He will be signing books at Eason Limerick at 4.30pm on Friday, April 15; Midleton Books at 10am, and Waterstone’s Cork, 2.30pm, on Saturday, April 16