Darren Shan: 'People reading dystopian books have been better prepared for what has happened'
Darren Shan is in the process of publishing his latest trio of Archibald Lox books. Picture: Kieran Clancy
His books have sold 30 million copies worldwide and been translated into 32 languages but when Darren Shan tried to get his most recent series published, he was taken aback to find that traditional publishers weren’t interested.
The Limerick author, real name Darren O’Shaughnessy, found he had to be creative in more ways than one, and turned to self-publishing in order to get the Archibald Lox series into readers’ hands.
“When the publishers passed on it, I decided I was going to have to do it myself. In a way, I had to go back to the start but technology has made it possible to do that,” says Shan.
While the whole process was a big learning curve for Shan, he says self-publishing has become a more viable option for writers now. “There was a bit of learning, and I try to make them the same as if it was a traditional publisher, in terms of book design, cover art, and editing, so you have to spend a bit of money doing that. If someone wants the book, they can have it instantly on e-book or print it on demand, and have it a couple of days later.
"There are now plenty of writers out there who choose not to go the traditional publishing route and to self-publish, and have great careers. People of my generation, certainly, there is a sort of snobbery about self-published books but the world has changed and self-publishing has become something more and more writers are considering as an alternative to the traditional routes.”
Shan, who has entertained generations of younger readers with his books, including the hugely successful vampire series The Saga of Darren Shan/Cirque du Freak and his ‘Zom-B’ books for teenagers, has taken a detour into fantasy and adventure with the Archibald Lox series.
They follow hero Archie who embarks on a series of adventures after he opens a magical locked portal through which he enters a strange universe called the Merge, which is made up of many different realms.
Shan fast-tracked the publication of the first volume of the series, comprising three books, when Covid and lockdown hit last year. The fourth book was published in July and the fifth has just been released.
“I had been working on the series for a few years and I had the first three books, which make up volume one, just about ready to go, I was looking to release them late last year. Then, when the first lockdown hit, everyone’s spirits were down, they were inside not being able to see people, I had the idea to just put them out there, make them available straight away.
"I sneak released them on April Fools’ Day — I posted a link on my site saying oh, I’ve released three new books today and most people thought I was joking, they found out the next day I was telling the truth.”
The 49-year-old has been making a living as a full-time writer for 26 years, a notable achievement in a precarious industry. From the beginning of his career, he saw the importance of opening up a direct line of communication with readers, something that has served him well.
“I made my own website back in 2000, from a book about how to set up a website in 24 hours. I found that contact great. Now with social media, I have another way to stay in touch with my fans,. I blog every day, I do a monthly newsletter, people stay in touch with me, they write to me and I respond.”
While writers now compete with social media and smartphones for the attention of younger readers, Shan says there will always be a need for books, which offer them a different imaginative outlet.
“I think stories still offer something that other media don’t. If you watch a movie or playing a video game, everyone is seeing the same thing, whereas if you read a book, everyone interprets it in their own way, they bring the book to life in their imagination. It gives you a personal interactive experience which no other form of storytelling really can do.
"Books seem to be as popular as ever. Accessibility to books has improved, with e-books everyone can download a book immediately. When I was a kid, there was a limit to what you could get in your local bookshop or library. There is an assumption among certain people that technology must be bad for books and it is driving kids away. I think it is a good time for books. Technology is good, it is not the enemy.”
Shan also believes his dark tales can help equip young people to deal with the challenges of real life. He has a son, Dante, 7, and a daughter, Gaia, 2 and says Covid and lockdown has had a significant impact on younger people.
“I notice with my son, there has been a reaction to this. As hard as it is for adults, it is even trickier for young people. They aren’t always able to vocalise it as easy as we can, their fears and troubles and stuff.
"I think it is one of the reasons my books have been so popular over the years. They have always been about people overcoming huge obstacles blocking their path. The message that always comes through in my books, the one unifying message, is you can overcome anything, we can stand up to any challenge if we are true to ourselves, we can find bravery within ourselves."
Shan is well aware that many people have a tough 18 months. "All those people who have been reading dystopian books have perhaps been better prepared for what has happened. I say in jest, as dystopias go, it’s not too bad, at least there aren’t zombies. I’d rather deal with Covid than hordes of zombies.”
Archibald Lox and the Slides of Bon Repell (Book Five) is available now on e-book and paperback. Archibald Lox and the Rubicon Dictate (Book Six) lands on September 1. www.darrenshan.com
Watching: I am on season three of Lost, I somehow missed it the first time around. I don’t love it but it is interesting. We have had so much great TV since it first aired, I think I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had seen it 15 years ago when it was originally on.
Listening: I always have lots of CDs on the go, a mix of old and new. I really like The National, I was supposed to see them last summer, then this summer and it has been pushed back to next year now. I like listening to Classic Hits when I’m in the car, tunes that I’m familiar with.
Reading: I read a mix of stuff, fantasy, horror and sci-fi and I really like a good thriller. At the moment I am reading one of the Harry Bosch books by Michael Connelly, Funk Music.
Literary hero: Stephen King, first and foremost. I read my first Stephen King book much younger than I should have done, I was about 10 or 11 — Salem’s Lot, about vampires. I saw the TV series and then got the book, it was the 80s, you could do things like that. I slept with a cross beside me after watching it. Almost 40 years later, I’m still reading him.
