- Tell us a bit about "Anything for You."
Sometimes writers find their characters taking on a life of their own. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle famously became jealous of his character, Sherlock Holmes, who was more famous than the author himself. Conan Doyle tried to kill off Sherlock Holmes, but Holmes refused to die. Perhaps, too, the fans refused to let Holmes die.
Readers, especially fans, also experience the phenomenon of fiction becoming more real in their imaginations than reality. When a character whom fans love does something fictitiously they don’t approve of, fans get angry.
What if fans could interactively participate in the creative process? The emotional stakes would be high.
- What was the inspiration for this story, or what prompted you to write it?
My longtime friend and colleague, the German writer and editor Myra Çakan, asked me to contribute a story to an anthology which she’d titled Interactive. She envisioned all sorts of scenarios of modern life that could be interactive in a slightly futuristic way. That got my creative wheels turning.
That’s what I love about being invited to contribute to themed anthologies. The editor’s vision inspires me to explore directions I might not otherwise go. I wrote an 1890s stage magic story, Every Mystery Unexplained, for David Copperfield’s Tales of the Impossible, and a Chinese unicorn story, Daughter of the Tao, for Peter S. Beagle’s Immortal Unicorn, among many other stories and anthologies. If those editors hadn’t proposed a theme, I would never have researched and written those stories.
Myra had a German publisher lined up and maybe a dozen writers, including me and, I believe, William Gibson.
Then the German publisher, as apparently German publishers are wont to do, folded before the project could get up and running.
So there I was with a story without a home. Since F&SF is The New Yorker of genre magazines, that seemed like a great place to submit the story. And it was!
- Was "Anything for You" personal to you in any way? If so, how?
I don’t understand fandom. I appreciate certain writers, singers, artists, and actors, of course, but I don’t obsess over their output or them, personally.
Some years ago, I attended a science fiction discussion group held at a member’s home. I excused myself to use the bathroom and was shocked to see that she had a lovingly framed picture of Mr. Spock on her bathroom wall! What was that about?
So I wanted to explore a fan’s obsession from the inside out.
- What would you want a reader to take away from this story?
That no matter how hard anyone tries—family members, spouse, or the government—they ultimately can’t control you. Especially your thoughts and emotions and who you choose to love.
One of our unique human gifts is that we can always choose how to react to life. No one can ever take our inner choices away from us.
- What are you working on now?
New stories and novellas, of course!
I’m working on uploading the rest of my backlist as ebooks. My ebook publisher, Bast Books, just published Arachne on all major retailers worldwide. Arachne, a “cyberpunk,” is my first novel, which was published in hardcover by William Morrow, trade paper by Eos Books, and mass market paperback by AvoNova. Arachne debuted in the top ten on the Locus Magazine Hardcover List. I’m delighted to send the book, newly re-edited, back out into the reading world.
I’ve only got three more backlist books to go, Cyberweb, the sequel to Arachne, and my two Pangaea books. Then I’m all caught up.
Going forward, I’m excited to announce that I'm working on a new high-concept SF novel.
End of Interview!
And here are two reviews of “Anything For You”:
http://www.tangentonline.com/print--bi-monthly-reviewsmenu-260/221-fantasy-a-science-fiction/3231-fantasy-a-science-fiction-septemberoctober-2016
“Anything for You” by Lisa Mason is a near future SF story of Willem's obsession with Dr. Virginia Isley. She is not his wife—or even his girlfriend—but a fictional character in an interactive television show. For Willem love is all about control, but he soon finds that some people—real or not—refuse to be controlled.
Mason does a masterful job here telling this in the form of a television script, including the plot options Willem is allowed to choose. I kept expecting something a bit deeper, but it was an enjoyable read nonetheless.
And another review http://www.sfrevu.com/php/Review-id.php?id=17039
"Anything for You" by Lisa Mason—Willem has become obsessed with an interactive soap opera about a surgeon named Dr. Virginia Isley. He tries to control her life as much as he can but is constantly frustrated. His obsession ruins his marriage and things go even more downhill from there. A real chill at the end in another great story.
Lisa Mason, the Fantasy and Science Fiction Author
Books by Lisa Mason
Stories, Novelettes, Screenplays by Lisa Mason
Interviews, Reviews, Storybundles, Blogs, Next Thing
| Interview for "Riddle" in the September-October 2017 Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction |
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| The Story Collection Storybundle |
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| The Artificial Intelligence Storybundle |
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| Time Travel Blogs with Laura Vosika 4 to 5 |
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| Chats About Writing with Ryan Schneider (1) | Chats About Writing with Ryan Schneider (2) |
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Ryan Schneider Chats with Lisa Mason About The Garden of Abracadabra |
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| Festivale Interview |
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| The Next Thing |
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| NFReads.com Interview |
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Art, Jewelry, and Mobiles by Tom Robinson
Cats, Past and Present
All content copyright 2000-2022 by Lisa Mason. All artwork copyright 2000-2022 by Tom Robinson.
For rights and publicity inquiries, please go to The Media Room.