Moore Summer Options
With summer just around the corner, trying to figure out how I want to spend my time this summer has certainly been one thing on my mind. Of course I plan on getting a job, if not two, plus I’ll be taking a summer Shakespeare course, as well as trying to find time for myself and my friends. I also have another thing that is on my mind—which books am I going to read this summer? I usually go through eight to ten books by the end of the summer. One author that should definitely be on everyone’s summer reading list is Christopher Moore.
Moore has been writing since he was 16-years-old and published his first book in 1990. Throughout his entire life, Moore has been surrounded by books and has enjoyed most of the stories that he has read.
“My father, who was a big reader, was a cop, but somehow he managed to read a book a day when I was little,” Moore said. “When I was older and he was a commanding officer, that dropped to a book every two or three days. I guess reading was just a big thing in our house and I liked stories.”
Moore has published ten novels to date, with another one on the way in February 2009. His days are spent writing, goofing off and then writing some more. Moore is definitely a unique author and describes his books as “funny novels with an element of the supernatural.” He finds that the writing process goes much better when he is learning, so he chooses topics that he does not know a lot about in order to keep the writing process going.
“You can’t keep the moment of inspiration for the whole year it takes to write a book, so inspiration comes when you’re researching, often, before you’ve even begun writing, when you’re still learning. That’s one of the reasons I like to pick subjects I don’t know a lot about to write books on. By the time I finish the book, I know a hell of a lot about the subject, and that learning kicks off ideas that make the story,” Moore said.
When researching for Island of the Sequined Love Nun (1997), Moore took a few lessons in how to fly a helicopter, as well as live on an island in Micronesia. And in order to write Lamb (2002), Moore read all of the Gospels and became well versed in the different theologies that he used within that book.
Moore certainly has a different way of storytelling. His ideas are very abstract and out there; take for instance The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove (1999). The story is based around a sea beast named Steve that comes to Pine Cove, California after the entire town has been taken off their anti-depressants. No one could say that that is a plot line that you would typically see in a book.
“I usually just put two things together that haven’t been put together before. Like Lamb, a humorous retelling of the life of Christ.”
Lamb is a fictional retelling of a “forgotten” gospel—the Gospel of Biff, Christ’s best friend. This book is telling the story of those years that are unknown about Christ’s life. You meet Christ and Biff as they are children. As the story progresses you are taken through the process of Christ becoming the messiah, which includes going on a journey for the three wise men that were present at Christ’s birth.
“I had just seen a special on PBS called From Jesus to Christ, where some theologist said, ‘there are thirty years of Christ’s life that aren’t covered in the Gospels.’ I thought, ‘someone should write those years, and since I know nothing about theology or history, I should be that someone,’” Moore said.
One aspect of Moore’s writing that engages readers are the characters that he creates. The characters have so many different levels to which they are that the reader cannot help but be enthralled with who they are. Sometimes the characters are even based on real people.
The storyline, and therefore characters, for The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove were loosely based on Moore’s friends who were on anti-depressants and trying to get off of them. After talking to a psychiatrist, Moore thought this would be a great basis for a story.
“People tend to get very anxious, very depressed, and very horny. I thought, ‘wow, I wish all my friends would just go off their meds at once, so I could take a couple of weeks just to put out emotional fires.’ But then I realized, ‘Oh my God, then they’d all be horny, too. It would be a nightmare.’ So I wondered what would happen if a whole village went off their meds at once. Oh, and their anxiety attracted an ancient predator from the bottom of the sea who came to shore and started eating them.”
Some of the characters that Moore creates for certain stories, also appear in other novels. The Emperor appears in all of the San Francisco novels, Mavis appears in all of the Pine Cove novels, and Catch from Practical Demonkeeping (1992) also makes in appearance in Lamb.
“I bring them back mainly because people, my readers, ask me to. And I think it’s cool when I’m reading [someone else’s] book and that happens,” Moore said. “It’s like running into an old friend. It sort of makes you feel special, like you’re on the inside of the story. I’m all about making people have fun while reading my books.”
Moore is unlike any other author I have ever experienced, both in the way he writes as well as how he treats those who appreciate his writing. He is known for talking time out of his day to answer his own fan mail; he is especially nice while touring and will actually sit there and have a conversation with a fan.
“I am pretty busy, and there are times now that I can’t keep up with my e-mail, but I also think that writing, at its heart, is communication,” Moore said. “And communication is a two-way thing. I don’t want to just sit in a palace and send my hallowed thoughts out to the world. Besides, people have been nice enough to pay money to read something I thought up, the least I can do is help out with a paper now and again.”
If humor is what you look for in a good book, Christopher Moore will surely be an author to check out. His off-the-wall humor may be a little twisted at times, but if you are in need of a good laugh, he will surely be able to help. His books are available at almost anywhere books are sold as well as at Amazon.com.
-Katie
