Wonderful interview, thank you so much for sharing. It's not lost on me that author interviews tend to get fewer views on Booktube, which boggles my mind since they are so rich and valuable. Thank you for dedicating space for this!
Thanks so much! I felt so privileged to speak with him. And yeah, I find it odd that people seem less interested in watching author interviews but if I have an opportunity to speak with an author whose book I loved I want to take it and I don't care how few people watch. 😊📚
Just finished reading In Ascension and I really enjoyed it. As a former resident of Ascension Island, I really enjoyed part 5. Martin got a lot right in his descriptions of the island scenery and general vibes, and I can understand why he took the liberties that he did (he describes the view from the summit of Green Mountain as ocean on all sides, but this isn't actually possible at the moment because the peak is covered in a thick bamboo forest so there IS no view from the summit). From my perspective this chapter described a setting very familiar to me, so it was a huge nostalgia trip. The description of green turtles climbing onto the beach was particularly fantastic. Great job
Saw this at my library this week and remembered your earlier video praising it. I started it yesterday and have 1/3 left to read. I haven’t reached the new perspective part yet but, have LOVED everything so far and want to buy my own copy for a reread with annotations because it’s so thought provoking. Great interview and now need to add his prior books to my To Read list.
Lovely interview, thanks so much - I finished the book about 6 hours ago - it's the 12th of the Booker longlist for me to read and it immediately shot to the top of my rankings, and I suspect will stay there. I'd read and liked Macinnes' first book and have the second which I now have to read, but wasn't prepared for how much this book moved me. Fingers crossed it makes it to the shortlist and others can have the sense of awe and wonder it provoked in both of us.
Great interview. I just finished the book and absolutely loved it. The writing was beautiful and that sense of wonder you spoke about really elevated the book for me. So many layers to this one. I will definitely re-read this in the future.
If he wasn’t sufficiently awed by the Booker nomination, Martin MacInnes must have been intimidated as all get-out to be interviewed by Virginia Woolf! 😜👏🥳♥️
I just finished the book today, and I was waiting to watch this until I finished. I absolutely loved this book, and I loved the way you explored the creative process. Thank you so much for this, Eric and Martin.
Finally back to watch this interview. I am still absorbing the brilliance of "In Ascension". Though disappointed it didn't make the shortlist for the Booker, I still hold it as the best book I have read so far this year, and hope it finds many, many readers. Watching this interview was also a joy. What a wonderful conversation! Mr. MacInnes seems wonderfully intelligent and also humble when discussing his work and his influences. Thank you for this interview!
Thank you for this! Lovely interview. Finished the books a few weeks ago and I'm still thinking about it. This brought me back into the mood of reading it. Might just do a re-read myself, as well.
I got up early today to finish this book. So much to think about - time, cycles, spirituality, origins, connections! I loved the ambition of this book and the poetic writing. Like you discuss in the interview, it transcends genre; like the themes of the book, everything is connected in time and space. I don't think I've ever cried about turtles before but I found myself crying this morning.
Great interview. I can relate to his description of libraries. The idea of exchanging the book as a romantic gesture- love it. Can't wait to read this book.
This is gold. Thank you, Eric and Martin! I’ve been scouring the internet for MacInnes interviews, and I could only find a brief bookstore snippet where he walks through some favorite books. This interview was deeply needed and an excellent surprise. Thank you for all of your Booker content, Eric. It is definitely enhancing the season. I’m looking forward to more author interviews, Booker and non-Booker alike.
I'm so glad you liked it! And I felt the same way - wishing I could hear his in-depth thoughts about the novel so I thought why not approach him to see if he'd be interested in talking. I'd met him once many years ago at a book event and he was very nice so I knew we'd get along. It was really a privilege to speak with him.
Going to save this and watch later... I just received my copy of "In Ascension" in the mail today! I actually ordered it a few days before the Booker longlist announcement because of your recommendation and the recommendation from Books and Bao. It took a while to get here from the UK to Maine here in the states. Very much looking forward to it!
Such a fantastic interview, Eric. This is an awesome book which I keep recommending to anyone I come across who hasn’t read it already. I am so pleased it was nominated. The theme of intimacy and return really came across to me in the book. I really agree with McInnes’ and your own ideas about the broadness of the Science fiction and how it include the ‘world of the small’ far more these-days in areas such as quantum physics and microbiology and also the importance of shifting perceptions and perspectives here on earth and in the wider spaces. I really look forward to reading so much more of McInnes work because his enthusiasm for his subject matter is palpable.
Lovely interview! Always a treat to hear about writers' thoughts, impressions and their influences. I am sure to be on the lookout for this one on my next bookshop visit. Thank you Eric and Martin.
Excellent questions and very satisfying answers. I’m still hoping to understand the book one day but I enjoyed it without understanding it and wish the author well.
Fantastic interview. I'm *so* looking forward to reading this book (I suggested it for our book group for Oct, so I'm trying to hold off!). I find it interesting what some people think of derisively as 'science fiction', when I think this is exactly what the best science fiction is/does - although I've always tended toward more 'literary' SciFi - I started with LeGuin, so that's kind of my bar. Not so much into space battles, more examining the human condition/consciousness through a speculative lens. Interesting that Woolf came into it - I just read To the Lighthouse last year, also my first of hers, and was just blown away. Is now an all-time favorite. I still think about it a lot (as you say, that's a good indication of a great book, when they just keep percolating...)
Thank you! Hope you enjoy it and I’m sure it’ll be a great book group discussion title. I’m reading LeGuin for the first time for my book club group next month!
So enjoyed this interview. I love this novel. I could be described as a sci fi reader who also feels compelled to read literary novels. In Ascension manages to wear both hats. My favourite sci fi novels like Stanislaw Lem’s Solaris or the Manifold books by Stephen Baxter evoke a sense of awe and wonder. For me this is what sci fi does and In Ascension also does that very well. I don’t agree with the critics who declare the plot line is just a rehash of ideas already dealt with in many sci fi novels and movies. The writing is just beautiful and whether you like the character of Leigh or not she does seem very real. The author declares facets of himself in her character and perhaps that fact makes her so rounded. Perhaps I understand her better now. Good to hear Martin McInnes mentioning his love of Skye. Being a fellow Scot I’ve been there many times and it really is a special place on this planet. So glad In Ascension made the Booker long list. It deserves that accolade at the very least. I will be reading it again.
I don't normally follow the Booker Prize or read very many novels. This author seems pretty cool. I might make an exception for this book. Thank you for this gentle, thoughtful interview.
Thank you so much, Karl and Martin, for this wonderful interview! 🌷In Ascension is one of the two novels on the longlist which interest me. I was just trying to make up my mind as whether I could commit to such a lengthy read, but I’m now so much looking forward to it!!! By the way, I share your love for Virginia Woolf🥰
just finished this book and boy what a god damn disappointment. how do you create such a great idea and hope for something great all to end in complete nothingness? no pay off, no answers. ridiculous. don't waste your time.
This interview makes me even more excited to read this one. It seems like it us also the title that is getting the most love from bookstagrammers. ETA: Love the support for public libraries.
Wonderful interview, thank you so much for sharing. It's not lost on me that author interviews tend to get fewer views on Booktube, which boggles my mind since they are so rich and valuable. Thank you for dedicating space for this!
Thanks so much! I felt so privileged to speak with him. And yeah, I find it odd that people seem less interested in watching author interviews but if I have an opportunity to speak with an author whose book I loved I want to take it and I don't care how few people watch. 😊📚
"the possibility that the past may not be entirely lost" - nice turn of phrase
LOVED and just finished "In Ascension," thank you for writing it.
The writing is so beautiful. can't stop thinking about the ending. thank you Martin MacInnes and Eric (super interview🥰)
I’m so glad you enjoyed the novel and our discussion! 😊
I love Martin MacInnes. He's a great writer, and seems like a really humble, kind spirit.
Just finished reading In Ascension and I really enjoyed it. As a former resident of Ascension Island, I really enjoyed part 5. Martin got a lot right in his descriptions of the island scenery and general vibes, and I can understand why he took the liberties that he did (he describes the view from the summit of Green Mountain as ocean on all sides, but this isn't actually possible at the moment because the peak is covered in a thick bamboo forest so there IS no view from the summit).
From my perspective this chapter described a setting very familiar to me, so it was a huge nostalgia trip. The description of green turtles climbing onto the beach was particularly fantastic. Great job
Saw this at my library this week and remembered your earlier video praising it. I started it yesterday and have 1/3 left to read. I haven’t reached the new perspective part yet but, have LOVED everything so far and want to buy my own copy for a reread with annotations because it’s so thought provoking. Great interview and now need to add his prior books to my To Read list.
Lovely interview, thanks so much - I finished the book about 6 hours ago - it's the 12th of the Booker longlist for me to read and it immediately shot to the top of my rankings, and I suspect will stay there. I'd read and liked Macinnes' first book and have the second which I now have to read, but wasn't prepared for how much this book moved me. Fingers crossed it makes it to the shortlist and others can have the sense of awe and wonder it provoked in both of us.
I’m glad you also found the book so powerful!
Wonderful interview! My copy is on the way from Blackwell's. Can't wait to read it!
Thank you! Hope you enjoy it!
Yes, the V. Woolf tangent was excellent - as was the spaceship moment.
😊💜
Great interview. I just finished the book and absolutely loved it. The writing was beautiful and that sense of wonder you spoke about really elevated the book for me. So many layers to this one. I will definitely re-read this in the future.
Thank you! Glad you found it so impactful as well.
If he wasn’t sufficiently awed by the Booker nomination, Martin MacInnes must have been intimidated as all get-out to be interviewed by Virginia Woolf! 😜👏🥳♥️
It was such a great coincidence that I wore that shirt when he had so much to say about V Woolf! 💜
I just finished the book today, and I was waiting to watch this until I finished. I absolutely loved this book, and I loved the way you explored the creative process. Thank you so much for this, Eric and Martin.
Glad you enjoyed it! 😊
Finally back to watch this interview. I am still absorbing the brilliance of "In Ascension". Though disappointed it didn't make the shortlist for the Booker, I still hold it as the best book I have read so far this year, and hope it finds many, many readers. Watching this interview was also a joy. What a wonderful conversation! Mr. MacInnes seems wonderfully intelligent and also humble when discussing his work and his influences. Thank you for this interview!
I’m so glad it’s also one of your favourite books of the year and that you enjoyed our chat. I felt privileged to talk with him.
I just finished this novel and went looking for more content. Very happy to find this lovely long-form interview/conversation. Thank you for this!!
That’s great to hear and I was honoured to speak with such a great author.
Please, I hope you would have more interviews with authors. This is so informative and inspiring
Thanks! I hope to do more interviews.
Thank you for this! Lovely interview. Finished the books a few weeks ago and I'm still thinking about it. This brought me back into the mood of reading it. Might just do a re-read myself, as well.
Thank you for sharing this interview. It’s always so interesting to hear authors’ perspectives on their own books but also literature in general.
It wonderful chatting with him! 😊📚
I got up early today to finish this book. So much to think about - time, cycles, spirituality, origins, connections! I loved the ambition of this book and the poetic writing. Like you discuss in the interview, it transcends genre; like the themes of the book, everything is connected in time and space. I don't think I've ever cried about turtles before but I found myself crying this morning.
I’m so glad you found the novel so impactful!
Great interview. I can relate to his description of libraries. The idea of exchanging the book as a romantic gesture- love it.
Can't wait to read this book.
Thank you! And yes, that was such a sweet anecdote and I'm glad he emphasised the importance of libraries.
This is gold. Thank you, Eric and Martin! I’ve been scouring the internet for MacInnes interviews, and I could only find a brief bookstore snippet where he walks through some favorite books. This interview was deeply needed and an excellent surprise.
Thank you for all of your Booker content, Eric. It is definitely enhancing the season. I’m looking forward to more author interviews, Booker and non-Booker alike.
I'm so glad you liked it! And I felt the same way - wishing I could hear his in-depth thoughts about the novel so I thought why not approach him to see if he'd be interested in talking. I'd met him once many years ago at a book event and he was very nice so I knew we'd get along. It was really a privilege to speak with him.
Going to save this and watch later... I just received my copy of "In Ascension" in the mail today! I actually ordered it a few days before the Booker longlist announcement because of your recommendation and the recommendation from Books and Bao. It took a while to get here from the UK to Maine here in the states. Very much looking forward to it!
Cool, what great timing! Hope you enjoy the novel as much as I did and our discussion once you’ve had time to read it.
What a fantastic interview, Eric! I loved it, thanks for asking about book recommendations/favourite books. I always love to hear that :D
Thank you! 😊📚
What a terrific interview. Thank you to you both for your insights. I haven't read 'In Ascension' yet, so this is a beautiful introduction.
Thank you! 😊
Such a fantastic interview, Eric. This is an awesome book which I keep recommending to anyone I come across who hasn’t read it already. I am so pleased it was nominated. The theme of intimacy and return really came across to me in the book. I really agree with McInnes’ and your own ideas about the broadness of the Science fiction and how it include the ‘world of the small’ far more these-days in areas such as quantum physics and microbiology and also the importance of shifting perceptions and perspectives here on earth and in the wider spaces. I really look forward to reading so much more of McInnes work because his enthusiasm for his subject matter is palpable.
Thank you! I definitely recommend his first novel Infinite Ground as well.
@@EricKarlAnderson I’ve read Infinite Ground and Gathering Evidence too, Eric. I can’t wait for a new book from him.
@@bethstratton3391 Ah, I thought you meant In Ascension was the first book you read by him. I'm so glad he's working on a new novel too.
Lovely interview! Always a treat to hear about writers' thoughts, impressions and their influences. I am sure to be on the lookout for this one on my next bookshop visit. Thank you Eric and Martin.
Thank you!
Excellent questions and very satisfying answers. I’m still hoping to understand the book one day but I enjoyed it without understanding it and wish the author well.
Thank you!
Fantastic interview. I'm *so* looking forward to reading this book (I suggested it for our book group for Oct, so I'm trying to hold off!). I find it interesting what some people think of derisively as 'science fiction', when I think this is exactly what the best science fiction is/does - although I've always tended toward more 'literary' SciFi - I started with LeGuin, so that's kind of my bar. Not so much into space battles, more examining the human condition/consciousness through a speculative lens.
Interesting that Woolf came into it - I just read To the Lighthouse last year, also my first of hers, and was just blown away. Is now an all-time favorite. I still think about it a lot (as you say, that's a good indication of a great book, when they just keep percolating...)
Thank you! Hope you enjoy it and I’m sure it’ll be a great book group discussion title. I’m reading LeGuin for the first time for my book club group next month!
So enjoyed this interview. I love this novel. I could be described as a sci fi reader who also feels compelled to read literary novels. In Ascension manages to wear both hats. My favourite sci fi novels like Stanislaw Lem’s Solaris or the Manifold books by Stephen Baxter evoke a sense of awe and wonder. For me this is what sci fi does and In Ascension also does that very well. I don’t agree with the critics who declare the plot line is just a rehash of ideas already dealt with in many sci fi novels and movies. The writing is just beautiful and whether you like the character of Leigh or not she does seem very real. The author declares facets of himself in her character and perhaps that fact makes her so rounded. Perhaps I understand her better now. Good to hear Martin McInnes mentioning his love of Skye. Being a fellow Scot I’ve been there many times and it really is a special place on this planet. So glad In Ascension made the Booker long list. It deserves that accolade at the very least. I will be reading it again.
Thank you and that's so interesting! Yes, I find that criticism about In Ascension being similar to other sci-fi plots to be too simplistic as well.
This is a great book. It's sort of science fiction but written in an intimate way. I actually thought it was a biography at the beggining
I don't normally follow the Booker Prize or read very many novels. This author seems pretty cool. I might make an exception for this book. Thank you for this gentle, thoughtful interview.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you so much, Karl and Martin, for this wonderful interview! 🌷In Ascension is one of the two novels on the longlist which interest me. I was just trying to make up my mind as whether I could commit to such a lengthy read, but I’m now so much looking forward to it!!! By the way, I share your love for Virginia Woolf🥰
I think the novel really justifies the length and hope you get to reading it. And glad you're a fellow Woolf fan! 💜
loved the book and this interview was so insightful.
I’m glad you connected so strongly with the book and enjoyed our discussion.
This was a great conversation!
Excellent interview.
Thank you!
Wonderful stuff for a great book. Slime molds rule!
Thank you! And yes! 💚
I bought this book on Eric's recommendation. Enjoying it very much 😊
That’s great to hear!
awesome ❤🔥
And now I know I have to read In Ascension
Yes! Give it a try!
Bradley Cooper should play him in a movie. Congrats on getting him.
Ha, yes!
🥰🥰🥰📓📓✨✨👏👏📸📸
just finished this book and boy what a god damn disappointment. how do you create such a great idea and hope for something great all to end in complete nothingness? no pay off, no answers. ridiculous. don't waste your time.
This interview makes me even more excited to read this one. It seems like it us also the title that is getting the most love from bookstagrammers. ETA: Love the support for public libraries.
I'm so glad to hear that!