Q&A With Suzanne Collins
Q: Of all the places Gregor could have traveled to, why the Underland?
A: I liked the fact that this world was teeming under New York City and nobody was aware of it. That you could be going along preoccupied with your own problems and then whoosh! You take a wrong turn in your laundry room and suddenly a giant cockroach is right in your face. No magic, no space or time travel, there’s just a ticket to another world behind your clothes dryer.
Q: Is there anything you find/found difficult or challenging in writing from the perspective of an 11-year-old boy?
A: I remember being 11 very clearly and I had a lot
of friends who were boys so it felt pretty natural being in Gregor’s
head.
Q: Are you anything like Gregor?
A: I think I’m like Gregor because we both want to do the right thing but sometimes have trouble figuring out what it is. Also, neither of us likes to ride roller coasters and we’ve both changed a lot of diapers. But Gregor is much braver than I am…if I even see a regular sized rat in New York City I immediately cross the street.
Q: Many people think bats, rats, cockroaches, and spiders are creepy! Did you have to get over your fear of any (or all!) of them to write this story?
A: I wish I could say that after I researched the creepy animals I was no longer at all afraid of them . . . but that would be a big fib! Cockroaches aren’t really scary, just a little germy, so I don’t mind them much. I love bats . . . except these really loud ones that get in my attic in the summer and hold some kind of party all night long. Spiders still scare me some, although I’m also fascinated by them and I can happily watch them from a distance. But rats — not pet rats but the wild kind — I will always have what I consider to be a healthy fear of rats. You should too.
Q: Are you kinder to cockroaches, bats, rats, and/or spiders nowadays?
A: I don’t think I was ever particularly unkind to them, but I do have more of a connection with them now. I’m more aware of their similarities to humans. And I’m sympathetic to their desire to survive, which all creatures share.
Q: Did you have a sibling who, like Boots, got you into a world of trouble?
A: I have two older sisters and one older brother and hold them largely responsible for the trouble I got into growing up. I believe as the youngest child, that is my right.
Q: Have you ever been lost and wanted to find your way home?
A: All the time. I have a terrible sense of direction. I get lost practically every time I leave my house. Fortunately, people are usually very kind about giving you directions if you ask politely.
Q: All fun aside for a moment, Gregor is also about war and battling forces and survival. Can you tell us a little bit about this?
A: Gregor falls into a fantastical world, but he’s really acting out the main role in a war story. Almost as soon as he arrives in the Underland, he’s recognized as the “warrior” of the prophecies and he’s called upon to undertake what are essentially a series of military missions. For instance, in Book 1 he goes into enemy territory to rescue a prisoner of war who also happens to be his dad. It’s never described as such, but that’s what’s really happening.
As the series continues, Gregor is faced with increasingly difficult quests and choices as the Underland breaks into a massive global war. His struggle to survive — both physically and spiritually — forms the arc of The Underland Chronicles.
Hear original audio about war in the Underland from the author!
