 |  The Interview |
What follows is the complete text of Brent's first and only interview, and as such provides a unique insight into the life and work of one of speculative fiction's least known and least likely to be known talents.
| David N Anderton | Welcome, Brent, and thanks for giving up your time. I know you're a busy man. | |
| Brent J Falconer | My pleasure. And yes, I am. | |
| DNA | I trust you're in good health? | |
| BJF | Well, I'm not dead yet. | |
| DNA | Glad to hear it. So, to kick us off, could you tell us who or what have been the greatest influences on your work? | |
| BJF | Let me see, hmm. Well, I guess I'd have to say Tolkien. It may be obvious, but there you are. And Monty Python. And Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Friends, Sarah McLachlan and blueberry muffins. | |
| DNA | Really? I … | |
| BJF | Joss Whedon, Blackadder, Chris Achilleos, Discworld, the internet, friends, Billy Connolly, REM, ER, and Bugs Bunny. But not necessarily in that order, or all at once. | |
| DNA | What is your earliest memory? | |
| BJF | I forget. No, wait, it's coming back. Nope, gone again. | |
| DNA | Okay, we'll move on. Wh … | |
| BJF | I'm sitting at my desk, working on the first chapter of my new novel, Galhaven. | |
| DNA | And that's your earliest memory? | |
| BJF | Yeah. Before that, it's all just a blur. | |
| DNA | Do you ever make fun of people? | |
| BJF | Isn't that what they're there for? | |
| DNA | Which historical figure do you most admire? | |
| BJF | Leonardo da Vinci. I have the ability to be average at everything I do. He seemed to do rather better. | |
| DNA | Which fictional character would you most like to be? | |
| BJF | I see myself as more of a sidekick than a hero, a trusted a friend with perhaps the odd great line. Xander Harris, Robin, Sam Gamgee, or Chewie. I always suspected that Tolkien wrote Lord of the Rings through Sam's eyes, so I guess I'm in good company. | |
| DNA | What's your favourite subject to bore people with? | |
| BJF | I can bore people with almost anything if I put my mind to it. Particular favourites include books, sf, being nostalgic about kids TV like Battle of the Planets and Bod, or something I just saw on the Discovery Channel. | |
| DNA | Who is your favourite Muppet? | |
| BJF | Beaker | |
| DNA | If you could possess one skill that you don't already have, what would it be? | |
| BJF | I should probably say the ability to write, or at least the ability to finish writing what I start. But instead I'll go for the ability to sing like Adam Duritz of Counting Crows. As it is, I couldn't carry a tune if you put it in a bag. | |
| DNA | What do you consider to be your best quality? | |
| BJF | My ass | |
| DNA | What is the greatest movie of all time? | |
| BJF | Alien, It's a Wonderful Life, The Fisher King, Die Hard, Monty Python's Life of Brian, As Good As It Gets, Groundhog Day, Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit. | |
| DNA | What is your most annoying habit? | |
| BJF | I can never make up my mind. I'm a compulsive channel-hopper whenever commercials come on. I'm obsessively tidy, yet constantly create a mess. And I find it impossible to give a simple answer to a simple question. | |
| DNA | Name something unusual about yourself | |
| BJF | I'm a figment of my own imagination. | |
| DNA | Something underrated? | |
| BJF | Penfold. Dangermouse might have been the greatest secret agent in the world, but Penfold was the real star. | |
| DNA | What is your favourite food? | |
| BJF | Blueberry muffins, and a Spanish omelette. | |
| DNA | Where do you get your ideas? | |
| BJF | A weird little shop just off Charing Cross Road. And sometimes by Mail Order. | |
| DNA | Which spaceship would you like to own? | |
| BJF | I guess we're being hypothetical here, so I'd go for the mercenaries' ship from the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Gambit". And if you ever doubted what a geek I was, you have your proof right there. | |
| DNA | Where would you most like to visit? | |
| BJF | St Petersburg, Tokyo, Middle Earth just prior to the War of the Ring, Sunnydale, Milwaukee in the 50s. | |
| DNA | If you could write your own epitaph, what would it be? | |
| BJF | "Light blue touch paper, and stand well back." Alternatively, "We are what we pretend to be." Actually, that second one was Kurt Vonnegut Jr., but I doubt he'd mind me borrowing it. Besides I'd be dead, so who cares? | |
| DNA | And finally, could you tell us what the "J" stands for? | |
| BJF | Yes, I could. | |
| DNA | Brent Falconer, thank you. |
Brent Falconer was interviewed on Saturday 29 July 2000, by David N Anderton.
