“Geek” is “Chic” When You’re Lauren Beukes
Being a “geek” is now “chic” thanks to people like Lauren Beukes, Leadership magazine says. Zaid Kriel writes that Beukes has inspired a boom in sci-fi, fantasy and horror books in South Africa, mentioning work by Joan de la Haye, Craig Smith, Andrew Salomon and Lily Herne.
Beukes spoke to Kriel about the development of her writing career, which began when she was still in Standard Five. Beukes honed her writing skills as a freelance journalist and moved into fiction when she started working in TV animation. Her career gathered momentum with the publication of her first novel, Moxyland, and started soaring when she won the Arthur C Clarke Award for Zoo City. Lately she has received so many offers, that she has to say no to some projects in order to focus on her next novel, The Shining Girls:
Do not be fooled by her blonde hair, blue eyes and ability to throw together a decent outfit. Lauren Beukes is a Geek. Yes, with a capital “G”. A few years ago, that would have been considered an insult but, today, thanks to people such as 30 Rock’s Tiny Fey, comedians Patton Oswalt and Dara Ó Briain and movie star Vin Diesel, being geek is quite chic.
Beukes is part of a wave of 30-somethings who grew up in the 1980s – a decade technologically backward enough that classic books by the likes of Enid Blyton, Beatrix Potter and AA Milne were still considered standard kids’ entertainment, yet futurist enough that children were watching DuckTales and Wielie Walie on television, and playing Super Mario and Final Fantasy on their Nintendo’s.
Book details
- Zoo City (SA edition) by Lauren Beukes
EAN: 9781770098183
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- Shadows by Joan de la Haye
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EAN: 9780983279204
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- The Red Stone by Craig Smith
EAN: 9781600760365
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- Deadlands by Lily Herne
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EAN: 9780143527695
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- Moxyland by Lauren Beukes
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EAN: 9781770095670
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Image courtesy Readersforum
Apr
