USA - Interview with author Sue Burke

Sue Burke is a writer and translator whose recent sci-fi duology (SEMIOSIS and INTERFERENCE) has appeared on a number of “Best of” lists and shortlisted for some highly prestigious prizes.

Our conversation covered how she knew from even before she could read that she wanted to be a writer, the inspiration for her two books, and many of the themes they explore.

Sue’s takeaway surprised me – and yet it shouldn’t have. It’s exactly what her books are about. And it’s of vitally important that we heed her call.

“There's something called 'plant blindness,' where you see a tree and every other tree is just the same tree. Well, no, it's not. [I hope readers] begin to see the individuals that are around them and understand that their lives are difficult for them, but important for them too, because this is our environment. If all the plants die, we're dead too."

I found SEMIOSIS and INTERFERENCE to be engaging reads, almost frighteningly plausible sci-fi, and ultimately thoughtful meditations on language and meaning, cross-cultural & species communication, and the very real state of our planet.

Bio:
Sue Burke is a writer and translator who has lived in Milwaukee, Austin, Madrid, and now Chicago. She has published short stories, poems, and articles in a variety of magazines and anthologies, and her novel Semiosis was published by Tor in February 2018, and its sequel, Interference, in 2019.

• Arthur C. Clarke Award 2018 shortlist
• John W. Campbell Memorial Award finalist
• Locus Best First Novel Award nominee
• New York Public Library – Best of 2018
• The Verge – Best of 2018
• Thrillist – Best Books of 2018
• Vulture – 10 Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of 2018
• Locus 2018 Recommended Reading List
• Chicago Review of Books – 10 Best Science Fiction Books of 2018
• Texas Library Association – Lariat List Top Books for 2019
• Forbes Best Science Fiction Books of 2018-2019

Books
https://us.macmillan.com/series/semiosisduology

Website
https://sueburke.site/

Semiosis website   
https://semiosispax.com/

Twitter
@SueBurkeSpain

Facebook    
https://www.facebook.com/burke.sue

Enjoy!
-Lisa Carter, Founder & Creative Director, Intralingo Inc.