Daniel Polansky

Daniel Polansky is from Baltimore, Maryland. From a Q & A with the author about Low Town, his first novel:

Low Town takes several noir elements – a disgraced anti-hero detective, a shadowy underworld rife with thugs and drugs, and a horrific murder that drives the plot – and arranges them in a fantasy/sci-fi setting. The result is a wholly unique mystery/thriller. Is it accurate to describe Low Town as “Tarantino meets Tolkien”?

It’s not exactly how I think of it, but it’s certainly flattering. In my mind it’s more Dan Brown meets the Old Testament.

“Low Town” refers to a poor, drug and crime ridden district of a major city in not only a foreign land but an alternate world/universe, that is populated by a diverse and colorful array of people and cultures. Were these inventions informed by people and places in the real world?

In terms of the broader world, I read a lot of history so most of it is grounded in that. I always tried to keep in mind that however alien the world of Low Town may be, the characters are all human, affected by the same fundamental drives – greed, guilt, loyalty, bigotry etc. – as we are. In terms of the characters and situations and so on, you do your best to take from your own experiences, though obviously, I’ve never knifed anyone.

Your hometown is Baltimore, which has seen its share of crime and inner city turmoil. Did life in Charm City shape your fiction writing?

I have...[read on]

Visit Daniel Polansky's website.

--Marshal Zeringue