AW: In WWW:Wake, how did you get the teenage girl so authentic? Did you have help with that or a ready model?Read the opening chapters of WWW: Wake, and learn more about the book and author at Robert J. Sawyer's website and blog.RJS: I spent a lot of time reading blog postings and Facebook postings by teenagers, and talking to teenage girls—including my own wonderful nieces and the daughters of friends. I really worked hard to make the voice authentic, and I had a number of teenagers read the novel in manuscript to check to be sure that I got it right.
AW: In WWW:Wake, you tease the reader with snippets from an awakening, an entity discovering consciousness. Did you do any research on human awareness for this?
RJS: I did years of research on that topic. I’ve been researching human consciousness and perception for over a decade now—and using that material in novels such as Factoring Humanity and Mindscan. To me, the single most interesting area of science right now is consciousness studies, and I love the way it combines computer science, neurobiology, quantum physics, and so many other disciplines.
AW: Your characters are so believable and have such depth. Do you model them after real people?...[read on]
The Page 69 Test: WWW: Wake.
--Marshal Zeringue