Tag: teen fiction

171 – A Chat with Dave Cullen

Dave Cullen is a YouTuber who focuses on pop culture and science fiction, and his debut novel Deus V Machina: A Cody Stockton Mystery is one of the most intersting independent books I’ve read in a while. This novel blends multiple genres in creative and unexpected ways, and it will appeal to thoughtful teenagers who are ready to think about complex philosophical ideas but who also want to enjoy some good action and adventure.

During our conversation, Dave explains his ideas about how artificial intelligence will affect authors and illustrators, and we focus on the themes and ideas in Deus V Machina rather than its actual plot and characters, because we don’t want to spoil the story for readers.

Our conversation is also on YouTube:

140 – Jane Austen: Sassy Teen Author

Jane Austen didn’t wait to become an adult to start writing. As a kid she was telling stories to her family, and in her early work you can see her wicked sense of humor and her ability to step inside the mind of another person — even if that person held views completely different from Jane’s.

The History of England was written in 1791, when Jane was just 16 years old. It is full of short, hilarious, and wildly inaccurate biographies of some of the kings and queens of England, focusing mainly on a woman who was never a queen of England at all.

Teenagers can learn a lot from Jane by reading this book. You don’t have to wait to be a grownup to start writing. Books don’t have to be long in order to be really fun to read. And you shouldn’t automatically consider a narrator reliable just because the word “history” is in the title of the book.

Listen to my audiobook recording of Jane Austen’s History of England and see Cassandra Austen’s illustrations here: