Duplicity on the Run

By Spun Counterguy on January 16, 2014

“The country’s getting more and more apathetic…and the government’s getting bolder. Soon they’re not even going to worry about covering up stuff…”

Author Kat Zhang

No this isn’t an indictment of the current political climate in America but an excerpt from the science fiction trilogy The Hybrid Chronicles. The ‘hybrids’ in the books’ dystopian setting are certain humans who are found to posses two souls within their one body. While that might sound like a sweet ‘two heads are better than one’ deal, the trouble is, the American government has outlawed such humans with the duplicitous trait. So our heroines Addie and Eva– the two spirits inside one teenager girl- finds herself locked away, on the run and eventually joining a secret group of other hybrids who are intent on securing their freedom to exist.

Author Kat Zhang gave the Brophisticate some of her time to talk about this intriguing series.

Spun Counterguy: First, what inspired the idea of the phenomenon of people having two souls?

Kat Zhang: I don’t have a very spectacular story about how the idea for two souls came about. I just got to thinking one day about the little “voice” we talk about a lot–the sort of inner monologue everyone has. What if that voice was a whole other person? What if they were stuck inside your body and couldn’t control it, and couldn’t communicate with anyone but you?

It seemed like such a stifling, paralyzing life–to watch someone else move your body and live your life, while you couldn’t do a thing. I was intrigued by how it might be like to be such a person.

The best science fiction, fantasy and fairy tales I think are the ones that are parables about our real and current world. Do you see The Hybrid Chronicles as in the traditions of such dystopian tales as 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Gattaca, etc or are they just meant to be good thrilling reads?

Kat Zhang: I’ve read and enjoyed all three of those! I’m a huge fan of science fiction (and fantasy, and fairy tales!), and I agree, I think the best ones carry within them things that resonate with our real lives, however fantastical the stories are otherwise.

I wouldn’t say I ever meant for the Hybrid Chronicles to be parables, since I don’t go into them with A Lesson To Be Learned, or anything. I started the story with a question, and as I continued writing the series, more and more questions popped into head–some of which were explored through my characters, others which I wasn’t able to fit into the story.

Stories have always been a medium through which I explore the world, so while I of course want the Hybrid Chronicles to be thrilling and interesting on a basic-storytelling level, I do think they (and all stories, really) can be more than that.

Throughout human history, teenagers and even children have had to take up arms alongside adults to survive tyrannies, and your books deal with this dilemma. Still in our modern society with all the trouble of school shootings and gang violence, many people get upset at any portrayal young people in this capacity, even in self-defense. At any point did your publisher express concern for some of the proactive actions that Addie/Eva and her friends feel they have to take?

Kat Zhang: Not particularly. I think they knew going in what sort of things I wanted to tackle with the story, and I think the young adult genre is actually a great place for tackling some of the harder-hitting issues in today’s society. I tried to portray Addie and Eva’s actions realistically, without romanticizing anything too much or falling into preaching of any kind. They’re exploring their options and their world and their own boundaries, and learning with every choice they make. That was what I wanted to focus on.

As I was reading ‘What’s Left of Me’, the first thing I thought was that if someone wanted to make it in to a film, how in the world would they depict one body with two souls? So…if I was a stumped big Hollywood director, what would you suggest?

Kat Zhang: Oh, man, hard question, ha! To be honest, I’ve talked about this before with my agent. How did they do it in The Host movie? I haven’t seen it. I have seen Jekyll, though (directed by Steven Moffat), and I think they did it there just with make-up and pure, old-fashioned fantastic acting.

I guess they’d have to make some changes to make the story work in a visual medium. But luckily, as a writer, I don’t have to worry about it!

Actress Anna Torv

Speaking of movies, if you could cast the film adaptations of the books, who are some actors you think would be perfect for the various roles?

Kat Zhang: I don’t usually cast characters as I write them, so it’s pretty hard for me to find perfect actors for them. People to ask me this a lot, though, and I’ve had three books to think it over, so I’ve sorta-kinda built a cast.

Recently, I watched Fringe for the first time, and realized Anna Torv (as she is in season 1, anyway…haven’t seen the others!) would be a good Dr. Lyanne if she had darker hair.

This next reference is super obscure, but the guy who played Pi’s older (teenaged) brother in like one shot of Life of Pi would be a pretty good Ryan/Devon.

Australian actress Xenia Goodwin.

I haven’t seen anyone who fits my mental picture of Hally/Lissa, but Xenia Goodwin (teen Australian actress) looks kinda sorta like Addie/Eva in some pictures.

The Hybird Chronicles are geared towards the young adult fiction market [right?] but did you have that genre in mind when you conceived of the project?

Kat Zhang: Yes, the Hybrid Chronicles is published under Young Adult, though the imprint at HarperCollins is actually Harper, which the company seems to use for a lot of its YA with adult-crossover appeal. I definitely wasn’t really aiming at any particular age group when I was first writing the story, though. There was a certain story I wanted to tell, and having characters of a certain age at the helm of said story made sense, since in the hybrid chronicles world, children/teens of a certain age are the ones who get taken away to be “fixed” or contained if they don’t fit in with the norm.

Also, the ideas behind the trilogy–of self-discovery and the formation of identity–seemed like something that matched up particularly well with young adults.

You’ve been on the road for book signings and such- what’s your best story from that experience?

Kat Zhang: In summer of 2013, I went on 2.5 week trip with three fellow authors, promoting teen literacy and writing. We traveled to 7 cities, and in addition to the usual bookstore signings and such, we gave free writing workshops to young people aged 13-22 at each city. The whole experience was pretty awesome, to be honest. We met so many talented young writers.

What’s next for you after The Hybrid Chronicles are finished?

Kat Zhang: I’m currently working on a young adult fantasy, but it’s in early stages yet. There are always more stories to be written!