An international bestseller, set partly in Nanaimo will be turned into a movie after Uma Thurman, and two German producers secured the film rights to German author Frank Schaetzing's The Swarm.
The Daily News spoke to Schaetzing via e-mail at his home in Cologne where he's working on a follow up thriller. The Swarm focuses on a series of marine disasters. Fishers go missing in Peru, trawlers inexplicably come to grief, the continental shelf collapses in Europe and whales go on rampage near Ucluelet. The first part of the novel focuses on Anawak, a whale expert in Tofino, and Johanson, a marine biologist in Trondheim, Norway.
As Anawak attempts to get to the bottom of the whales' change in behaviour, he enlists the help of Sue Oliviera, a molecular biologist from Nanaimo. In the second part, the world is in chaos, and a delegation of leading scientists, including Anawak, Oliviera and Johanson are holed up in Chateau Whistler under the leadership of a U.S.-91原创 committee. While the politicians and military argue in Whistler, the scientists set up a biosecurity lab in Nanaimo and begin to realize the extent of the threat. The action also moves to a U.S. warship in the Greenland Sea, where things reach a head.
The book was a huge hit in Germany, where it dominated the bestseller lists and is being translated into 18 languages. The movie is set to be produced in 2008.
Q: Tell me about the novel and what inspired you to write it.
A: Frankly, it was a dream that inspired me. Maybe eight or 10 years ago I dreamed of a giant shoal of fishes of all kinds crossing the ocean and swimming towards land. It was obvious to me that they planned something evil. I awoke and thought: Interesting idea -- imagine life in the oceans would organize against mankind. The next question was: Why should that happen? I was hooked by that question for a couple of weeks until I got it: the answer had to be that millions of years before mankind developed a second intelligent race had developed as well but in the deep sea, totally different from us. Due to environmental pollution especially of the oceans they decide to get rid of us by fighting us with a lot of dirty tricks.
Q. What made you set part of the novel on 91原创 Island. Is this an area of the world you have visited -- or have plans to?
A. My parents-in-law live in 91原创, my wife has studied in 91原创, and I myself have been to 91原创 and 91原创 Island for whale watching. I know the area but mainly I set part of the novel in 91原创 because it made sense -- I had to have an area in which you find lots of whales and marine research, and 91原创 Island is a perfect place for that.
Q. Is this book a departure from your regular style?
A. No, I don't see it that way. I have written stuff of all kind. My first book was a medieval adventure followed by a classical murder mystery. I wrote political thrillers about Milosevic and the Kosovo situation in 1999 and a thriller novel about a serial killer. I'm a curious guy who likes to try something new from time to time. The Swarm is -- let's say -- another step in my artistic evolution.
Q. Are you surprised by the worldwide attention the book has received?
A. For sure I am! I didn't expect the book to become a flop but never would have dreamed of a success like that. It's fantastic!
Q. Uma Thurman and others have purchased the rights to the book, will you be part of the process of making it into a movie?
A. I have some veto-options to make sure that the movie will keep the spirit of the novel. On the other hand: We deal with some of the best producers, actors and directors in the world. I would like to be part of the process but I won't take too much influence. They know their job very well, hopefully. Maybe they let me play a little role -- a fish for instance.
Q. What are you working on now? Where are you currently working/living?
A. I'm working and living in my home town Cologne which is far enough from the sea to be safe. At the moment I'm writing some pieces of music for the audiobook-production of my medieval novel and preparing my next thriller.