Welcome once again, Anna, and thank you for being here with us.
Let’s get down into it. Anna we recently reviewed the first part of BBE, and we were stunned, what a great book and promising series (review here)! Did the project of Behind Blue Eyes came about because you love deadly cyborgs, or is there an ulterior motive?
I fell in love with the cyberpunk genre when I saw Ghost in the Shell for the first time. Ever since I wanted to write my own cyberpunk story but it took me a couple of years until I finally got to it. Admittedly, I also love cyborgs. Human-machine hybrids and transhumanism have always fascinated me.
In the book, we noticed that you make the reader dislike the cyborgs, or, we readers have this impression, was that the plan all along?
The plan was actually to make the villains the main characters of the story–and to make people love them. This was a very ambitious plan as that’s very difficult to achieve, but it worked out really well. Most readers emphasize strongly with Nephilim and the other killer cyborgs, some even crush on them.
Where you, while writing, reading or editing your book, intimidated/scared of your own creations?
Not at all. I never write violence or sex just for the sake of it. Everything in my stories has a very specific function. Behind Blue Eyes is very brutal and violent at times, but that’s necessary for the story. I started out with horror, back when I worked in the film industry and therefore have no problem with gory descriptions.
Before we go into the most ruthless cyborg in the book, and not to go down in spoiler territory here, we have a weird question: Which cyborg was the hardest to keep cold and ruthless?
None haha. Keeping them cold and ruthless was easy. It’s much more difficult to show the emotions hidden under the titanium shells.
Weird question: There’s a silent war going on, between humanity and the cyborgs themselves, and many are not aware of it in the book, which creates an “orwellian” atmosphere. Did you take inspiration in real-life events?
As you say yourself it’s very Orwellian and indeed 1984 is one of my favorite books and has been a huge inspiration. I even go so far that I let Metatron quote from 1984 and Animal Farm.
Another inspiration was Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. And yes, current events, too. It’s so easy to get canceled for the wrong opinion nowadays. In the world of Behind Blue Eyes, killer cyborgs will come for you, if you have the wrong opinion or doubt the system. The Guardian Angels are like a cyborg Gestapo.
Talking about humans, in the story they are quite important, and they are a place were readers could find refuge, for a while. You created quite a contrast between the human and cyborg faction. Can you talk a little about that?
Indeed, for many readers the humans in the books are easier to relate to, but for others it’s the humanity that shines through in the cyborgs that really fascinates them. The main character, Nephilim, is the best example of that. She’s a super-soldier, a killer cyborg, 60% machine, and yet in her core she’s as human as you and me. She seeks answers, love, and most of all, freedom.
What is your favourite human on the story and why?
My favorite human is Siro Ferreira-Nunes, a homicide detective introduced in book 2. In this rotten world, he has kept a lot of idealism and light-heartedness. He’s a cop because he wants to make a difference.
Which human did the readers love the most?
That would be definitely Finwick, the nerdy underdog who develops an unhealthy crush on a killer cyborg 😉
People love him because, in a world of perfection, he’s adorably imperfect. Besides, it’s always easier to relate to the underdog.
Ok, Behind Blue Eyes has one of the vilest and most mysterious Villain in scifi, that I’ve read, and I don’t say this lightly. Were you aiming to make him the “ultimate” villain in literature?
Yes, I did haha. I wanted to create a multi-faceted villain full of depth. He’s inspired by Mephisto from “Faust” by Johann Wolfgang v. Goethe, the most famous German author.
Metatron knows who he is and what he does. He doesn’t seek redemption and those who expect a redemption arc from him, will be disappointed (I hate that trope btw). Metatron is the dark side, a very alluring, sexy dark side. It’s difficult to resist him and over the series, almost every reader I’ve spoken to will eventually fall for him.
I’ve been a professional author for over twenty years, and Metatron’s character is my masterpiece.
How do readers react to him? What are the notes that readers and friends share with you about him, because he is quite a character.
Everyone agrees with what a great villain he is. In the beginning, most people hate him, then they love to hate him. Eventually, they start doubting their opinion and ask themselves: is it bad that I agree with the villain?
By book 4 the vast majority of readers are Metatron fans. That was my plan all along. Or maybe it was Metatron’s plan? Who knows…
It’s very well known that Behind Blue Eyes is a bestselling book, and series. It has tons of reviews and notes all over the net raving about it, but, Anna, what are the reviews or comments that stick with you to this day about your book?
“Asimov gave us the definition of a robot, Mocikat gives us the ultimate cyborg.”
“Like GoT but cyberpunk”
“A worthy successor to 1984”
Those are my favorite reviews 😊
Who is your target reader? Which type of person that probably never read this book and series, will pick this up and have a great time reading it because the book will resonate with him or her?
I hear it a lot that people who usually don’t read sci-fi and maybe never even heard of cyberpunk enjoy it a lot. But my primary audience are science fiction fans. Those are mostly male and between 30 and 55.
For those who have never ventured on Cyberpunk and don’t think they’ll like a tech-ish book, why would they want to read your book besides the cyborgs?
Even though Behind Blue Eyes can be called hard sci-fi as it contains a lot of tech, it also appeals to readers who usually don’t like tech-driven books so much. That’s because in their cores, the cyborgs are humans and they experience all human emotions, including friendship, loyalty, love, jealousy and the desire for freedom.
Anna, for those that do loved the first book of BBE, which other books of yours they would love to read outside the series?
I think those who loved BBE should definitely check out the rest of the series. I’ve been told many times that it gets better with each book and the direction the story heads to comes quite surprising to most.
Other than that I also have “Nephilim”, a finished 3-book novella series. It’s a BBE spin-off but can also be read as a standalone.
And there’s Cyber Squad, my other cyberpunk universe, which is more like Ready Player One, minus 80s nostalgia.
Anna, before we go, can you tell us a little about your new project?
I’m happy to! My new project has the title “Space Punks” and it’s an exciting blend of cyberpunk and space opera. It’s the perfect read for fans of The Expanse and Cyberpunk 2077.
It tells the story of David, a young man who grew up on Mars and who somehow ends up on a spaceship with the coolest and most notorious mercenaries in the galaxy. But as always in my books, nothing is as it seems.
I had a blast writing Space Punks and if the audience enjoys it then I’m hoping to extend it into a long-running series.
Space Punks is up for preorder and will release on July 19th.
Where can readers and fans find you Anna and where can they find your books?
On my website www.annamocikat.com
Or directly on Amazon
I’m also on Facebook || Instagram || Twitter
If someone wants a free short story as an introduction to my BBE world, they can subscribe to my newsletter
Check out Anna Mocikat’s book reviews, interviews and works on Scribble’s Worth Book Reviews here.
Are you an Indie writer? Do you want to be interviewed, and have your books promoted? Then check us out or contact us by email through Scribblesworthreviews at gmail.
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