| 28 August 2009
RBS Main Theatre
26 August, 20.00
‘Pandaemonium’ is right! Within the first few pages of his new book, Christopher Brookmyre presents us with a bus-load of teenagers bent on farting, singing rude songs, sexual innuendo, wrestling over a guitar... and as if that weren’t enough, someone manages to set the bus (not to mention one of the teenagers) on fire, causing the coach driver to crash and kill a deer...
And that’s before the supernatural has even begun to rear its head!
During the question and answer session, Mr Brookmyre spoke dynamically, responding to questions ranging from readership to genre. He talked about his experience of going to a Catholic school, describing it as at times ‘nightmarish and unforgiving’, yet also providing a diverse world view. It was partly this that fuelled what he calls a ‘post-religious book’; but he undercuts even the most serious issues, describing himself as a ‘cultural Catholic – I don’t believe in God but I still hate Rangers!’
Christopher Brookmyre, usually a crime writer, is exploring a genre which has fascinated him for some time: a mixture of science fiction and theology; he describes it as pandering to his ‘inner geek’. However, ‘crime fans’ (a phrase which ‘slightly disturbs’ him, producing images of people cheering on robbers as they storm a jewellery store...! ) need not worry – he says that his next book, which he plans to write soon, will return to that genre, though he is eager to explore new ways of presenting it.
Although I am not a particular fan of Mr Brookmyre’s work – I find its graphic violence hard to cope with – he is undoubtedly an engaging and witty speaker, who built up a strong rapport with a widely varied audience. And the free glasses of Highland Park Single Malt Scotch Whisky distributed at the entrance didn’t come amiss!
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