New York Times bestselling author Alma Katsu spoke with us about her 30-plus-year career in intelligence, her deep expertise in AI and social media disinformation, and her new techno-horror novel INCARNATE.
Alma Katsu’s books have won and been nominated for multiple prestigious awards, including the Stoker, Goodreads Readers Choice, and International Thriller Writers, and have appeared on numerous Best Books lists, including NPR, the Observer, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Goodreads, and Amazon.
Prior to becoming a full-time novelist, she spent 35 years working as a senior intelligence analyst for several U.S. agencies, including the CIA and NSA.
Her latest is Incarnate, described as a terrifying reimagining of The Picture of Dorian Gray for the internet age. Library Journal wrote of the book, “A deal with the devil is reworked for the online age, with a healthy dose of body horror joining AI. The combination makes the story uniquely terrifying.”
Author of Japanese Gothic, Kylie Lee Baker called it, “A deliciously addictive techno-horror that you can’t look away from.”
Alma’s debut novel, The Taker, was selected by Booklist as one of the top 10 debut novels of 2011. She is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins Writing Program and Brandeis University, where she studied with novelist John Irving.
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In this file Alma Katsu, Milena, and I discussed:
Why intelligence work provided strong preparation for fiction
Her evolution as a writer and path to horror
How she chose Dorian Gray as a framework for her latest
Her concerns with recent developments in social media and generative AI
How she got a Stephen King blurb
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
almakatsubooks.com
Incarnate by Alma Katsu [Amazon]
Alma Katsu Amazon Author Page
Alma Katsu on Facebook
Alma Katsu on Substack
Alma Katsu on Instagram
Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer
diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram
Kelton Reid Instagram
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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