New York Times Best-Selling Author, Rick Yancey, is excited about the release of the adaptation of his book, “The 5th Wave.” Author of a memoir, adult, and young adult novels, “The 5th Wave” was Yanceys’ journey into science fiction as a writer. A long-time fan of science fiction, Yancey cites authors such as Robert Heinlan and Arthur C. Clark as being an influence on his love of writing and an early introduction into the genre of science fiction.
“There was no young adult category when I was growing up,” Yancey said. “Clarke and Heinlan wrote in an accessible way for young people.”
Actor Tobey Maguire once referred to Yancey’s style of writing as “cinematic.” In response to this, Yancey cited his love of film and theater as being responsible for his writing having these elements.
“I did some screen writing and acting in college. I had always been fascinated by film and media artists…so when I write prose, it tends to be very visual,” Yancey said.
When asked what he felt was a strong influence or inspiration for writing “The 5th Wave,” Yancey said, that world events and his love of sci-fi were the initial influences.
“The story was probably planted around 2008 when the financial markets nearly collapsed worldwide. It could have been totally an accident, but there are few things that are by accident in the art world,” he said.
Another thing Yancey drew influence from was the nature of childhood itself.
“I’ve been writing books for young adults for quite some time and by nature a child’s life is apocalyptic,” Yancey said. “I can’t think of a more dystopian environment than high school. One day, life is one way, and the next, life is completely changed. One of the reasons this genre is so popular I think is because young people really relate to that. One of the major themes of the book is being forced to grow up.”
When asked if he had a specific message in “The 5th Wave,” Yancey said, “It’s very difficult to eradicate humanity out of humans. Just like bias, hatred, and prejudice exist, so do love and sacrifice, which is remarkable.”
Yancey was there for some of the filming of “The 5th Wave,” and said that the “filmmakers worked very hard to catch the essence of the story. I was very lucky because the rights to the film were picked up before I even finished the book.”
Though there were some changes to the film version of the story, Yancey said that this is a normal process. “Film makers make changes when they adapt [a book to a movie]. Sometimes they have to make tough decisions on how to use a particular element of the story. Movies are a whole different art form. Movies aren’t books and books aren’t movies, so it’s cool to see how a whole different piece of art can be made out of an adaptation.”
When asked about what it took to be a writer and of the writing process itself, Yancey said his first goal is to “never bore people.” Having wanted to be a writer since middle school, he found that he enjoyed writing a short story in class.
“[Learning to write and becoming a writer was] one of the easiest things I’ve ever done and one of the hardest,” Yancey said. “It was like falling in love—I fell I love with writing.”
Yancey added that it was important to read as much as you can. “Keep in mind that we learn to be writers in the same way that we learn how to speak and walk. We all learn these things in our own way and through trial and error. Don’t worry about copying [the style of] a writer you like. That is how you learn. Eventually, you will find your own voice and your writing will be unique.”
“The 5th Wave comes to theaters this Friday, Jan. 22.
