Jason Sheehan's "Children of the Flying City"

Jason Sheehan is an award-winning freelance journalist and author. In addition to being a book and video game critic for NPR, he has published three books for adults.

Here he dreamcasts an adaptation of Children of the Flying City, his first book for young readers:

I have played this game since the day I started writing Children Of The Flying City. Since before I started writing, actually. My first page of notes has a cryptic mention of "Old John Hurt but 8 feet tall" in reference to a supporting character called Judocus the Fish--one of the strangest people in a book absolutely full of people who aren't what you think they are.

My most consistent dreamcasting has been of the Captain--a smuggler and gun-runner hired to go to the Flying City, run the blockade and kidnap (or possibly rescue?) one of the three children at the heart of this story, Milo Quick. The Captain is young, handsome, talented and sly. He's capable of doing terrible things with a smile, of lying through his teeth and convincing almost anyone of almost anything. Harry Styles (yeah, the ex-boy-band singer turned rock star) has been my Captain for longer than I can even remember. It's never been anyone else.

Milo himself is tough to cast. A clever, haunted 13 year old who has already seen the worst of the world and refused to let it break him? That's a tall order. Sunny Pawar from The Lion, maybe? He has Milo's smile for sure. Noah Schnapp in season 2 of Stranger Things can do haunted. A young Danial Kaluuya (with access to a time machine) for Milo's best friend Jules. Elle Fanning with a black wig and terrible secrets to play Dagda. Honestly, the three young leads would probably best be played by unknown actors. They live in my head as entirely their own people.

Ben Kingsley, on the other hand, was born to play the Captain's scheming navigator, Semyon Beli. And the fearsome, unstoppable, murderous Ennis Arghdal has got to be either Idris Elba or Tom Hardy. They'd both have to lose their accents, but I can't think of any other actors who could embody both the explosive violence and gruff tenderness that exist inside Ennis, who has been tasked with secretly watching over Milo for years, acting as both guardian angel and boogeyman to this child who has never known an adult he could trust. Elba had that as the Commandant in Beasts Of No Nation. Hardy had it (plus the walk of a man who is just murder on two legs) in Taboo. They're my guys.

So all of that (plus an 8-foot-tall John Hurt and Chloe Zhao to direct) and we've got it: Nomadland with airships. The movie that's been playing in my head for years.

Follow Jason Sheehan on Twitter.

--Marshal Zeringue

Sam Wiebe's "Hell and Gone"

Sam Wiebe is the award-winning author of the Wakeland novels, one of the most authentic and acclaimed detective series in Canada, including Invisible Dead (“the definitive Vancouver crime novel”), Cut You Down (“successfully brings Raymond Chandler into the 21st century”), and Hell and Gone ("the best crime writer in Canada").

Wiebe’s other books include Never Going Back, Last of the Independents, and the Vancouver Noir anthology, which he edited.

Wiebe’s work has won the Crime Writers of Canada award and the Kobo Emerging Writers prize, and been shortlisted for the Edgar, Hammett, Shamus, and City of Vancouver book prizes.

Here the author dreamcasts an adaptation of Hell and Gone:

Hell and Gone is the third novel in the series featuring Vancouver PI Dave Wakeland. As such, it hearkens back to the classic film noirs like The Big Sleep, the great neo-noirs like The Conversation, and also to classic British crime shows like Prime Suspect and Luther. All of those are influences. But rather than take the easy route and dream cast, say 1970s Gene Hackman, I wanted to choose contemporary talent, because Hell and Gone is a story about modern-day violence.

The Setup

Wakeland is the modern-day Jim Rockford (of The Rockford Files)—the person you want in your corner when there’s trouble. Tough, loyal, and handy with his fists, Dave is one half of Wakeland & Chen, Vancouver’s top private security firm. A capable and experienced detective, who’s seen just about everything.

But what happens in Hell and Gone shakes Wakeland to his core.

A robbery breaks out on the street in the early morning. Wakeland witnesses the violence from his office, getting a look at the shooters as they drive off. He leaps into action—literally jumping down from the fire escape to perform first aid on the wounded. A hero.

But when he enters the building where the shooters came from, he sees something so beyond his experience that when the police ask him what he witnessed, Wakeland refuses to say.

Soon Wakeland is caught between a ruthless police chief and a pair of gang leaders, all of whom want the shooters found, no matter the cost in human life.

The only way for Wakeland to come to grips with this is to find the shooters—before they find him.

In Front of the Camera

Rather than a physical type, when I think of Wakeland I think of a mindset: competent, compassionate, driven. Wakeland starts out confident and gets badly shaken up, and then slowly, painfully, pieces himself back together as he pieces the case together.

I think Wyatt Russell (The Lodge, Winter Soldier) would do an interesting job as Wakeland, because he has the look of a classic television PI like Selleck or Garner, but can play haunted and obsessed, damaged in some way. That’s an interesting paradox.

A good runner-up would be Brian Gleeson (Phantom Thread, Love/Hate). Both fair haired second-generation actors, coincidentally! (Maybe I should add in Scott Eastwood…)

For Jeff Chen, Dave’s partner, Max Zhang (Zhang Jin) (Ip Man 2, Master Z) would be a great pick. I really like him in the Ip Man films. Jeff has a grounded but debonair attitude to the security and private eye business, which conflicts with Wakeland.

After the shooting, a mysterious woman in a green jacket shows up following Wakeland. Celina Jade (Arrow, Triple Threat) has an elegance and danger that would work for the part.

Behind the Camera

Dan Gilroy (Nightcrawler) or Jeremy Saulnier (Blue Ruin) would be my choices. The look of the city and the immediacy of the action are key—Hell and Gone is a story about violence in contemporary Vancouver.

I think Gorrman Lee (The Order, The Imperfects) or Theresa Rebeck (NYPD Blue) would do a bang-up job on the script.

There are certain elements, such as the Vancouver setting, which I think are important to keep, and others (Wakeland’s appearance) which I’d be happy to see changed in service of telling a great story.

Visit Sam Wiebe's website.

My Book, The Movie: Invisible Dead.

Q&A with Sam Wiebe.

The Page 69 Test: Hell and Gone.

--Marshal Zeringue

Suzanne Redfearn's "Moment in Time"

Suzanne Redfearn is the bestselling author of five novels: Moment in Time, Hadley & Grace, In an Instant, No Ordinary Life, and Hush Little Baby. Her novels have been translated into twenty-two languages. In addition to being an author, Redfearn is an architect specializing in residential and commercial design. She lives in Laguna Beach, where she and her husband own three restaurants: Lumberyard, Slice Pizza & Beer, and Yard Bar. Her books have won numerous awards including Best New Fiction Book, Platinum Quill, and Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist.

Here Redfearn dreamcasts an adaptation of Moment in Time:

My two main protagonists are amazing young women in their mid-twenties living in San Francisco and making their marks on the world. Mo is revolutionizing the news with her media start-up. And Chloe is a veterinarian who is rescuing abandoned strays in the city. Mo is a classic all-American beauty, while Chloe’s a wounded, yet seductive femme fatale.

I think Brigette Lundy-Pane would be the perfect actor to play Chloe. She’s quirky, sharp, and funny but also undeniably bewitching. The perfect counterpart to play Mo would be Elle Fanning, an actor with wide-eyed guilelessness that belies true intellect and grit.

For their love interests, I would choose Lucas Hedges for Chloe because he’s got a wonderful lowkey, self-deprecating heroism about him. And for Mo, I’d pick Nick Robinson because he has the same earnestness and strength of the man who saved her life when she was sixteen and who she’s been madly in love with since.

Visit Suzanne Redfearn's website, Facebook page, and Twitter perch.

Coffee with a Canine: Suzanne Redfearn and Cooper.

My Book, The Movie: Hush Little Baby.

My Book, The Movie: No Ordinary Life.

My Book, The Movie: In an Instant.

Q&A with Suzanne Redfearn.

My Book, The Movie: Hadley and Grace.

Writers Read: Suzanne Redfearn.

The Page 69 Test: Moment in Time.

--Marshal Zeringue

Emilya Naymark's "Behind the Lie"

Emilya Naymark was born in a country that no longer exists, escaped with her parents, lived in Italy for a bit, and ended up in New York, which promptly became a love and a muse.

She studied art and was lucky enough to illustrate numerous publications before transitioning to the digital world.

She has a particular fascination with psychological thrillers, crime, and suspense. All the dark stuff. So that’s what she writes.

Here Naymark dreamcasts an adaptation for her new novel, Behind the Lie:

When I first started writing the series, I imagined a thirty-something Annie Lennox for my PI character Laney Bird. Recently, I saw Zoë Kravitz in a series, and had an epiphany. Zoë has the ideal combination of vulnerable and fierce that would be crazy perfect for Laney.

For Holly, I pictured Kirsten Dunst, who I love. I just love her. She can be accessible and fragile, while also single-minded—everything I imagine Holly Dubois being.

I visualized David Tennant circa Dr. Who for Jack Boswell so much that I had a photo of him on my laptop and whenever I needed to get into Jack’s head, I’d look at that photo. Who said writing was hard work?

All along, I imagined Humphrey Bogart as my detective, Ed Boswell. Maybe that’s typecasting, but that’s what happened in my head. Whenever Ed steps onto the page, he’s tired, cynical, and deeply committed to his job. He’s a good egg.

My two Russians, Vera and Step Volkin are pretty glamourous, so Margot Robbie for Vera and Robert Pattinson for Step.

And now I think I want Scott Frank to direct because he’s done some of my absolute favorite films (Minority Report) and series ever, the most recent being The Queen’s Gambit.

Visit Emilya Naymark's website .

My Book, The Movie: Hide in Place.

Q&A with Emilya Naymark.

--Marshal Zeringue

Scotto Moore's "Battle of the Linguist Mages"

Scotto Moore is the author of Your Favorite Band Cannot Save You, a sci-fi/horror novella published by Tor.com. For fourteen years, he was an active playwright in Seattle, with major productions nearly every year during that time, and 45 short plays produced during that time as well. He wrote book, lyrics, and music for the a cappella sci-fi musical Silhouette, which won the 2018 Gregory Falls Award for Outstanding New Play, presented by Theatre Puget Sound. He also wrote, directed and produced three seasons of the sci-fi/comedy web series The Coffee Table; and wrote and starred in the horror/comedy play H.P. Lovecraft Stand-up Comedian!

Here Moore dreamcasts an adaptation his debut novel, Battle of the Linguist Mages:

My main character is Isobel, a young gamer who for years has held the title of Queen of Sparkle Dungeon, which is a medieval rave-themed VR MMORG. She’s brash and cocky, and also pretty hilarious, but if you’re in her raiding party she always tries to have your back. Her life out in the “mundane world” of work and relationships is a mess when we meet her, but she starts to put herself back together as the story gets going, and then she realizes there’s more to the game by far than she understood.

When I first saw the prompt here, without even trying to come up with a list, the first name that popped into mind almost immediately was Miley Cyrus. The persona she uses as a rock star, combined with the chops she has as an actress, would be a great foundation for a memorable performance as Isobel. She has a counterpart eventually, a genius computational linguist / underground resistance leader, and I would try to get Zoë Kravitz for that.

They’re each pitted against a cabal of technologists, gurus, ad executives – bad people, all of them – and while I won’t go into detail about each of them, imagine a villainous cadre comprised of James Spader, Cate Blanchett, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tilda Swinton, and Anthony Hopkins. (Dreamcasting!) From their perspective, they’re trying to save the world from something much more dangerous than they are, but they can’t stop maneuvering and playing power games even with so many lives at stake.

Visit Scotto Moore's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Jacquelyn Mitchard's "The Good Son"

Jacquelyn Mitchard is the New York Times bestselling author of 22 novels for adults and teenagers, and the recipient of Great Britain’s Talkabout prize, The Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson awards, and named to the short list for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Her first novel, The Deep End of the Ocean, was the inaugural selection of the Oprah Winfrey Book Club, with more than 3 million copies in print in 34 languages. It was later adapted into a major feature film starring Michelle Pfeiffer.

Here Mitchard dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Good Son:

I’d love to have my book made into a movie (and when writers say that they just hope that Hollywood doesn’t get its hands on their wonderful story and “ruin” it, they’re generally lying and trying to sound virtuous because no one makes you take that option money … you could just not take it …).

If this story were adapted, I think of who might play the role of the main character, Thea. It’s clearer to me who would play Julie, Thea’s wonderful best friend, and that would be Julianne Moore (not because of the name). She has a sort of patrician generosity that is the hallmark of Julie’s character. For Thea, I would see someone who is very down-to-earth and intense, like Kate Winslet or Rashida Jones. Thea is a reader and very involved with language and I have no idea why I think these actors bespeak that quality, I just do.

Who would play Stefan? He’s athletic and dark-haired and has a very “open” face and personality. Maybe it would be Jake Sim, who was in the movie It.

Visit Jacquelyn Mitchard's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Good Son.

Q&A with Jacquelyn Mitchard.

--Marshal Zeringue

Marty Wingate's "The Librarian Always Rings Twice"

USA Today best-selling author Marty Wingate writes The First Edition Library series (Berkley) set in Bath, England, about the curator of a collection of books from the Golden Age of Mystery. Book one, The Bodies in the Library, concerns murder among an Agatha Christie fan-fiction writing group, and in book two, Murder Is a Must (October 2020), an exhibition manager is found dead at the bottom of a spiral staircase.

Here Wingate dreamcasts an adaptation of the third novel in the series, The Librarian Always Rings Twice:

Dream casting is a lively subject among authors. Who would I want to play Hayley Burke, curator of the First Edition library in The Librarian Always Rings Twice? I’ll pick Jo Joyner. Currently, Joyner plays Lu Shakespeare in the comedy-mystery television series Shakespeare and Hathaway (set in Stratford-upon-Avon). Joyner has not only the look, but also that sense of dedication to the job. Shakespeare is a former hairdresser now amateur sleuth along with her partner Frank Hathaway (Mark Benton).

It’s just occurred to me that Benton might be the perfect Charles Henry Dill, Hayley’s nemesis in my book. Dill is the lout of a nephew of the late Lady Fowling. It is her collection of books from the Golden Age of Mystery that form the First Edition library and in whose home, Middlebank House, it resides. Although Joyner’s Shakespeare has elements of Hayley, Benton’s Hathaway is a good guy quite unlike Dill, who finds himself embroiled in the murder.

The question “Who would direct The Librarian Always Rings Twice?” had never occurred to me, but now I’m more focused on that than actors. My answer came to me in an instant—Richard Curtis, a British screenwriter and director whose credits include Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Yesterday. Obviously, I would want him to write the screenplay, too.

Why a writer/director who specializes in romantic comedy? Because his films are character-driven, ensemble cast pieces and that’s how I see the characters in a mystery. Hayley Burke, her boyfriend Val Moffatt, First Edition Society secretary Mrs. Woolgar, Mr. Rennie the solicitor, and Detective Sergeant Hopgood and Detective Constable Kenny Pye, plus members of the Society’s board are the ensemble cast and, along with a few new characters in each title in the series, they must work out their own problems as well as solve the murder. Plus, there’s humor and a bit of romance.

Curtis has a connection to mystery. It’s tangential, but it’s a connection near and dear to my heart. Curtis has said he modeled his sprawling multi-character structure of Love Actually on Robert Altman’s Nashville. I love Altman’s films. He directed one of my all-time favorites, Gosford Park—a classic British whodunit with Altman’s usual quirky touches.

If Curtis isn’t available for directing, I would name Mike Newell—director of Four Weddings and another lovely ensemble film, Enchanted April. And if not either of them, I’d choose Mackenzie Crook, who wrote and directed the delightful series, Detectorists, set in Suffolk. Another ensemble cast with quirky characters, humor, and a mystery. Of sorts.

Visit Marty Wingate's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Soraya Lane's "Under a Sky of Memories"

Soraya M. Lane graduated with a law degree before realizing that law wasn't the career for her and that her future was in writing. She is the author of historical and contemporary women's fiction, and her novel Wives of War was an Amazon Charts bestseller.

Lane lives on a small farm in her native New Zealand with her husband, their two sons and a collection of four legged friends. When she's not writing, she loves to be outside playing make-believe with her children or snuggled up inside reading.

Here Lane dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Under a Sky of Memories:

If I’m completely honest, I spend a lot of time dreaming about my books being made into films! I suppose it’s the ultimate dream of any writer, and I would just love to see one of my books on screen.

I’m quite a visual writer, in the fact that I like to have my Pinterest board for my story complete before I start writing, and I look at that board every day. I have a photo for each main character and images of the setting too. For Under a Sky of Memories, Emilia Clarke would be my first choice if I were casting roles. Visually she inspired the character Vita, but honestly I’d cast Emilia in any role for any of my books, because I just love her acting and feel she would be perfect for the time period! Emily Blunt was also, visually, an inspiration for me. I would cast her as my other main character, Evelyn, and once again I would happily cast her as a lead in any of my books that made it to the screen. She has a timeless quality about her that I feel is ideal for WWII films, and I also like her strength.

So Emilia and Emily, I have the perfect roles waiting for you both!

Visit Soraya Lane's website.

My Book, The Movie: The Spitfire Girls.

Q&A with Soraya M. Lane.

--Marshal Zeringue

Karen Odden's "Down a Dark River"

Karen Odden received her Ph.D. in English literature from New York University and subsequently taught at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her first novel, A Lady in the Smoke, was a USA Today bestseller, and A Dangerous Duet and A Trace of Deceit have won awards for historical mystery and historical fiction.

Here Odden dreamcasts an adaptation of her latest mystery, Down a Dark River:

My protagonist Michael Corravan is Irish in 1870s London, a time when anti-Irish feeling was on the rise. He grew up rough in Whitechapel (to give some context, this part of London was where Jack the Ripper murdered his victims in the 1880s), and after being orphaned at age 11, he took to thieving to survive; later, he did dock work and (illegal) bare-knuckles boxing. So he’s good with his fists, good with a knife, close to six feet tall, sturdy and quick. He also looks Irish, with black hair, blue eyes, and a pale complexion.

On a plane a few weeks ago with free movies, I rewatched The Last of the Mohicans (1992), and it occurred to me that this young Daniel Day-Lewis, 35 years old, of Anglo-Irish descent, fierce and intense, would make a wonderful Corravan. You might also recall Day-Lewis playing a young, intense Irishman in Belfast in the movie In the Name of the Father (1993).

As for my heroine Belinda Gale, a novelist and playwright and Corravan’s love interest, a young Madeline Stowe (also from The Last of the Mohicans, as Cora Munro) would be a great casting choice—not just because she looks the part—tall, with dark hair—but because she has a certain poise, seriousness, and maturity. Belinda Gale is financially independent, in part because of money left in trust by her brilliant father and in part because she earns a living by her pen. Raised upper middle-class, insightful, and psychologically astute, Belinda provides the social polish and EQ that balances out Corravan’s street smarts.

Gordon Stiles, Corravan’s young partner at the Yard, was raised working middle-class and had a proper English education. He’s obliging and personable and a bit bookish, with a good sense of humor; at one point, Corravan comments about Stiles, “He was just the person for such a task [convincing a frightened woman to trust him]. Pretty young maids and old harridans, they all unbent for him. James had met him several times and found him a smart, likable young man.” For Stiles, I might choose Tom Holland—friendly, earnest, unintimidating, and someone who can carry off a bookish demeanor.

Dr. James Everett, the erudite doctor in the ward for mental diseases (a proto-psychologist/neurosurgeon), is Corravan’s friend, mentor, and sometimes adversary. Shrewd, rather uptight, and fond of spouting Latin to try to put Corravan into his place, Dr. Everett and Corravan have a complex backstory; they both owe each other favors. A 45-year-old Ralph Fiennes who plays M in recent James Bond movies would be a good casting choice for him.

Harry Lish is a sixteen-year-old boy, Ma Doyle’s nephew, newly orphaned, whom Corravan adopts at Ma Doyle’s request. At first Harry is prickly because he senses Corravan’s reluctance to take him in, and (much like Corravan) he hates the idea of being a burden to anyone. Dark-haired and thin, bookish and clever, Harry reads both Latin and French and wants to be a doctor, so Corravan takes Harry to see Dr. Everett, who kindly finds Harry a role at the hospital. I wrote Harry to be a foil character for Corravan—a version of what Corravan might have become if he’d had a proper education. A young Timothée Chalamet would be a great casting choice for Harry.

Visit Karen Odden's website.

Coffee with a Canine: Karen Odden and Rosy.

My Book, The Movie: A Lady in the Smoke.

My Book, The Movie: A Dangerous Duet.

Q&A with Karen Odden.

--Marshal Zeringue

John Copenhaver's "The Savage Kind"

John Copenhaver’s historical crime novel, Dodging and Burning, won the 2019 Macavity Award for Best First Mystery Novel and garnered Anthony, Strand Critics, Barry, and Lambda Literary Award nominations. Copenhaver writes a crime fiction review column for Lambda Literary called “Blacklight,” cohosts on the House of Mystery Radio Show, and is the six-time recipient of Artist Fellowships from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. He has taught high school English for nearly twenty years. He grew up in the mountains of southwestern Virginia and currently lives in Richmond, VA, with his husband, artist Jeffery Paul (Herrity).

Here Copenhaver dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, The Savage Kind:

So, I’m a big movie nerd. I’ve taught film to high school students for years. I’m always thinking cinematically, and I’ve had readers tell me that I write cinematically. I care a lot about the texture of my writing and how it creates a circa-1950 noir mood for my story. All successful films begin with a cohesive vision, and that vision is the director’s responsibility. With that in mind, for my fantasy movie version of The Savage Kind, I’ll choose a director who has a distinct and flexible style: the insanely talented David Fincher.

Not only are Fincher’s films—Panic Room, The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl, and my favorite Zodiac—steeped in gorgeous atmosphere and unforgettable visuals, but also, he understands noir. His visual style of rich yet muted colors, lush shadowy imagery, and precise and elaborate camerawork allow him to shift between opulence and grit seamlessly. He prefers closed framed films in which the heroes—and by extension, the audience—feel predestined, locked into a series of unfolding events. Fincher is neither optimistic nor particularly romantic, and he loves stories with moral gray areas and deeply flawed heroes, which would suit Judy Peabody’s and Philippa Watson’s stories perfectly.

Now the question is: Who will play Judy and Philippa, my clever, complicated, and dangerous teenage girls? For Philippa, the “good girl” with secret passions and a barely repressed desire to manipulate others, I’d choose Elle Fanning. I’ve had so much fun watching her Catherine the Great in Hulu’s The Great. In that role, she embodies a wonderful blend of naiveté, vulnerability, and nerve, which would be a great fit for Philippa. For Judy: Anya Taylor-Joy, with a jet-black bob. I loved her in The Queen’s Gambit, and she has a remarkable range. In contrast to Philippa, Judy needs to enter thorny, all sharp edges, and then soften throughout the story. Also, much is made of Judy’s dark and all-consuming eyes; Taylor-Joy’s beautiful eyes dominate her face. Bottom line: she’d be amazing.

As for Miss Martins, I will dream even bigger and say Cate Blanchett. Miss M, as Judy refers to her, must be at once relatable and mysterious, kind and cold. Blanchett’s recent (and brilliant) turn at the chilly Dr. Lilith Ritter from Nightmare Alley is still echoing through me. Finally, for Moira Closs—the quintessential controlling mother, based on Angela Lansberry’s Eleanor Iselin from The Manchurian Candidate—I’d choose Sigourney Weaver because I don’t think there’s anything she can’t do as an actor. I’ve always loved watching her. She could materialize all of Moira’s imperiousness and corruption without losing her humanity, which is key.

One last thing: Since I was in high school, I’ve collected film score music. I still collect it digitally and listen to it while I write, choosing specific scores, even specific songs, to help me find the right mood for a scene. There are many amazing film composers, from names you might know, like Jonny Greenwood and Trent Reznor, to names you may not, like Emile Mosseri and Nicholas Brittel. For The Savage Kind, I’d want a score with touches of traditional noir, something nostalgic but still contemporary. Nathan Johnson’s recent scores for Knives Out and now Nightmare Alley capture so well the timeless shift between the delicate and the dark, the beautiful and the dreadful, qualities at the heart of my novel.

Visit John Copenhaver's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Savage Kind.

--Marshal Zeringue