Suspense, Mystery, Horror and Thriller Fiction - Suspense Magazine

In 2003, he was asked by the estate of the late Robert
Ludlum to continue the series based on Jason Bourne. “The
Bourne Legacy,” published in 2004 continues and updates the
adventures of Ludlum’s famous assassin. Eric has written five
more Bourne novels, “The Bourne Betrayal,” “The Bourne
Sanction,” “The Bourne Deception,” “The Bourne Objective”
and “The Bourne Dominion” (July 2011).
In 2008, Eric wrote “First Daughter.” The novel features
Jack McClure and Alli Carson, his first continuing characters
since Nicholas Linnear and Jake Maroc. The second novel in
the series, “Last Snow” was published in January 2010. The
third novel in the series, “Blood Trust” was published in May
2011.
We could go on forever regarding this talented man, but
we know you’d like to hear about him in his own words. We
are proud to give you Suspense Magazine’s interview with
Eric Lustbader.
Suspense Magazine (S. MAG.): What book
changed your life and why?
Eric Lustbader (EL): Without a doubt, “The
Outsider,” by Colin Wilson. This is the book
in which I finally saw myself clearly. It wasn’t
until college that I found it. I was never a
joiner, never interested in fitting in or being
part of my peer group. As you can imagine,
this led to many trials and tribulations while
I was growing up from people trying to make
me something I was not. People don’t like
individuals who won’t fit in; it scares them
and they become hostile.
In any event, when I read about “The
Outsider”—the person who stands
apart from society in order to observe
impartially—I understood who I was and
my place in the world.
S. MAG.: What kind of pressure did you feel having to follow
Robert Ludlum and continue the “Jason Bourne” series?
EL: No pressure whatsoever; it’s pure joy. Bob and I were good
friends. We met in 1980, when my first bestseller, “The Ninja,”
came out the same time as his “The Bourne Identity.” We met
at a party given by our mutual agent Bob. He read the “The
Ninja,” loved it and wanted to meet me. We were two peas in a
pod, talking ‘til the wee hours of the morning about character
arcs and the structure of thrillers. Over the years, I got to know
Jason Bourne inside and out.
S. MAG.: Your latest book, “Blood Trust,” is the third book in
the series with Alli Carson and Jack McClure. How have the
characters evolved from book one, “First Daughter”?
EL: Both characters have gone through major tragedies, and,
because of them, have matured. As the president’s daughter,
Alli was something of an entitled brat when we first met
her. Now she’s learning to battle her inner demons, stand on
her own two feet and find her place in the world. As for Jack,
he has been forced out of his neat little niche at the ATF, and,
as assistant to the Secretary of Defense, thrust directly into the
line of international fire. Also, he’s accepted that his marriage
is over, and has moved on.
S. MAG.: In 2008, “First Daughter” featured Alli and Jack.
How long were they in your mind before you were able to get
them in print?
EL: Probably all my adult life, since Jack is more or less based
on me (I have a mild form of dyslexia) and Alli is based on my
goddaughter, Jessica. When she turned twenty-one, I realized I
wanted to write a novel with a young woman
her age and the difficulties of family, rebellion,
hormone riots, etc. The more I thought about
the idea, the more of Jessica went into Alli’s
character, down to her smallness, the Graves
disease, etc.
S. MAG.: If you could interview one person,
dead or alive for one hour, who would that
be?
EL: Leonardo DaVinci, if I spoke fluent
Italian and Latin. E.A. Poe, if he was sober.
S. MAG.: Do you still feel nervous after all
these years waiting for the release of your
book and wondering how your fans will
accept it?
EL: Absolutely. It would be inhuman not to be nervous.
S. MAG.: If you could solve one mystery for yourself, what
would it be?
EL: Oh, you know, the usual stuff comes to mind: who was
behind the JFK assassination? Are there really aliens somewhere
in the galaxy? But, since I’m a string theorist, I’d love to know
whether our universe is really one of many, sandwiched one on
top of the other.
S. MAG.: With the landscaping of publishing changing so
fast, what are the biggest challenges you see will face writers
in the future?
EL: People will always want to read; that will never change. And
there will always be a group that wants to hold a book in
64 Suspense Magazine August 2011 / Vol. 025