Episode 494: Ten Minutes with Christopher Priest

Ten minutes with... is a special series presented by Coode Street that sees readers and booklovers from around the world talk about what they're reading right now and what's getting them through these difficult times.

One of the UK's most distinguished novelists, Christopher Priest, joins Gary to discuss how from the beginning he strived for consistency in his body of work, how the lockdown seems to represent a historical discontinuity comparable to World War II, the war's effect on writers such as John Wyndham, H.E. Bates, and Rex Warner, his frustrating experiences with the film version of The Prestige, his recent retrospective story collection, and his forthcoming novel.

Books mentioned include:

• The Prestige by Christopher Priest
• An American Story by Christopher Priest
• Episodes: A Collection by Christopher Priest
• The Evidence by Christopher Priest (forthcoming October)
• The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
• V for Victory by Lissa Evans (forthcoming 2021)
• The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham