Christian-Eric Falardeau

 

 

Christian-Eric Falardeau was born in 1968, on a little farm near the village of Beaudry, now part of Rouyn-Noranda, in Abitibi-Temiscamingue (north-west of Quebec). He was raised amidst cows and some of them might have influenced several of his characters. He also has two brothers and three sisters.
In 1990, he graduated from Sherbrooke University with a degree in computer science, embarked on a career as a programmer analyst and, later on, became a software development manager. He retired from the industry in March 2002. He wrote his first novel in 1993 (Saint-Jolivet of Pendleton) quickly followed by a second one (Paul III of Montreal) before slowing down to accommodate the demands of a busy profession. Writing on and off over the next few years, he came back to literature on a more serious level in 2001 with the completion of his third novel (Caroline) and various short stories. Now a full-time writer, many new novels and short stories can be expected in the coming months and years. Visit Eric online at http://www.eric-falardeau.com

 

 

Pageonelit.com: Where did you grow up and was reading and writing a part of your life? Who were your earliest influences and why?

Christian-Eric Falardeau: I grew up on a farm near the village of Beaudry, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue (in the north-west of Quebec). I am the youngest in a family of six. I used to read a lot of teen-adventure novels and comic books. I also wrote short stories-all of which have fortunately been lost!

Around the age of sixteen or seventeen, I began to read the classics such as Balzac, Flaubert, Dostoyevsky, Kafka, Tolstoy and so on. It was a whole new Universe. Since there was a ten-year gap between the next sibling and myself, I more or less grew up among adults and started to study human behavior early in life. I guess those literary giants reached that side of me, and people became my main point of interest. Molière and Shakespeare also inspired me, but I could relate more to the novelists and Dostoyevsky became my favorite writer-he still is, actually.

 

Pageonelit.com: Why did you write Saint-Jolivet of Pendleton? Tell us about this book --- How long did it take to write? Was this your first novel?

Christian-Eric Falardeau: Between my teen years to my mid-twenties, I more or less stopped writing, never getting past page 2 of anything I tried. I was not ready. Then, in '91, I wrote a short story called The Maid's Dress (a Sherlock Holmes story) and the desire was suddenly back! After many short and unimportant exercises, I wrote a second short story, which became the first chapter of Saint-Jolivet. At the time, I was a computer science consultant and working abroad for weeks at a time. I then decided to expand the story into new areas, working mostly in the evening, and the novel slowly took shape. The first draft took about two months to complete, and a few more months-eight years later-to polish.

The book can best be described as a "theological thriller." It's about a man who invents a device that allows him to wipe people out, not just their physical existence, but also all memory of them. So, if you apply the tool against a person, not only does he or she vanish, but no one will remember they ever existed. Since that invention came to him in an unexplainable flash of inspiration-he doesn't really know how it works-he becomes firmly convinced it's directly from God and that he is some kind of Noah, placed on Earth to rid the planet of all imbeciles. After he meets Pendleton and then Rose-Anne, they found an Order of a dozen disciples led by Jolivet. They then set out to accomplish their mission. They rapidly encounter some unnatural resistance and a mysterious man appears, challenging some of the main characters' assumptions. After many tribulations, the truth about what really happened in the Garden of Eden is revealed.

 

Pageonelit.com: Your second novel was Paul III of Montreal --- How did you approach your second book? What did you learn from the first to make the second one better? Tell us about Paul III of Montreal...

Christian-Eric Falardeau: Actually, I started it before Saint-Jolivet. It was written in the first person, but I quickly hit a wall. I didn't really know what I was doing. Writing Saint-Jolivet made me understand a lot more about the process of writing. The need for proper planning to convey the "point" I was trying to get across and the importance of having solid secondary characters the reader could relate to really struck home. So, right after completing Saint-Jolivet, I laid down a good plan for Paul III and rewrote the entire first part in the third person.

"Social equations," allowing people to compare themselves to others have always fascinated me, just like social organizations-hierarchies-and revolutions, they are all so tightly interrelated. For example, leaders were once determined by physical strength, and each man was ranked according to their ability to fight. Women got their status from the man they were bound to. That "transfer" of status is a key factor in societies. At that time, although they were considered inferior, women "married" to an important man would rank higher than a weaker male. Later on, the aristocracy became the new social order, and then the bourgeoisie and its money took over. Revolutions mainly serve as social kidneys that flush new blood to the top by changing the "equation."

In real life, of course, there is more than one "equation." Professional sports are a good example. Fans consider people who don't follow sports beneath them. And they link their ego to the successes of their team. If my team beats yours, I'm better than you! If they just liked the sport, they would never accept the staggering salaries the players are paid. But since it defines them, no expense is too high to win.

 

In Paul III, there is only one "equation"-to simplify!-and it is accomplished through a 3D version of chess, called the Game. It satisfies the need for social hierarchy and the best players automatically become the leaders of the planet. They are pampered by the non-players-or the weaker ones-who are glad to be of service to their idols. That is the background of the story.

In this period of History, social unrest is beginning. Ungifted players are starting to question the Game's absolute presence in everyone's life. Are Princes and Grand-Masters indulging themselves? Underground movements are founded. The Game is in need of a new hero. Someone who will restore faith in the existing social structure and its institutions.

Paul III of Montreal is the story of Paul Herbert, a young man of great talent, if not genius, and his journey up the social ladder. Events cause him to launch himself towards the top earlier than expected. Is he ready? How far is the "party" ready to go to ensure his success? Will he be a puppet or a new and independent light?

His name and his style remind everyone of Paul II, the man he was named after. Old friends of the former world champion gather around him. Is that a means to get a place in the sun, or is it a return to the good old days? Is he the head of the nihilist movement? Is his wife-one of the strongest female players-part of the women's liberation group? While he competes, tournament after tournament, the boy becomes a man. A strange feeling invades him but he cannot identify it. It grows and grows until it evolves into a resolution.

 

Pageonelit.com: Your most recent novel is Caroline -- Tell us about this book.

Christian-Eric Falardeau: Caroline is a realistic slice of life, vaguely based on people and situations I encountered many years ago. Caroline is at a turning point in her life. Deeply wounded in her youth, she has to find out what is wrong with her life: herself. Surrounded by potential mates, she moves from failure to failure. Is she unlucky or doing it on purpose? After an unhoped-for meeting, which cannot yield immediate results, Caroline is torn between waiting for her Prince Charming and accepting to make her life with another. Time moves forward, and events and dilemmas accumulate. Meanwhile, her friends are also questioning themselves. Tracy wonders how to recognize a soul mate, Pauline has doubts about her marriage and Mary is still hoping that Michael will finally start to truly love her.

I started this novel in 1995 before a six year dry spell in my writing. It yielded to my demanding career as a high-profile software development manager. In 2001, exhausted, I decided to start preparing for a career change and took a two-month leave of absence to return to writing. After a week of much needed rest, I sat down and four weeks later, the first draft was ready. It was quite a relief, since I'd had these characters living in my head for six years, nagging me on a daily basis to bring them to life.

Originally I wanted to write a huge novel about all the nasty things we do to each other without thinking. For two years, I could not find anything with enough meat in it to start. Then it dawned on me that instead of a huge novel, I could attack each topic in a smaller novel and so I wrote Caroline. The big novel would have been called "The Children of Cain" and, if I ever decide to write the others, that could be the name of the "saga."

 

Pageonelit.com: You write short stories as well as a novels - Which do you prefer and why?

Christian-Eric Falardeau: I am really a novel writer. Once in a while, I will get an idea for a short story and store it somewhere. Then, when I'm idle, waiting for an idea for a novel to "crystallize" in my mind, I'll sit down and develop it.

Novels are about character evolution, raising-not answering-questions in the reader's mind, and exploring general concepts. Short stories are more "twist-of-life", "character angles" and are about making a statement or expressing an idea. Although they sound similar, novels and short stories are at the two ends of the literary spectrum.

My inspiration for a novel comes from wanting to explore/discuss subjects like "social classes", "honesty", or "dictators." Short story ideas are about something very specific happening at an exact moment in the life of a particular individual. It takes a lot of imagination to write short stories one after the other. Novels are more about construction and exploring all angles of a subject, letting the reader make up his or her own mind. I admire both, but my talent resides on the novels' side.

 

Pageonelit.com: What has been your feedback from readers? What do they say to you about their interpretations of your books? What do they like about the books?

Christian-Eric Falardeau: The feedback has been pretty good. Since my novels tend to avoid forcing answers on the reader, everyone perceives them slightly differently. For example, the end of Saint-Jolivet can be interpreted in two completely different-yet both perfectly valid-ways and it is always interesting to see who chooses which interpretation. Same for Paul III where the narration ends with a revolution, and there is no mention of what the new system is that will be put into place. Many are discussed in the course of the novel and the reader can be rooting for any of them. So, once again, it is interesting to hear them extrapolate beyond the scope of the novel.

In general, people like the subjects and the fast pace. I've had a lot of comments about "refreshing style" and many readers who stayed up until four in the morning because they couldn't wait to see what was going to happen. That was reassuring to me, because my books are usually thematic and I try to avoid being "preachy." From the feedback I get, it seems to be working.

 

Pageonelit.com: Are you working on a follow up? Or something totally different?

Christian-Eric Falardeau: So far, I tend to write something totally different with each book. My novels typically end in such a way that they cannot be "continued." Since they are usually tools to express ideas and explore concepts, they are not likely candidates for a series. Caroline might be the only exception since it was planned as part of a bigger novel.

My latest novel (The Simplicity of Life-coming out in October 2002) is about honesty and plays around with the concept: what if everyone was raised to always tell the truth and to be attentive to the feelings of others. It also looks into the dangers of such a life, and the consequences of being defensive.I am currently starting work on a new novel (Dictators!) and planning for the next two, dealing with different topics.

 

 

 

Pageonelit.com: What was the last book you read?

Christian-Eric Falardeau: I read quite a lot. Lately, I have been reading Terry Pratchetts' DiscWorld® series. Right now, I am considering re-reading Kundera and Asimov.

 

Pageonelit.com: Do you have any hobbies? What are they? How do they enhance your writing?

Christian-Eric Falardeau: Currently, I don't really have any hobbies. I just left a career in computer science where writing was my hobby! I mostly read and watch movies right now, taking daily walks to clear my head.