Edgar Scott is a writer of science fiction and fantasy novels. His latest novel, “418: I Am A Teapot,” explores the idea of what would happen if we were to make contact with an alien race.
418: I Am A Teapot is a near-future science fiction novel written by Edgar Scott. The book features a dystopian society where people are divided into two groups, those with teapots and those without.
Edgar Scott is an economist and database manager who chose to create novels at one time in his life. Inspired by dystopian classics such as George Orwell’s famous Nineteen Eighty-Four and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, he chose to utilize those influences, as well as his personal experience dealing with databases, to create science fiction novels about strange occurrences.
418: I Am a Teapot, his most recent book, was just released and has already become an Amazon #1 best-seller. The dystopian novel was characterized by BookTrib as follows:
“In Edgar Scott’s disturbing story of a world where people sell up their bodies in return for mental pleasures, inner and outside lives collide. Scott shows us the extremes of fleeing our world and leaving our bodies behind, evoking science-fiction classics such as Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot.”
— From BookTrib
We had the opportunity of meeting down with Mr. Edgar Scott to discuss this new dystopian best-seller, and he graciously answered some of our questions. We learned not only about the book’s creative process and inspiration, but also about the whole writing and editing process, which, although mostly smooth, took a long time to finish. We also discussed the novel’s and characters’ futures with Mr. Scott, who disclosed if he had any intentions to return to this universe.
We also received some unique details on the live-action film based on the novel, which Scott is presently working on the script for. But, to give you a whole picture of how it all came to be, I’ve included the entire interview for your viewing enjoyment.
1. Could you tell me a little bit about your book 418: I Am a Teapot?
418 is a dystopia set in the not-too-distant future. We can now see, hear, smell, touch, taste, and feel anything that has been encoded thanks to the immersive internet. You may feel as little or as much as you want to travel to the moon, and you never have to leave the safety and comfort of your comfortable chair. However, this is a world gone awry. Would you ever go offline if you could have this kind of online experience?
At its heart, the tale is about the protagonist and antagonist’s liberation from the grip of the universe that has grown around them. Their quest for identity, purpose, and a fulfilling existence.
2. What inspired you to create a fiction book as someone from a wealthy yet diverse background?
I discovered that I was very excellent at what I was paid to do: manage and secure data, networks, debug code, and put out fires. However, I did not like it. I grew up in a house that was practically surrounded by books; we had bookcases in nearly every room. Why not mine? The books had to come from somewhere, so why not mine? Even in basic emails, I’d always liked observing the responses that my writing might elicit. Writing a book is just a more thorough translation into language of a bigger picture.
The purpose of fiction is to make the reader think and explore new possibilities. While some of what I’ve stated is painfully close to truth, I’ve also demonstrated that there is hope in a dark world. We didn’t always understand that when we didn’t believe we had an option, we really did. “No one can force you to accept a destiny that you did not choose,” I say. The issue is that you are unaware that you have a choice” (page 334 of 418: I am a Teapot). I had no choice but to write this book.
3. Do you believe your technical expertise aided you in the development of this book?
It very certainly did: It was often my responsibility to assess new technology for my employer’s possible usage or integration. It’s critical to recognize both the benefits and drawbacks of new technology; we need to be honest about what we’re receiving. How much does it cost? and how will it be put into action? What else is going to be impacted? This is immediately applicable to my book. I’d like to take a detour; I’m a techie who enjoys writing programs in Ruby or Python for my own pleasure. Every day, technology seems to bring us fresh marvels. The advancement of technology is unavoidable, but, well, read the line above. What should we be asking all of the time is, “What are we getting?”…
4. How long did 418: I Am a Teapot take you to write? Did everything proceed as planned?
It took approximately eight months to write 418: I Am a Teapot. The editing takes a long time. There were days when I felt like I had a fever, my head was heated, and I had to go on walks to be sure that what I’d just written down was not the reality I was living in. The true skill of writing is editing. Writing the initial draft only gives us a framework to work with; editing is the means through which we refine our thoughts. It required another year of reading, evaluation, and revisions, as well as recruiting new editors and evaluating their feedback.
The book isn’t a comprehensive source of information—I hope I’m wrong on a lot of things—but it is now a piece of literature frozen in time, revealing a future world. I’m satisfied with it, and I’m much happier if it’s made even one reader think.
5. Would you say that, in your view, our society is heading in the direction you depicted in your book? Is it possible that we will live in a dismal future?
No, I really hope not. One potential future is my dystopia. I think we are trying to discover methods to create a virtually unpaid working class, but will this result in technological stagnation, as it does in my novel? Either conclusion would be terrifying. But if we don’t start asking questions like, “What am I receiving, what am I giving up?” we could end ourselves in a similar situation. We will continue to grow increasingly isolated if we do not begin to raise questions about what technology is doing to us. Two individuals are shown in the book who are in very solitary circumstances. Neither can address their problems without the other’s assistance; otherwise, their days are numbered and they will either retire or die.
While technology has reduced our globe, it may also increased the distance between us and our neighbors.
6. What are your thoughts on your work being likened to such cult masterpieces as Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot?
I’m blushing. I’m surprised by Brave New World, but we do have the same concept of internet entertainment and direct brain stimulation replacing Soma, so I’m happy and honored. Staff children are also nurtured in nurseries until they can be converted to staff, according to my book. However, in my dystopia, society is indifferent with any employee’s health as long as they can work. Which is alarmingly similar to how some companies see their employees now.
What pleases me the most is that, despite the fact that those novels were published in 1932 and 1950, they have survived the test of time because they were well-written and stimulated thinking, two qualities I aspired to. I hope I’ve made a little contribution to the larger cause of excellent writing; 1950 was a long time ago.
7. Do you believe there will be a sequel, or perhaps a series, to 418: I Am a Teapot?
I have no plans to write a sequel at this time. It’s a dystopia, therefore it’s a bit depressing for the author to have to live through it. However, I see a lot of stepping stones. There are many plot threads throughout the book, each of which may be extended. I may return to the exploits of 418, Brian/King, or Prince in the future, but for the time being, the sequel is just “404: Not Found.”
8. I know you’re working on a live-action adaptation of your novel; do you believe it has a chance, and what are your expectations for its success?
I’m presently writing/revising a script for the film 418: I’m a Teapot, and I’m a Teapot. It’s inevitable, in my opinion, that it will be made into a film or television show. We have a lot of material to work with: an immersive internet, programmable people, a decaying planet, visual demonstrations galore, and appealing dark imagery. I believe this narrative is begging to be picked up by someone with the appropriate vision and media-making skills to bring life to the words I’ve left behind.
This, I predict, will be spectacular and unlike anything else now available.
9. Who do you want to see in the lead roles?
It’s strange, but as time goes, I’m becoming less confident. I’m interested in hearing suggestions about who should occupy such positions. Originally, I believed the role of Brian/King should be played by the late Irrfan Khan. I don’t worry about it because I know I’ll have a visceral response to the appropriate actor in that part when I meet them.
I believe the actor must comprehend the characters’ issues; Brian is paralyzed by his inability to answer the question “How?” and 418, who doesn’t understand frustration, is perplexed and lost. It’s fascinating to note that there are two things that hold many of us back. Maybe we’re all teapots? Because we might all be teapots, the identity of the performers and actresses is unknown.
10. Do you believe you’ll ever release the novels you’ve been working on since you were 25? Could you tell us a little more about them?
No, I don’t believe such books will ever be published. I don’t want to be a thorn in the side of budding authors, but I believe the first book, or at least the first few novels, you write are about yourself. It’s inevitable, in my opinion, because you can’t create anything separated from yourself until you’ve gotten rid of the urge to scribble your own sufferings on paper.
Those books are still in my possession, but their contents have been lost to the ravages of time; I’m much happier making up fresh tales.
11. Can you tell us anything about your future plans? Books about TransMedia Group, but also connected to it?
I’m currently working on a script for 418: I’m a Teapot, and I’m a Teapot. I’m seeking for some imaginative brains to infuse color into the wireframes I’m sketching in the script.
I’m almost done with the first draft of a murder mystery. There is no mystery about who will be killed, and there is no wonder about who is doing it, as far as I can tell. The book is about justice, as well as its relatives, vengeance and wrath. This book should elicit two instant responses: Is she going to get away with it? Is the reader hoping for her to get away with it?
We are really excited to watch 418: I am a Teapot as a live action film. Not only does it seem intriguing, but we are in desperate need of excellent dystopian cinema.
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- best dystopian books
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