What is it like to Taste?
Alex: You've also contributed to the free Marketplace map for Summer's base.
Max Brooks: Yes! It's not the same mountain as that in the book. Actually, that was another huge issue. I was around two-thirds through The Mountain when I finally got my feet up and began playing. The Nether had changed from top to bottom. Instead of being upset I realized that this was the most important lesson of my life! When the world changes, you have to change with it.
Alex The book is very thorough, much like The Island.
Max Brooks: Research is very important to me in all that I do. Because I spend so much time researching I don't have enough time to write as many books. With a game like Minecraft, I live under the fear of people saying, "That would never happen!" So I played thousands of hours playing Minecraft and made sure that the game's mechanics work in the book. Additionally, there are some things that just happen in Minecraft that you would never think of on your own. In The Island, my character shoots his last arrow at a creeper and then hits a bat that is able to fly by. It happened to me when I was playing Minecraft!
Alex - The authenticity of these books is the reason they are so enjoyable.
Max Brooks:Yeah Also in everything I write, I'm looking to establish trust with the reader. They must know that they can trust me to lead them journey through a country that I knowabout, and that I serve as their tour guide.
Alex I really enjoyed your insights into the smell of Minecraft smells like. Netherrack, that was an eye-opener.
Max Brooks: You know, I'm very fortunate to have an amazing editor, Sarah Peed. When I first published the book she pushed me to ask what the Island feels like. What is it like to taste? How does the breeze feel on your skin? How does the grass feel under your feet? I wanted the book to feel enveloping and engrossing, so I thought of netherrack should smell sulfurous. It should smell like a stench of farts. Yeah, I said it! Night Vision should taste like carrot soda. It should be bubbly, tangy and have a slight tingle on the tongue. I wanted people to feel like they were there.