Trent Jamieson's "Death Most Definite"

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Trent Jamieson lives in Brisbane, Australia. A multiple Aurealis Award winner for short fiction, he has taught short story writing at the Queensland University of Technology, and Clarion South Writer's Workshop. Death Most Definite, Book One of the Death Works Series, was published by Orbit Books in September 2010. Book Two, Managing Death, was released in January 2011, and Book Three, The Business of Death, is due for publication in September 2011. He has just sold a two book series of Steampunkish novels to Angry Robot Books, the first of which, Roil, is due for publication in September 2011.

Here he shares his preference for the director of an adaptation of Death Most Definite, as well as ideas for actors in some of the supporting roles:

It's so hard to cast Death Most Definite. I've been asked this question before, and even as a fantasy I have an awful lot of trouble imagining it.

But, when I try, I can't help but be parochial. The Australian accent is so hard to get right, it either gets played too broadly, or ends up sounding like a South African accent. I know, most people wouldn't notice, but it would bother me! And, anyway, there are so many great Australian actors and actresses.

For the principles - Steven de Selby and Lissa Jones, there are a good dozen or so people that could play them. And, maybe, I find it too hard to settle on just one.However, away from the leads it gets much easier. For Tim, Steven's cousin, I've always imagined a mate of mine, Lucas Stibbard, a Brisbane based stage actor with tremendous range.

Morrigan and Mr D are quite a bit older than the rest. I could imagine someone like Bryan Brown playing Morrigan. And Geoffrey Rush would make a very sinister Mr D: a character who is very theatrical.

As far as the director goes Duncan Jones would get me very excited. I loved Moon, and I think he could pull off the pace, and humour, as well as the dark longing that is at the heart of the book.

Learn more about the book and author at Trent Jamieson's website.

The Page 69 Test: Managing Death.

Writers Read: Trent Jamieson.

--Marshal Zeringue