Iain Reid, author of I'm Thinking of Ending Things , has a haunting new novel in the works
Mary Cybulski/NETFLIX
EW critic Leah Greenblatt recently described the film version of I'm Thinking of Ending Things as ″a riddle wrapped in an enigma and staged like a passion play.″ The Charlie Kaufman-directed project, in which a young woman (Jessie Buckley) meets her boyfriend's (Jesse Plemons) parents for the first time, titillated (and occasionally horrified) Netflix viewers this month, and they'll soon have even more material to mine.
I'm Thinking of Ending Things was Iain Reid's debut novel, and now EW can exclusively announce that Scout Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, has acquired the rights to We Spread, his latest work of fiction. The book is billed as ″mind-bending,″ ″genre-bending,″ and ″a work of philosophical suspense that questions our understanding of aging, existence, and conformity.″
The Canadian author is cornering the market on wonderfully weird plotlines. In addition to Ending Things and Spread, his second novel, Foe — a psychological tale that takes place on a farm in the near future — has been acquired for adaptation by Anonymous Content, with Reid set to executive-produce. Below, he takes EW's author questionnaire to let us in on his process and tease what little he can about his upcoming novel.
What is the first thing — ever — that you remember writing?
I remember writing little notes for my parents and siblings and leaving them around the house.
What is the last book that made you cry?
I'm not sure, but it might have been reading Charlotte's Web to my nephew.
Which book is at the top of your current to-read list?
I look forward to reading Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee, and The Vanishing Half, by Brit Bennett.
Where do you write?
I usually write at my desk. Sometimes during the warmer months, if the weather is nice, I like to work outside on a small lawn chair with my computer balanced on my lap.
Which book made you a forever reader?
There isn't one book. I remember finding many old books around the farm where I grew up that I would read, and I still appreciate starting a book when I don't know anything about it.
AJR
What is a snack you couldn't write without?
Tea and cookies.
If you could change one thing about any of your books, what would it be?
I would probably keep rewriting and revising all my books if given the chance. They never feel completely finished.
What is your favorite part of We Spread?
I don't have any particular favorite part. It was interesting to research and incorporate some math stuff for this one.
What was the hardest plot point or character to write in this book?
I found each character challenging for different reasons, and I'm still not entirely sure what the plot is.
Write a movie poster tagline for your book.
I'm not very good at doing this kind of thing. I'll go with: ″Thanks for reading.″
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