Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
You might think that Child 44 features a rather unbelievable plot, but it's a lot more real than you ever imagined. Andrei is based on a real-life serial killer named Andrei Chikatilo, and though the book is set in an earlier period than the real-life murders, many details remain the same. Creepy. (Source.)
Tom Rob Smith did such a great job transporting us to Russia that this one came as a shock—he never actually visited Moscow. Although he's been to other cities in Russia, all of his descriptions of the country's capitol are based on research and imagination. (Source.)
Before writing this harrowing serial killer/spy novel, Smith worked on something a little more light-hearted—a Cambodian soap opera. The dude actually had experience in the field, having written for several prominent British soap operas in his early career. (Source.)
If you're as nerdy as we are, then you're probably a big fan of the classic anime Robotech, a seminal work in the "Robots Fighting Robots" genre. Though it seems like a weird fit, Smith has been commissioned with adapting the series to the big screen—though no one knows if the film will ever come out. (Source.)