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Derek Landy Biography, Books, and Similar Authors

Author Biography  | Interview  | Books by this Author  | Read-Alikes

Derek Landy

Derek Landy

Derek Landy Biography

Derek Landy lives near Dublin, Ireland. Before writing his children's story about a sharply dressed skeleton detective, he wrote the screenplays for a zombie movie and a slasher thriller in which everybody dies. As a black belt in Kenpo Karate, he has taught countless children how to defend themselves, in the hopes of building his own private munchkin army. He firmly believes that they await his call to strike against his enemies (he doesn't actually have any enemies, but he's assuming they'll show up sooner or later). The reason Derek writes his own biographical blurb is so that he can finally refer to himself in the third person without looking pompous or insane.

Derek Landy is far too modest to talk about any awards or accolades his books may have won. He will not, for instance, mention the fact that his first book, Skulduggery Pleasant, won the Bord Gais Energy Irish Book of the Decade Award and the Red House Children's Book Award, or that his second, Playing With Fire, won an Irish Book Award for Children's Book of the Year, or that his third, The Faceless Ones, is his mother's personal favourite.

He lives in Ireland with a variety of cats, a German Shepherd, and two geriatric Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

Derek Landy's website

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Interview

Derek Landy talks about his transition from writing film scripts to writing his first book, Skulduggery Pleasant, about a snappy dressing, razor-tongued ace detective, who happens to be a skeleton.

You've previously written horror films--how different did you find the process of writing a novel?
Writing for film is a lot of fun, and most scripts are only one hundred pages long, so some scripts can be written over a few days or weeks. Writing a book is completely different. It takes a lot longer, for a start, and it requires so much THINKING...

But on the whole, it's a lot more rewarding. Film scripts are interfered with by producers, directors, and financiers- whereas when I'm writing a book I'm totally free. It's a wonderful feeling, and I can just let my imagination go crazy over the page. And my imagination LIKES going crazy.

Do you believe in ghosts and vampires?
I would love to believe in the supernatural, I truly would, but despite my best efforts I remain frustratingly logical. Maybe this is why I love writing about the things I write about- maybe this is my way of living in a world where anything can happen.

Uncle Gordon's house is wonderfully spooky--is it based on a house you've been to?
Gordon's house is a product of my own imagination, but every spooky house movie I've ever seen as a child has found its way into the architecture. I love stories where the house is big, and old, and it creaks and groans in ...

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Books by this Author

Books by Derek Landy at BookBrowse
Playing with Fire jacket Skulduggery Pleasant jacket
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Read-Alikes

All the books below are recommended as read-alikes for Derek Landy but some maybe more relevant to you than others depending on which books by the author you have read and enjoyed. So look for the suggested read-alikes by title linked on the right.
How we choose read-alikes

  • Georgia Byng

    Georgia Byng

    Georgia Byng is the creator of Molly Moon and the author of Molly Moon’s Incredible Book of Hypnotism; Molly Moon Stops the World; Molly Moon’s Hypnotic Time Travel Adventure; Molly Moon, Micky Minus, & the Mind ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    Skulduggery Pleasant

    Try:
    Molly Moon Stops The World
    by Georgia Byng

  • Neil Gaiman

    Neil Gaiman

    Neil Gaiman grew up in England and, although Jewish, attended Church of England schools, including Ardingly College, a boarding school in West Sussex (South of England). During the early 1980s he worked as a journalist and ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    Skulduggery Pleasant

    Try:
    The Graveyard Book
    by Neil Gaiman

We recommend 7 similar authors

View all 7 Read-Alikes

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