First Comes Death
by Avrah C Baren
Released: Apr 15, 2024
Genre: Science Fiction
Why this book and why now?
I grew up absolutely obsessed with X-men, so before the series was even rebooted, I was dreaming up different scenarios for people to have superpowers. I also love seeing how different people react to the same scenario. So I thought, “What happens if two people experience the same phenomenon but are given different tools for handling it?” I wanted to explore that question, while also following a band of queer characters finding joy in their queerness and making the most of a second life. This story has lots of drama and yearning, but there’s plenty of queer joy too, and I think we could all use some of that right now.
Would you and your main character(s) get along?
Wow, Dina and I would have so much generational trauma to compare, so I think we would definitely get along. Ivy and I would vibe I think, just because I enjoy her dry sense of humor, but I’d also be a bit terrified to be in the same room as her.
What TV show would your main character(s) most likely binge watch and why?
Dina loves rewatching Firefly because she and her brother used to watch it together and it’s become her comfort show. Ivy has never really had time for TV, but when Topher and Lucia settle into watching Love is Blind, she starts complaining about how dumb it is. Ten minutes later, she’s screaming at the TV like it’s a football game.
One of your main characters is planning a romantic night. Tell us about it.
Ivy is not used to having a date, so if she were planning a romantic night, she’d go overboard. She’d pick her date up with roses and be dressed in a suit, which she would promptly sweat through. She’d be kicking herself the whole time for acting like a fool, while simultaneously fretting she isn’t doing enough. She would try to plan a fancy restaurant without realizing she needs a reservation, and upon realizing the restaurant is booked out, have a panic attack. But then she and her date would switch to a picnic and maybe eventually she would calm down enough to actually enjoy herself.
What song does your character put on to start your book launch party?
Dina and Ivy (after some going back and forth) would pick Chappell Roan’s Red Wine Supernova because it’s hella gay and evocative of Ivy’s nickname for Dina: Supernova.
