Interview With Author Austin Lim
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a neuroscientist and award-winning professor who loves educating the public about the wonders of the brain. I’ve published one nonfiction popular science book for the general readership, Horror on the Brain, and two textbooks for neuroscience undergraduates, The Open Neuroscience Initiative and Understanding Figures in Neuroscience Research. I’ve also written and illustrated children’s books explaining different aspects of biology, ranging from the foundations of cellular neuroscience to medical terminology.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Horror on the Brain is a look into the neurobiology that has inspired famous works of horror and science fiction, ranging from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein all the way to modern media such as Get Out and The Last of Us. There’s neuroscience all around us, and I am always looking for connections.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I did the majority of writing of Horror on the Brain on the train during my commute.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I absolutely love the writing styles of Drs. Oliver Sacks and V. S. Ramachandran. Their work examining neurological rarities really sparked my own curiosity into brain science.
What are you working on now?
I’m really starting to dig into the field of neurolaw, the intersection between neuroscience and the criminal justice system. There are some fascinating questions about how much neuroscience can or should contribute to court cases. Brain images can be remarkably influential when presented to a jury, for better or worse.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Mostly relying on social media, trying to reach readers organically through video sharing sites.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t get discouraged when querying agents. It’s a brutal process. Sometimes, it helps to step away from it for a while. I took nearly a year-long break after sending out several queries before securing my agent for my Horror on the Brain proposal.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Floss. Dental pain is awful.
What are you reading now?
The Nice House on the Lake by James Tynion IV.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep working! I’ve got a few book ideas rattling around in my brain, so we’ll see where they take me.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I’ve always wanted time to sit and read the entirety of Dante’s Divine Comedy.
When I was younger, I had a copy of the Army Survival Manual. If there’s one book that will help my cushy academic self get through the experience alive, that would be it.
And of course, Frankenstein. It’s a timeless masterpiece.
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