Facing the World Through Fantasy: An Interview with Justina Ireland

• Free
• Literary
• Science Fiction & Fantasy

“Zombies are a writer’s best friend,” said Justina Ireland, young adult fantasy fiction writer and author of the New York Times bestselling novel “Dread Nation.” The novel explores an alternate Civil War where zombie-slaying biracial teenager Jane McKeene gets caught in a conspiracy and finds herself in a desperate fight for her life. In conversation with author and YA librarian Alexandria Brown, Ireland unpacks how she employs planet-hopping Star Wars characters, half-god assasins, and more to dig into complex questions about capitalism, science, racism, and inequality.

Florence Schwimley Little Theater