Sebastian Faulks

Bestselling author, Sebastian Faulks, joins Simon and Matt for a chinwag about his latest novel, 'The Seventh Son'. The book is set in a not-too-distant future, which is a departure for Sebastian who we know mainly for his historical fiction. In this episode we discuss this brilliant new novel (without spoilers, we think) and where his inspiration for it came from. We learn about the incredible amount of research he had to undertake to be able to write the book, and see if we can guess who some of his characters are based on! Here comes the science bit: A child will be born who will change everything. When a young woman named Talissa answers an advert to carry a child, she cannot begin to imagine the consequences. Behind the doors of the Parn Institute, a billionaire entrepreneur plans to stretch the boundaries of ethics as never before. Through a series of IVF treatments, one they hope no one ever discovers, they set in motion an experiment that is set to upend the human race as we know it. Seth, a baby, is delivered to hopeful parents Mary and Alaric, but when his differences start to mark him out from his peers, he begins to attract unwanted attention. The Seventh Son is a spectacular examination of what it is to be human. Sweeping between New York, London, and the Scottish Highlands, this is an extraordinary novel about unrequited love and unearned power. It asks the question: just because you can do something, does it mean you should?