The comic strip is called Rudy Park. It's set at a café and follows the lives of the regulars who congregate there. It often comments on modern trends and politics. The fact that it's set a café and that Hooked begins with a café explosion is mostly coincidental. I guess cafes are near and dear to me in that I spend a lot of time writing in them (drinking the aforementioned hot chocolates). But I also think they're interesting places to hang out in modern times - a mix of relaxation, conversation and productivity; they're kind of like what campfires were for cavemen, but with a lot more steamed milk and scones.
Scott: I think your novel should come with a warning label. Do not read if a hypochondriac who uses the Internet. I was starting to feel clammy halfway through the book. Do you agree such a warning is needed?
Matt: Seems reasonable. Everything else has a warning label these days. How about: 'Do not read Hooked if you are prone to bouts of paranoia, love sickness,' or Fear Of Staying Up Past Your Bedtime To Read One More Chapter.' 'If you start to experience any of these symptoms, promptly put down Hooked and pick up one of my newspaper articles about Silicon Valley.' You'll be asleep before you know it.
Scott: Are you writing a sequel? What is it going to be about?
Matt: I am writing a book that, while not a sequel, does use the same main character. It's called Idle's Mind. It's about memory.
Scott: How far fetched is this book from reality and existing technology?
Matt: Without giving too much away about Hooked's plot, some is far-fetched but some is less far-fetched than you might believe. Collectively, we are compulsive, sometimes obsessive, technology users. Are we physically addicted? A handful of psychiatrists think so. They think we're addicted to the onslought of digital stimulation in our lives, and bored in its absence. They call the condition: acquired attention deficit disorder. Certainly, there is enormous market pressure for us to stay connected to technology 'round the clock. Cell phone carriers want us to use minutes; broadband companies want us to stay connected, and so do ecommerce sites and online advertisers. That's a lot of marketing power directed at keeping us hooked. But is there a conspiracy to do so? I don't think so.
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