Barry Eisler

1 - What's your latest?

Barry Eisler: INSIDE OUT, a thriller about the real nature of the "War on Terror," out on June 29.

2 - Assuming I haven't read it, why should I?

Barry Eisler: Because it's so topical and real, it's both more gripping and more important than an ordinary thriller. If you want to understand what the "War on Terror" really is and how it works, this is your book.

3 - What can you tell us about your main character that you hadn't realized until you answered the question?

Barry Eisler: My black ops insider, Ben Treven, is under so much pressure he might do something irrational -- something he won't be able to revoke.

4 - What's your favorite scene and why?

Barry Eisler: Oh, man, there are so many... I love the sex scene, which has proven a bit controversial; I love when my antagonist goes on a rampage in San Jose, Costa Rica, against the Blackwater operatives who are setting him up... and then there's this bit of dialogue, which encapsulates what's at the heart of the story: "The Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers... that’s all just window dressing now, the artifacts of an ancient mythology, the vestments of a dead religion. We need something different now, something suited for the modern world. We need realists, men like us. We are the change we’ve been waiting for."

5 - What's next?

Barry Eisler: A sequel, naturally -- there's more to this story than can be told in a single book.