David Lagercrantz

I'm a strange kind of author - I like assignments. I wasn't clever enough to invent an iconic figure like Salander, but she's my kind of girl. ”

I've always been interested in people who think out of their time, and I have this passion, actually, for science. I'm just so enormously interested in how, when you think of these revolutionary ideas, other people get threatened, especially if you are different. ”

All I wanted to do was to follow my passion and tell a good story. ”

I'm always interested in talented or odd people, and my whole life I've written about geniuses who society has treated badly and they strike back - or not. ”

I want to be read, and I certainly want to sell, but I also see my father's eye from Heaven: 'Always write quality. It doesn't matter if you sell; if it's good, it's good - if you capture the complexity of life.' ”

I know I don't want to be Stieg Larsson my whole life. ”

The real demon in my life is my father. ”

My life as an author has always been about brilliant, odd people. ”

I'm very bad at violence in real life. I can't stand it. And I'm so fed up with crime novels that have too much violence. I can't really do it. It's unnecessary. ”

Of course I want to be a best seller because I'm in the business and I want to be read, but there is no money in the world that can compensate for writing badly. ”