Author Peter Tasker talks to Mark Schreiber about his latest novel, ``Dragon Dance,'' a thriller set against the backdrop of U.S.-East Asian relations in 2006.
I was surprised to see that you shifted from mystery stories to international intrigue. Is there any particular reason for the change?
Well, the idea comes first, then the genre follows. I was thinking about the Japan-China-U.S. nexus, which is going to be so important over the coming 20 years. Most people who follow these things are just extrapolating the past, but it should be fertile ground for shocks and intrigue. Then I was thinking about nationalism -- is Japan going to turn to the right, now that the economy is no longer a source of pride? Then you have the possibility of a U.S.-Japan rupture -- how could it happen, who would benefit, who could make it happen? Somebody had to write this story, so I reckoned it'd better be me.