A potential breakthrough discovery to reverse global warming . . . a series of unexplained sudden deaths in British Colombia . . . a rash of international incidents between the United States and one of its closest allies that threatens to erupt into an actual shooting war . . . NUMA director Dirk Pitt and his children, Dirk Jr. and Summer, have reason to believe there's a connection somewhere, but they also know they have very little time to find it before events escalate out of control. Their only real clue might just be a mysterious silvery mineral traced to a long-ago expedition to find the fabled Northwest Passage. But no one survived that doomed mission, captain and crew perished to a man--and if Pitt and his colleague Al Giordino aren't careful, the very same fate may await them.That's the summary of Clive Cussler's newest Dirk Pitt adventure, Arctic Drift. Contributing editor, Keith Raffel, got a chance to ask a few quick questions to a very busy Clive Cussler.
Global warming plays a big part in Arctic Drift then. What does the book's hero, Dirk Pitt, think caused it: humans, natural phenomenon, or left-wing hoax?
Pitt believes global warming, though increased by human endeavors, is mostly caused by natural phenomena.
How much do you worry about the believability of your Dirk Pitt books? Are they meant to be escapist entertainments or insights into real challenges facing our society?
The Pitt adventure tales are strictly entertaining stories. Believability takes a back seat.
Dirk Pitt is your most famous fictional creation. The first name of your son is Dirk. In Arctic Drift Dirk Pitt is, of course, the director of the fictional National Underwater and Marine Agency. But you've founded a real-life NUMA and your son Dirk Cussler is president. I'm getting dizzy. Is the line between fiction and reality getting a little blurred in your life?No, the fictitious NUMA and the real NUMA have little or no connection. One is a governmental agency involved with all aspects of the sea, the other is strictly interested in preserving history by finding lost shipwrecks of historical significance before they are lost and gone forever.
You worked in advertising as did your ThrillerMaster successor, Jim Patterson. Is that a coincidence?
Patterson and I working in advertising was strictly a coincidence. Besides, he was on the east coast while I was on the west coast.
You seem to have a preference for one or two word titles. My first book has a two word title. Did I stumble on something here? Do short, snappy titles work better?
Titles vary greatly and should interest the potential reader in picking it up, scanning and buying it, same as a headline on a newspaper.
You've written books with Paul Kemprecos, Craig Dirgo, and Jack DuBrul. How's it different writing with them as compared to your own son, Dirk?
Writing with DuBrul, Kempricos, and others is no different than working with my son, Dirk. It's all the same procedure.
I know you've been dissatisfied with what Hollywood did with Dirk Pitt in Raise the Titanic and Sahara. Any chance that a third time will be the charm?
I wish the third time would be the charm, but I'm pretty well hardened against another box office disaster.
It's well known that you have a huge collection of over rare automobiles. Which is your favorite?
I have 105 cars and the one I like to drive is a 1929 Blower Bentley.
Clive Cussler's life nearly parallels that of his hero, Dirk Pitt. Whether searching for lost aircraft or leading expeditions to find famous shipwrecks, he and his NUMA crew of volunteers have discovered more than sixty lost ships of historic significance, including the long-lost Confederate submarine, Hunley, which was raised in 2000 with much press publicity. Like Pitt, Cussler's classic automobile collection features eighty examples of custom coachwork. Cussler lives in Arizona.
Contributing editor Keith Raffel wrote
DOT DEAD, "without question the most impressive mystery debut of the
year" according to Bookreporter.com. 
