Check out what inspired Makana Yamamoto to write "The Obake Code" below.
What was your inspiration behind your most recent book?
I had a lot of inspirations for this book! Classic cyberpunk media like Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Neuromancer, and Snow Crash. Also fun heist media, like Ocean's 8, The Italian Job, and Leverage. There's also a bit of a crime element in this one, think street racing like The Fast & The Furious and mafiosos like The Godfather and Goodfellas.
What does Reading Rainbow mean to you?
Reading Rainbow means reading queer and trans books outside of Pride Month. It means not reading queer books just to fill a spot on a reading bingo card. It means engaging with a diversity of experiences, even within the queer community itself.
Why do you feel representation of a variety of people is so important when it comes to writing books?
I grew up full of self hatred and despair because I had no idea there were other people like me, people who felt like I did. Not just as a nonbinary lesbian, but as a mixed race person in majority white spaces. It wasn't until I started experimenting with media (movies, TV shows, books, games) that represented me that I started to feel less alone.
Tell us a little more about the book and why you decided to write it.
Malia was a fan favorite from "Hammajang Luck," and there was lots of demand for more of her story. "The Obake Code" is set three years after "Hammajang Luck," and follows Malia as the mastermind of her own heist. It follows her as she navigates being a leader for the first time, as well as her backstory and how she became The Obake.
What can fans expect from your book?
Heist shenanigans, exploring a virtual world, Hawaiian inspired worldbuilding, what it means to heal from trauma and to be loved for who you really are, and of course lots of lesbian love.
What's up next for you in the bookish world?
If you've read "Hammajang Luck," you'll know that another fan favorite was the grifter power couple, Duke and Nakano. They're getting a prequel story, how they got to become the revolutionary thieves they are in the first book. It's an art heist, and I promise I wrote it before the Louvre got robbed.
