Sputnik Sweetheart + Author

I am wondering why this man Haruki Murakami chose this particular subject matter to write about. I can't seem to be able to imagine how he connects to this plot or these characters. And it is really intriguing because the story is written in a semi-stream of consciousness way. I am always curious about how authors relate to their works....whether it's based on real life or just completely made up or has elements of someone else's life....very interesting to me.