He sprang to fame with a tale about the secret child of Jesus – but The Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown wants to make babies more of a rarity to solve what he sees as the world’s overpopulation crisis.

In an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday’s Event magazine ahead of the publication of his latest book, the US writer says today: ‘There’s a huge problem.

'I would have the human race born sterile and when you want a baby, you take a pill. So the baby is a choice.’

Dan Brown, pictured, and his wife Blythe Newlon have decided against having any children

His last book, Inferno – turned into a film last year that starred Tom Hanks – had a plot that involved a mad scientist devising a disease to kill off swathes of humanity as a solution to overpopulation.

Hanks also starred in the 2006 film version of The Da Vinci Code, with Audrey Tautou.

Brown, 53, has decided with his wife Blythe Newlon not to have children.

The Da Vinci Code was made into a major film featuring Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou

Talking about his new novel, Origin – to be published on Tuesday and featuring the return of Harvard professor Robert Langdon – Brown explains how it relates to ‘Darwin, evolution and creationism’.

He adds: ‘I’m always looking for big ideas that knock against each other.’