I’m lifting my head above the writing and publishing trenches for a few moments to share some exciting news about an imminent new Sleeping Legion book launch, a new audiobook deal, and more. If you follow JR Handley’s blog, you’ll already know about a novellete he’s been working on called No Marine Left Behind. Well,…
via No Marine Left Behind: a new Sleeping Legion novelette — The Human Legion
Hello Space Cadets! Today, I wanted to introduce you to another author from my WARRIOR WEEKEND INTERVIEW SERIES. Normally I would update you about what’s going on in my life but I’ve nothing new so Craig took the time to write his own introduction! Cheeky, isn’t he?
Craig Martelle: I’m a lifelong daydreamer and student of human interaction. I have some degrees, but those don’t matter when it comes to telling the story. Engaging characters within a believable narrative- that’s what it’s all about. I live in the interior of Alaska, far away from an awful lot, but I love it here. It is natural beauty at its finest.
Without further ado, let’s get this interview cranking!
Tell me a little about your military service?
Enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1982 and eight years later earned my commission. I retired at the rank of Major after thirteen years of commissioned time. I was a Russian Crypto linguist at the outset, spending two years at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. As an Intelligence Officer, I served all over the world, Japan, Korea, the Middle East, Russia, and Ukraine.
How do you feel that your military service has influenced your writing?
Most of my books have a Marine or a Marine-like character. I know the lingo, I know the mindset, and I carry those ideals to this day, almost fifteen years after I retired.
Do you think your military service, and more specifically your training, adds to the realism in your books? If so, how?
It absolutely does. Combat scenes, fighting, and those things can easily be described if you’ve seen some good war movies on TV, but the emotions of the moment, the different personalities you’ll find on the battlefield, the sights, and the smells are the kinds of things that I believe I put into my work. The spurious thoughts of your life back home. The jokes one makes in life or death situations. It is very unique and a challenge to get right if you haven’t seen it for yourself.
When did you start pursuing your writing more seriously?
When I retired from the consulting business in September 2015. I was still way too young to sit at home and do nothing. So I sit at home and write instead.
Of all your work, which was your favorite to write?
I love my Cygnus Space opera. It flowed the best of all my books from the outset. It is good fun in the way that Star Trek is.
How many of your characters were inspired by your military service?
Many, of course, probably a quarter of the characters can trace to people that I met while serving in the Marine Corps.
How many of the scenes you wrote were inspired from your service?
I typed The End on my 21st book today, so trying to tally the scenes inspired by my military service? Too many to count. Nearly all the combat scenes, many times when a character is away and misses home, his girlfriend, those are all service related.
That is fricking awesome!! One day I’ll get there. But this is about you, so do you feel like your writing has served any therapeutic value for you? Has it helped you process your experiences?
It has not. I enjoy writing and that is a value in and of itself.
If you could serve with any of your characters, who would it be and why?
I like the Nomad in my new series co-written with Michael Anderle. He’s a stand-up guy who is just a little better than everyone else. He uses that help people and others think of him as Sir Galahad from the Knights of the Round Table.
If you would want to avoid serving with any of your characters, who would it be and why?
Usually those people end up on the wrong end of lethal fire in my books. As my XO told me once, “Sir, you don’t suffer fools gladly.”
What are you currently working on?
This survey. Is this a trick question? The Terry Henry Walton Chronicles – Michael and I will have published five books in eleven weeks (first right before Christmas and the fifth by March 15th). My next project is the third book in my Cygnus Space Opera. I’d like to get that one done in March, so come April, I can concentrate on getting the next three books done for Terry Henry Walton.
How can people find you? [will insert what social media platforms with direct links]
E-Mail: craig@craigmartelle.com
If this convinced you to find out more, look up Craig Martelle. I hope you all had a great time getting to know about Craig, don’t be afraid to say hello here or on his website. If he don’t respond quick enough, bombard the friendly Marine with Army memes! Mwahahaha!!
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are screen grabs taken by JR Handley for use under the Fair Use Doctrine.
Hey Space Cadets, how’s everyone doing today? I’m doing amazing, trying to be more disciplined in my outline for Maternal Vengeance, hoping it pays dividends in the amount of time it takes to write. I’ve also started some of the editorial reviews for Operation Breakout, which should be out ‘soon.’ I’ll have you a date once Boss Man decides when we’re going to publish it. Stay tuned, or join my mailing list for regular updates.
Now, let’s get right to the point of my latest blog posting! Yes, I’ve gotten bit by the interview bug! I’ve started the Warrior Weekend Series, the Family Friday Series, and now the ‘SciFy Shenanigans’ series that only serves to talk with other authors of science fiction! Here goes nothing!
As I’ve mentioned, I created a template to talk to authors about their latest books and their process. They’ll be able to pitch the other stuff too, of course, but when authors have deep back catalogues it’s hard not to get into the weeds with them. Those weeds have grown too high, so I took a weed whacker to the mess. Here’s the final results! Now grab your popcorn and enjoy the ride!
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Children of All Ages,……
First, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?
My name’s Yudhanjaya Wijeratne. I’m a 25-year-old writer and a data scientist from Sri Lanka. For the past two years I’ve been working on a very Orwellian novel, tentatively titled This is Society. Some elements of this are actually going to come true in this decade (they’ve already started). In the past, I’ve designed and programmed games, built news media properties, covered tech as a journalist, even worked retail selling custom gaming rigs…I’ve dabbled in quite a few things, most of them involving tech and wordsmithing.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/yudhanjaya
Twitter: @yudhanjaya
Blog(s) www.numbercaste.com | www.icaruswept.com
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I’m entirely self-taught. I’ve put my 10,000 hours into writing, and I take courses online – everything from data science at Johns Hopkins to Greek myth from Upenn. There’s really nothing you can’t learn with a proper online learning model.
I’ll go out on a limb and assume that if you write books you also enjoy reading them. What other genres do you enjoy reading, and how have they affected your writing?
I read almost anything except romance, but I’d have to say fantasy, sci-fi and biographies. I initially started reading biographies to understand how to convey detail about a person, and for a long while I found that I would default to interview mode when writing something – even the current novel was written from the point of view of a journalist exploring his subject. It’s a dance I’m familiar with.
Who are your biggest writing influences?
I’m not entire sure. People who read my work sometimes say I have a touch of Terry Pratchett about my words, but I’d be deluded to compare myself to his magic. I’d count Alan Moore (Watchmen, V for Vendetta), Dianna Wynne Jones (Chrestomanci, Howl’s Moving Castle), Stephen King (Dark Tower, the Stand, Christine) and Sol Stein as my influences. I’ve certainly made a conscious effort to pattern myself after their advice.
Who are your favorite authors and books?
Terry Pratchett – the entire Discworld series. I really can’t pick. Okay, maybe Night Watch, Going Postal, Small Gods and Reaper Man.
Dan Simmons – Hyperion. Few books – especially sci-fi – can come close to Hyperion for me. It’s a very philosophical novel, with equal parts science and religion, and the narrative structure is genius.
Stephen King – Wizard and Glass. It’s everything every fantasy book tries to be. It’s grand, it’s surreal, it’s dystopian beyond measure, and it still breaks your heart a little bit before the end.
Phillip Pullman – I read His Dark Materials as a child. To this day I cannot think of the Christian heaven without thinking of Pullman’s version of Heaven and of humans laying siege to it. It’s perhaps the finest alternate reality ever written, because Lyra’s worlds seem so close, and yet so different from our own.
Daniel Mason – the Piano Tuner I credit for my obsession with the Ulysses myth.
Dante Aligheri – the Inferno. It’s a masterful work, not just of imagination, but political commentary.
The Signal and the Noise – by Nate Silver
Gormenghast – by Mervyn Peake for the sheer gothic beauty, scope and invention.
Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Matthew – by Shehan Karunatilake, a Sri Lankan author, and I’ve never read a book that captured the essence of Sri Lanka as well as this.
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. I find that almost of today’s quack wisdom was essentially plagiarized from the last great emperor of Rome.
Watchmen by Alan Moore, for looking at the dark underbelly of the superhero myth.
What is your preferred writing style?
First-person.
When did you get serious about your writing?
When I was about fifteen, I believe. Like every other naïve writer, I sat down and thought right, I’m going to create my epic. My magnum opus.
The result is a 130,000 word monster that sits on my desk as a testament to how not to write. It swung widely between sci-fi and fantasy, between chapter-long descriptions of cities and the hero going through a stupid amount of existential angst. I showed it to some publishers but they all laughed me away, which, in hindsight, was a good thing. It’s got some good ideas in it, but I need to take a blowtorch to it before it’s decent.
The good thing is that built up my writing discipline to the point where I could crank out regular articles and blog, and by the time I was done with school I was already known for my blogging and had a few journalism gigs lined up. I basically just made a career out of writing, and with the tech I drifted into working for a Silicon Valley middleware company.
About two years ago, I decided it was time to shelve the 1000-word sprints and go for the marathon, as it were, so every Saturday and Sunday I’d lock myself in my room and write.
What is your current novel? Tell us a little bit about the premise?
It’s called This is Society. It’s about a startup that figures out how to any human’s socioeconomic worth and standing in the social ladder, and sort of starts selling this as a very utopian, very Silicon Valley dream. And it’s really about how things change when you start quantifying people this way.
It’s not far out. I believe we’re already heading this way. The average degree of separation is now down to 3.1 (from 6). And we voluntarily share personal information to the point of being George Orwell’s wet dream – good data analysts can now predict your preferences better than your friends can (Click Here). As Yual Noah Harari pointed out, we’ll get to the point where Google might even be able to choose who you should marry – and because of the data it has on each person, it’ll know better than you yourself can.
Where did you find the inspiration for This is Society?
A combination of things. 1984. David Egger’s the Circle. And Experian, a company which does credit checking; after reading up on it, I realized that there really is this vast, multi-billion dollar industry, this empire that specializes in turning people into numbers, and it’s not just Facebook or Google. And it’s part of my job – and interests – to keep an eye on social media and search algorithms and developments, so after a while everything sort of started fusing in my head.
And on one fine day, I was sitting at a startup event at a café in Colombo. Entpreneurs entrepener’d. Investors sort of floated around the background. When two of the species met, they’d size each other up, trying to see how important this new person was. Who did they know? Where did they go to school? Everything clicked then. Not the whole plot, but the premise, the beginning and the end. The characters emerged from the story.
Your characters from This is Society are sent into a gladiatorial death match. Who wins?
That would be Julius Common. He wouldn’t fight, but he’ll bribe the guys opposite him, get them to attack the stadium, and end up buying the entire business.
What do you listen to while you write? Or do you prefer silence?
Silence is gold. A close second would be Ludovico Einaudi.
What is the most embarrassing thing you’ve looked up in the name of research – or what do you think the government has maybe flagged you for?
It’s either how to make napalm or Silicon Valley homeless. The searches were quite close together, so….
What was your favorite part of writing This is Society?
Learning. To write Society I threw into learning mode. It initially started with me studying the blockchain, and eventually it became a daily habit – listen to a podcast, read a couple of articles, go through two books a week – it’s really become this self-sustaining habit that’s been incredibly useful to me, not just in writing, but as a person.
Which actor/actress would you like to see playing your main characters from [Book Name]?
Mahershala Ali. Did you see his performance as Cottonmouth in Luke Cage? And Vincent d’ Onofrio, because that is Julius Common down to a T.
Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?
Well, I have my day job, so I structure my writing around it. Weekdays are spent taking notes, brainstorming, drawing out plot lines. On Saturday and Sunday I sit from 5 am to 5 pm and write, take a break, and polish what I’ve written from 8 till 10 or so. On average this produces around 4000 good words a week.
Do you aim for a set amount of words/pages per day?
No. I tried that and, while it undoubtedly works for a lot of famous writers, I just end up producing bloated drivel. Instead I try to get chunks of the story done per week.
When you develop your characters, do you already have an idea of who they are before you write or do you let them develop as you go?
I always have an idea of who they are, as in background detail, but once I get into the meat of the writing I find myself thinking ‘no, she wouldn’t do that,’ or ‘that’s not like him.’ And I end up pruning and tweaking back and forth until the characters themselves are different to what I imagine. Julius, for example, started out as a thin, obsessed neurotic before I decided that wasn’t working. And Patrick Udo, who is the main character, was always black, but initially a seasoned journalist; now he’s a marketer. People change.
If This is Society had a theme song what would it be?
‘Don’t get in my way‘ by Zack Hemsey.
This is Society is full of many amazingly talented characters and I imagine it was really fun to create some of them, but which one was your favorite and why?
Definitely Julius Common. Not only is he the centerpiece of the story, but he’s also the most complex. He genuinely believes that he is making the world better. He is the hero of his own story.
What advice do you have for writers who are just starting out?
Read Sol Stein on Writing.
Write.
Read William Zinsser on writing.
Write.
Find friends who will clap if you produce something good, and not just if you produce something.
Write.
Write wherever you are and whatever you do. Don’t wait for the perfect conditions – we all dream of that lovely writer’s cottage with the golden sunlight and all of that, but in reality, that’s a reward, not the fuel. The laptop and your own bed works fine. Use a computer, because despite the charming image of the writer hammering away at his typewriter, there’s really nothing more convenient than to be able to cut, splice and revise at will.
I hope you enjoy this little conversation, and if you want to find out more about Yudhanjaya, then follow the rabbit trail to their warren in the internet (www.icaruswept.com)! If they don’t like it, beat ‘em with a carrot and keep on truckin’!
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are screen shots taken by JR Handley and used under the Fair Use Doctrine.
–> Some of these interview questions were inspired by my good friend TeacherofYA, and are used with her permission. If you have kids who love to read, she’s the girl who’ll make the literary introductions! You should check her out, after a lifetime of reading, your kids will thank you.
Hey Space Cadets, hope everyone is doing awesome! I’ve finished my short stories and am outlining my fourth novel in the Sleeping Legion Series today. Should be a barrel full of laughs, if by barrel you mean massive body counts. And if by laughs, you mean manically! Operation Breakout was high action and Maternal Vengeance will kick it up a notch! Speaking of high octane, the
ddshort story I’m co-writing with Corey D. Truax will be kick ass as well! Can’t wait to be able to share it with you, but until then let’s rise above that noise and get on with it!
For today’s World Building Wednesday, we shall talk about background noise. See what I did there in that last paragraph? LOL!! Okay, in all seriousness I wanted to talk about the use of background noise in your writing. Nothing too long and drawn out, just a brief discussion. I’m personally split on this one. With the use of my Dragon to dictate I can’t have background noise, but I don’t write with just the Dragon. I still write some scenes the ‘old fashion way,’ especially the more nuanced or complicated ones. For these scenes, I pick my music to help me create a mood.
So, for generic scenes I’m struggling with I like to use playlists of ambient sounds to keep my mind actively engaged. Nature sounds, campfires and the like. I’ve also found a few science fiction based ambient noise sites to help get me in the mood for my genre fiction. Sometimes, if I’m feeling lonely I’ll listen to a coffee shop or library soundtrack for my ambient noise. I will also listen to classical music and any other instrumental to keep the hamster spinning on his wheels. One place where I found a collection of mood setting sites was on author Kim Chance‘s blog. Check it out for some really helpful links. And of course, there is YouTube.
When I just need intense emotions, I’ve been known to listen to music that gets the blood pumping. Sweet beats, kick ass vocals, anything to set the stage for literary awesomeness. Depending on the mood of the scene, I can listen to ballads, country, folk and anything else light. When I want action and adventure, I’ll switch to rock-in-roll and heavy metal. This works when writing the combat scenes, when you want the blood to boil and heads to roll. Have you used any of these? Do you have some good ambient noises to suggest? Then throw a man a bone, leave a comment below!
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are images owned by JR Handley.
Hey Space Cadets, how’re you doing today? I’m sucking wind, trying not to self-destruct from a Daylight Savings Time gone horribly wrong. Tell me again why this is necessary? Sigh, back to other more pleasant things. I’ve finished the developmental edits of No Marine Left Behind with my editor, Corey. Now the piece of literary excellence is off to Thomas and his Red Pen of Doom for a final copy edit. I hope to have more information about that one to you soon. My editing team’s also deep into their edits for Operation Breakout, and I should be publishing it next month. More updates and publishing news to come soon.
You can still get the prequel novella, The Demons of Kor-Lir, by signing up for my newsletter. Also, Boss Man has a new short story coming out for free if you sign up for his newsletter and I recommend it! I’ll be sending out a newsletter soon with more information, but until then let’s move on to today’s Marine Monday. Hopefully you’ll enjoy the journey!
Today I was leaked, by our friendly neighborhood LegionLeak source, the official vehicle stats of the Stork Class Shuttle. Enjoy the read, but please remember to destroy this message after reading it so the anonymous source can live long enough to continually feed us excellent intelligence! Without further ado, here is the leaked document!
Hopefully you enjoyed this sneak peek into one of the most prolific classes of shuttles in the Human Legion. If you did, stay tuned for next week as we anxiously wait for the latest documents smuggled our way!
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are screen grabs taken by JR Handley for use under the Fair Use Doctrine.
Hey Space Cadets, here is the next installment in my series of book reviews. I’m currently reading one of the greats of military science fiction, David Weber. I want to read his novels, and mine them for useful skills. He created one of the largest fan bases, so he is clearly doing something right. Nothing has really changed on my end, so I won’t bore your ear holes with gibberish. Instead, let’s jump right into the nuts and bolts of the story.
Title: On Basilisk Station
Author: David Weber
Price: $0.00 USD (Kindle Version)
Obtained: I bought it when it was free on Amazon
Pages: 432 pages
Rating: 4/5 Grenades
Summary:
This book shares the story of Commander Honor Harrington of the Royal Manticoran Navy. She commands the HMS Fearless, having assumed command after some new weapons are added. These changes have the rank and file upset, but Honor is determined to give it the old college try when she participates in the navy’s war games. After a sneak attack ends with her ship scoring a direct ‘kill’ against the flagship of one of the Lords of the Admiralty. She ends up banished to picket duty on Basilisk Station, essentially an assignment to Siberia in her universe. There is the usual tension, as she has some issues with her command, the drama of ground combat with the Medusa locals a smattering of intrigue and political shenanigans. And lest we forget, since this IS a novel about the Royal Manticoran Navy, there is space ships knocking it out to the bitter end.
Characters:
The main character in this novel is Honor Harrington, a naval commander who is given command of the HMS Fearless at the beginning of the novel. I found myself very much drawn to her, she was a well-developed character, who had enough depth to make her believable. Having grown up a Navy Brat and taken Navy JROTC in high school, I felt like she fit with the upstanding naval officers I’ve known. Admittedly, I went on to an Army college and then enlisted into the infantry so otherwise my exposure to the Navy is almost nil, but I felt like she fit with what I’ve known in real life. She’s a no-nonsense kind of woman, who gets the job done and overcomes, no matter the cost. Honor does all this without sacrificing her troops needlessly, but isn’t afraid to risk all and pull the trigger when the need arises.
Plot:
I felt like the plot moved along at a steady pace, a bit slow in places but not enough to draw you out of the universe David Weber was creating. The plot was enough that I kept turning the pages for more, which is all we can really ask for! He went a little heavier on the science of his space flight than I like, but I was able to skim over those pages easily enough and enjoy an otherwise good space opera. The parts where David Weber described the combat on the ground was entirely believable, given the way he set up the primitive natives. It fit with what I knew from my own training as a historian and my time as a grunt. The only real issue I had was that the changes in POV felt jarring and were hard to follow. I read this novel as an eBook, and it was published as a trade paperback in 1993. I’m guessing that the novel was simply poorly converted, and the indications of the swapping POVs weren’t carried over, though I haven’t verified this. Either way, it was an issue for me.
World Building:
I felt like the world building in this novel was solid, there was just enough to understand everything. The setting was cogently written, believable and fun to imagine yourself joining. Probably a bad idea, as lots of people die in these fights, but such are the dangers of SciFy fandom. Admittedly, I came into these novels after being seduced to the dark side by the TRMN Fan Club at RavenCon last year so I knew a lot about the universe going in. I think it would’ve still stood alone on the laurels of the world David Weber created, but felt the need for full disclosure.
Description:
I felt like this one is hard, my visualizations were colored by the outside representations I’ve seen from the TRMN. These fans are dedicated and cosplay his universe, so when I read these books they were what I pictured. I think it was well done, but it’s possible my affiliation with his rabid fans colored my readings of things.
Overall:
Aside from my issues with the jarring switches from one POV to another, I really enjoyed this novel. It kept me hooked, and gave me an idea of how to make the hard science fiction approach to space combat more enjoyable. It was a bit heavy on the math, which I’m in no way qualified to judge the veracity of, but was otherwise enjoyable. I did like it enough to buy book two and will be reading that next. When the author is such an iconic master like David Weber, us noobs need to read and learn. It wasn’t a WOWZER five grenade novel, but it was good. Despite my issues with it, this is a book I would happily recommend. Heck, I would even recommend that you buy the novel! Some novel’s I’ve only liked enough to check out from the library, but this one you’ll want to buy for your reading pleasure and keep on your bookshelves.
If this book sounds like it’s right up your alley, check it out! You won’t regret it! Well, unless it keeps you up all night and you’re late to work… and then your boss fires you, because you became a book addict and a rabid David Webber fan. And then, because you’re unemployed and need a job, you enlist into the Royal Manticoran Navy. As a spacer, you are then deployed to the front lines. This shock to your sensibilities then forces you to desert, so that you might live. And then you track him down, the man who ruined your life, and climb into his window in your skivvies. And he shoots you with grapeshot. Okay, the fanboy/fangirl syndrome MIGHT kill you. Be warned, but enjoy the high!
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are used on the Fair Use Doctrine.
Hey Space Cadets, how’re you doing today? I’m doing good, coming down from my editing high. Corey and I just spent four hours reading through the first 14 chapters of Operation Breakout, with another longer session planned for tomorrow to get through to chapter 30. Tomorrow I also have an interview with The Listeners of the Dead Robot Society, one of my favorite podcasts! I’ll share before it goes live, though I won’t know the exact date right away. And I’ll try not to look too much like an idiot, I promise!! Finally, I’ve made good progress on my submission for the Four Horsemen Anthology.
Now, on to today’s Marine Monday! For today’s chat let’s talk about what was leaked to me by our friendly neighborhood LegionLeak source! We have the official bio of Field Marshal Tirunesh Nhlappo. Now the important parts! Remember, destroy this message after reading it so the anonymous source can live long enough to continually feed us excellent intelligence! Without further ado, here is the leaked document!
Hopefully you enjoyed this sneak peek into our favorite bad assess official dossier. If you did, stay tuned for next week as we anxiously wait for the latest documents smuggled our way! And if you wanna drop a little into the LegionLeaks tip jar, they wouldn’t mind one bit!
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are screen grabs taken by JR Handley for use under the Fair Use Doctrine.
Hey Space Cadets, how’s everyone doing today? I’m doing amazing, yesterday I had to rewrite some chapters in Operation Breakout because the developmental editor caught a glaring error. Yeah, I had one character in two places at once! Oops!! But, I think the resulting chapter was even better than it was before which is always the goal. I’m 1k words into the “Luck of the Draw” short story for the Four Horsemen Anthology which has been fun to play with. It’s a tale of a bounty hunter, think Judge Dredd meets Barney Fife with a touch of Don Quixote mixed in for good measure and you’ll get a hint of the shenanigans to come!
Now, let’s get right to the point of my latest blog posting! Yes, I’ve gotten bit by the interview bug! I’ve started the Warrior Weekend Series, the Family Friday Series, and now the ‘SciFy Shenanigans’ series that only serves to talk with other authors of science fiction! If they write in any of the science fiction subgenres, then I’ll interview them, so here goes nothing!
The plan here is to create a template to talk to authors about their latest books and their process. They’ll be able to pitch the other stuff too, of course, but when authors have deep back catalogues it’s hard to get into the weeds with them. Those weeds have grown too high, so I took a weed whacker to the mess. Here’s the final results! Now grab your popcorn and enjoy the ride! Today, we have science fiction author Felix R. Savage under the big top!
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Children of All Ages,……
First, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?
Hello JR, it’s great to be here! I cannot reveal too much about myself as it might compromise my operational security. See here. However, my fiction is more of a reaction to my background than a reflection of it. Example, I majored in history and now I write about the future! Go figure.
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I enjoy roller-skating.
I’ll go out on a limb and assume that if you write books you also enjoy reading them. What other genres do you enjoy reading, and how have they affected your writing?
Everything I read feeds into my writing and I’m omnibibliovoracious. I made that word up just now. I read every genre under the sun with the exception of romance (sorry). In the last week I have read two thrillers (by Gregg Hurwitz and Cate Holahan), a new economics book (Tyler Cowen’s The Complacent Class), and a time travel sci-fi book (Extracted, which was a Kindle First selection and one of the only GOOD Kindle Firsts I’ve found yet).
Who are your biggest writing influences?
Other authors. I read something great and think “I want MORE of this,” but there isn’t more to be had, so I have to write it myself, and in the process it turns into something completely different. But still moreish, one hopes.
Who are your favorite authors and books?
How long can this blog post be? Kidding. Some of my all-time favorite authors are Iain M. Banks, Tolkien (of course), C.S. Lewis (of course), Peter F. Hamilton, Robert Harris, George Macdonald Fraser, Douglas Adams, Evelyn Waugh … Hmm there is a pattern here. All Brits and nearly all dead. Peter, stay healthy and keep writing!! Oh and my favorite NEW author is Gavin G. Smith (another Brit), whose space opera series you should go and pick up RIGHT NOW.
What is your preferred writing style?
All day every day. Sadly I have a 9 to 5 job so this is a dream rather than the reality at present.
How did that lead you deep into the weeds of the writing life?
You mean there’s any other way to live? *tries to see out of weeds* Nah. I’m happy right here!
When did you get serious about your writing?
At the age of 11.
What is your current novel? Tell us a little bit about the premise?
I just wrapped Shiplord, Book 3 in the Earth’s Last Gambit Quartet. This series starts out in the present day and involves a first contact scenario like nothing you’ve ever read before. I call it “techno-realistic science fiction.” Nearly all the technology in the series either really exists, or could be developed based on stuff we have. There are a few bits of armwavium here and there. See if you can spot them!
Shiplord is obviously a series, where can we expect it to go?
Book 4 will be entitled Killshot. It will involve a stupendously thrilling battle for the future of Earth!!!
Where did you find the inspiration for Shiplord?
As I mentioned above, I often get inspired by other authors. In this case it was John Sandford. He co-wrote a sci-fi book called Saturn Run. I really liked the concept, but I thought the execution left something to be desired, and the less said about the ending the better. So I decided to do the same sort of thing but do it right. You judge whether I succeeded or not!
Your characters from Shiplord are sent into a gladiatorial death match. Who wins?
My money’s on Jack. There is a reason his nickname is Killer, and it isn’t entirely ironic!
What do you listen to while you write? Or do you prefer silence?
Unfortunately I have no choice in the matter. I either write to a soundtrack of my co-workers nattering, or (on weekends) kiddie shows on the iPad or noisy children’s let’s-pretend games.
What is the most embarrassing thing you’ve looked up in the name of research – or what do you think the government has maybe flagged you for?
You’re trying to catch me out here, aren’t you? *adjusts tinfoil hat*
What was your favorite part of writing Shiplord?
I enjoy ALL of it except research. Thankfully I have help with that? Bill Patterson, my science consultant, is a paragon of patience and answers all my scientific questions without laughing in my face. You’re a rock star, Bill.
Which actor/actress would you like to see playing your main characters from Shiplord?
If I ever got a film deal, I wouldn’t mind if they were played by clay animation models.
Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?
Since I have a day job, every bit of free time is writing time.
Do you aim for a set number of words/pages per day?
As many as possible.
When you develop your characters, do you already have an idea of who they are before you write or do you let them develop as you go?
I start out with a clear idea of them which always turns out to be wrong.
How did writing your current novel differ from your writing your previous novels?
This one was tough. It is the story of a space voyage. The voyage takes two years. How do you write an interesting story about people cooped up aboard a spaceship for two years? It’s kind of like a country house mystery except the country house is a bunch of tin cans attached to a nuclear reactor.
If Shiplord had a theme song what would it be?
Something by the Red Army Choir.
Shiplord is full of many amazingly talented characters and I imagine it was really fun to create some of them, but which one was your favorite and why?
I try not to play favorites. It’s not fair to the others.
What advice do you have for writers who are just starting out?
Put your head down and write as much as you humanly can, because you will probably need to write a LOT before you start to get the hang of it. Improvement is a never-ending journey. And read a LOT, too. That is just as important as writing.
I hope you enjoy this little conversation, and if you want to find out more about Felix R. Savage then follow the rabbit trail to their warren in the internet! If they don’t like it, beat ‘em with a carrot and keep on truckin’! And watch out for those lizard people, I hear they bite!
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are screen shots taken by JR Handley and used under the Fair Use Doctrine.
–> Some of these interview questions were inspired by my good friend TeacherofYA, and are used with her permission. If you have kids who love to read, she’s the girl who’ll make the literary introductions! You should check her out, after a lifetime of reading, your kids will thank you.
Hey Space Cadets, I hope everyone is doing great and voted in my friends Clash of the Covers contest! I’m still working on the Four Horsemen Anthology and hit a bit of a time snag. Try not to shudder, but I had to do something disgusting and unpleasant…. I filed my taxes today. I know, I cried too, there’s no shame in it! As for the next novel in the Sleeping Legion Series, well I’ll start outlining that this month and writing it as well. I will keep you posted on the progress as I try to bump up my production speeds! Pulp glory here I come!
Now, on to my World Building Wednesday topic!! Onward I say! Today we talk about how I figure out the technology of my futuristic worlds. Let’s start with your restrictions, which is especially important if you’re writing in someone else’s sandbox. In Boss Man’s universe there is no such thing as FTL because science doesn’t think it is viable at the moment. That doesn’t mean it is impossible, but because of the perceived improbability of this method, he decided against using it. Other limitations imposed on your technological development might come from your subgenre; is it space opera, military science fiction or hard science fiction.
A famous example of how this played out would be from Star Trek, where they got around the limitations of science as we know it by using warp drive. This used Albert Einstein’s theory of special relativity. He speculated that the speed of light in a vacuum will be the same from any frame of reference moving at a constant speed. I won’t go all technical (Translation, I don’t know all of it), but basically it showed that FLT wasn’t possible. However, he speculated that you could instead bend space-time to traverse long distances in an expedited manner. Then Mexican physicist, and SciFy Nerd, Miquel Alcubierre theorized it might actually possible, without violating the theories of his predecessors. Way back in the dark ages of 1994! I mean, they didn’t even have Facebook back then. Or Myspace, for us old timers in attendance! If you want to know more, click the links at the bottom of this post.
When I write science fiction in my own universe I plan on running with the theory Dr. Alcubierre gave us and traveling faster than light, if not in fact, then in deed. So, now that you’ve considered your own limitations you need a starting point. I tend to look at science and technology as we know it and then postulate where it might go in the distant future. This is mostly guess work, lots of technical research and some good ole fashioned SWAG! Not that kind of swag, but a scientific wild arse guess! Okay, quasi scientific in my case but work with me here! This does require you to know your world so you can have the end points, since the starting points would be today.
How do I stay abreast, well I follow several science blogs that break it down for you Barney Style. I’ll work on collating it for you as soon as I can. Another way I use is to pick the brain of my father-in-law, a trained biologist and my dad who’s a mechanic who understands machines. Then I made friends with people way smarter than I, and let them prevent me from looking like an idiot. Well, more of an idiot than normal!
To recap, basically I do some research to know the limitations I’m starting with and then I guess where things might go in the future. But that’s how I do it, what is your process?
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are screen grabs taken by JR Handley for use under the Fair Use Doctrine.
Hey Space Cadets, today’s blog will be pretty short. I’m just started my first draft for my Four Horsemen anthology submission. Well, is it a submission? I was invited to submit, so I guess somewhere in between? My story in this universe is about a bounty hunter, sort of Barney Fife meets Judge Dred. More details will be coming, both here and on my co-author’s website. Finally, today I received the rough sketch of the “No Marine Left Behind” short story. It’s set between The Legion Awakes and Fortress Beta City. The cover has an extra Marine but is otherwise pretty close to what I expect to see for the final results. And yes, you’re not wrong to notice the similarities between The Four Horsemen covers and this one. Chris Kennedy is sharing his super-secret artist. I was blindfolded on the way to the bunker, so all I know was that the artist MIGHT be human!
Take a look!!!
Until next time, stay frosty and don’t forget to keep your powder dry!
JR
–> As usual, all images came from the Google’s “labeled for reuse” section or are screen grabs taken by JR Handley for use under the Fair Use Doctrine.
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