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Exclusive Interview: “Beggar’s Sky” Author Wil McCarthy

 

With Beggar’s Sky (hardcover, Kindle), writer Wil McCarthy is once again exploring the completely fictional, and downright outlandish idea, of what might happen if the super rich took over the space race. Like that would ever happen,

In the following email interview, McCarthy discusses what inspired and influenced this hard sci-fi space opera/ political spy thriller.

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Exclusive Interview: “The Headmasters” Author Mark Morton

 

Science fiction has often explored the subjects of slavery and servitude, and in unique ways.

In Mark Morton’s new novel The Headmasters (paperback, Kindle), some people have survived an apocalypse…only to find themselves enslaved by creatures who not only control their bodies, but their memories as well.

In the following email interview, Morton discusses what inspired and influenced this dystopian sci-fi story.

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Exclusive Interview: “Beyond Enemies” Author Marisa Wolf

 

Surviving combat requires a great many things: the right equipment, good leadership, a lot of luck. But soldiers also rely on their compatriots.

In the new military science fiction novel Beyond Enemies (paperback, Kindle, audiobook), writer Marisa Wolf introduces us to two soldiers who couldn’t be any closer. And no, I don’t mean that in a romantic way.

In the following email interview, Wolf discusses what inspired and influences this story, as well as why she chose to give it a snarky tone.

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Exclusive Interview: “A Quantum Love Story” Author Mike Chen

 

Love…it’s exciting and new. Or at least it can be if you’re caught in a time loop.

Which brings me to Mike Chen’s new romantic science fiction novel, A Quantum Love Story (paperback, Kindle, audiobook).

In the following email interview, Chen discusses what inspired and influenced this time loop love story, as well as how lovey it gets for those of us who are romantically challenged.

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Exclusive Interview: “It Came From The Trees” Joel McKay

 

As you can tell from the full title, Joel McKay’s first collection of short stories, It Came From The Trees And Other Violent Aberrations  (paperback, Kindle), is obviously a collection of warm and fuzzy fairy tales for little kids.

And if you believe that, I have a very nice bridge in Brooklyn available for a low, low price.

In the following email interview, McKay discusses what went into this story collection, which includes a science fiction thriller, a grimdark fantasy story, and a Lovecraftian adventure tale.

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Exclusive Interview: “Shapers Of Worlds Volume IV” Editor Edward Willett

 

Edward Willett is clearly a lazy person. Sure, he’s a writer, runs Shadowpaw Press, and hosts The Worldshapers podcast. But what has he done lately?

Well, the answer to that is Shapers Of Worlds Volume IV (hardcover, paperback, Kindle), an anthology of science fiction and fantasy short stories by writers who’ve appeared on The Worldshapers.

In the following email interview, Willett discusses how this series got started, and what went into this fourth volume.

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Exclusive Interview: “The Good Soldier” Nir Yaniv

 

In fiction, it’s fun to think about “What If…?” scenarios, especially where history is concerned.

For instance, what if the first human on the moon was Russian? Y’know, like in the TV show For All Mankind. Or what if the Nazis won World War II? Like they do in Philip K. Dick’s novel The Man In The High Castle and the recent Wolfenstein games.

It’s this kind of questioning that sets the stage for Nir Yaniv’s satirical military science fiction novel The Good Soldier (paperback, Kindle); a stage in which neither the first World War, nor the second, ever happened, but Europe still kneeled before Germany after the other nations split…for space.

In the following email interview, Yaniv discusses what inspired and influenced this novel, including why he made the main character so Gomer Pyle-esque.

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Exclusive Interview: “Weird World War: China” Editor Sean Patrick Hazlett

 

Of the many fears looming over our heads these days (and man, it seems like there’s a lot), none seems to loom as large, but also so abstractly, as the potential military conflict with China.

But for people who can’t wait — and who want it to be, well, weird — there’s the new alternative history / military science fiction anthology Weird World War: China (paperback, Kindle), the follow-up to 2020’s Weird World War III and 2022’s Weird World War IV.

In the following email interview, Weird World War: China editor Sean Patrick Hazlett discusses what went into assembling this short story collection.

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Exclusive Interview: “The Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction 2022” Co-Editor Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki

 

There are no set rules when it comes to geographically based short story anthologies. Some editors impose strict guidelines; others take a broader approach. But while their reasoning can be as varied as the selections in their collections, they often have to do with the realities of publishing: page count, budgets, and so on.

But in the following email interview with Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, co-editor of The Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction 2022 (paperback, Kindle), he explains why he and his co-editors Eugen Bacon and Milton Davis favored a broader approach, and not just in terms of the geography but also the genres and formats as well: “Because unity is what I believe Africans need most.”