When someone first coined the term “final girl,” they did so in reference to how, in many horror movies, the lone survivor is often a woman.
But in Chase Gamwell’s young adult sci-fi space opera novel Aiko’s Dive (paperback, Kindle), the final girl is not just the only person to survive a massacre, she’s the last human. Anywhere. Like, in the entire galaxy.
As for why, and what happens when she tries to figure out what’s going on, I direct you to the following email interview with Gamwell, in which he discusses what inspired and influenced this story.
To start, what is Aiko’s Dive about, and when and where is it set?
Aiko’s Dive is about an orphan girl who learns she’s the last human in the galaxy, and when she goes looking for answers, she discovers a terrible truth.
It’s actually set in our universe, a little over a thousand years in the future.
You originally created the characters of Aiko and Fletcher in a short story called “The Octavius Job,” which is set after Aiko’s Dive. What was it about Aiko and Fletcher that made you want to write about how they met?
Back when I wrote “The Octavius Job,” I was spending a lot of time doing flash fiction to really feel out my writing style. I’ve never really been great at shorter form fiction, but something about that particular story grabbed a lot of people who read it. That got me thinking about how I might explore their dynamic in a longer piece of fiction, and it just made sense that writing a novel about how they met was the obvious place to start.
And where, then, did you get the idea for Aiko’s Dive‘s plot?
The original idea focused very heavily on how Aiko and Fletcher met. I wanted to tell a story about two people meeting and connecting in a universe where neither of them really belonged. I’m a huge fan of Star Wars, so I also wanted to build a world with a similar feel, featuring unique environments and a cast of eclectic alien species. At the same time, I wanted to pit Aiko and Fletcher against a real threat that would test their relationship. So, it made sense to draw on some classic sci-fi horror, like Alien and Leviathan.
Of course, I wound up rewriting Aiko’s Dive twice to land on the current version of the novel. Lots of feedback mentioned that not focusing on the “last human in the galaxy” aspect felt like a missed opportunity. And other feedback said that I drew a little too heavily from stuff like Alien, which made it feel derivative.
The current version wound up being a little more introspective. Instead of Aiko defining herself by the relationship she builds with Fletcher, it’s more about discovering what she wants out of life, where she belongs, and doing what she needs to do to get there. That’s more fulfilling, I think. And more satisfying, since she has a lot more agency in this version of the story.
When she meets Fletcher, Aiko is 15 and in an orphanage. So she obviously couldn’t be over 18, since she’d be an adult and thus aged out of the system, but why did you make her 15 as opposed to 9 or 12 or, conversely, 17 and about to turn 18?
In the original version of the story, Aiko was actually 12! But like I said above, the original version of the story was more about her relationship with Fletcher. There was much more of a father / daughter dynamic there.
When I shifted the focus of the story, I knew I wanted her to be older, but not so much older that she’d wind up being completely independent from the very beginning of the story. I wanted to start her in a place where she was just discovering her independence and put her in a position to test the boundaries of the world she’s brought into.
It sounds like Aiko’s Dive is a sci-fi space opera thriller. Is that how you’d describe it?
This is a tough one. I’d agree with Aiko’s Dive being a sci-fi space opera. But I’m not so sure about “thriller.” By the Google definition, you could say so, though I don’t know if it quite fits in the traditional genre. I’ll say it does have elements of both the thriller and horror genres.
Aiko’s Dive is also a young adult novel. But is it the kind of young adult novel that’s written just for young adults, or the kind that can also be appreciated by old adults?
Aiko’s Dive is a novel that can be enjoyed by anyone of any age. I think some of the themes it explores — dealing with grief and loss, learning to move on, and finding your place in the world — are universally applicable, regardless of age. So, I really do think this book will have a little bit of something for everyone.
Now, Aiko’s Dive is your first novel, though it’s obviously not the first thing you’ve written; we talked about “The Octavius Job.” Are there any writers, or specific stories, that had a big influence on Aiko’s Dive but not on anything else you’ve written, and especially not “The Octavius Job”?
I can’t think of any writers or stories that had an influence on just Aiko’s Dive. But more broadly, I’d like to mention C.J. Cherryh. Specifically, The Faded Sun Trilogy. I read it multiple times growing up, and it really has been an inspiration for the kinds of stories I want to tell.
What about non-literary influences; was Aiko’s Dive influenced by any movies, TV shows, or games?
As I mentioned above, Star Wars, Alien, and Leviathan were all big influences on Aiko’s Dive.
And what about your dog, Leeloo? How did your dog influence Aiko’s Dive?
My dog didn’t influence Aiko’s Dive directly, but provided plenty of moral support throughout. She’s an amazing all black miniature schnauzer, and her full legal name is Leeloo Dallas Multipass, though we only call her Leeloo.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention my cats, Anastacia and Bagheera, both of whom passed during the final push to publication. Working on the book, which has a pretty significant theme of dealing with grief and moving on, really helped with losing them both within only a few months of one another. And it’s the reason the book is dedicated to them.
Leeloo, Anastacia, Bagheera
As we’ve been discussing, Aiko’s Dive is a prequel to your short story “The Octavius Job.” Do you have plans to write more stories about Aiko and Fletcher, either as novels or short stories?
Yes. In fact, I’m in the process of writing the sequel right now.
So, what can you tell us about this series?
The series will only consist of two books and doesn’t have an overarching name. I guess you could say, unofficially, it will be the Aiko Duology.
When I initially wrote Aiko’s Dive, I always had an idea for a sequel. But just the one. For reasons I can’t say, because I don’t want to spoil anything. The general idea is that the events of Aiko’s Dive take place, which cause ripples in the background that the sequel addresses and resolves.
Although, I suppose I could write more stories about Aiko and Fletcher after that. Never say never, right?
Also, do you know yet what the other books will be called and when they’ll be out?
The tentative title for the sequel is Aiko’s Choice (in fact, that’s always been the intended name for the sequel).
As for when it’s coming out, the unsatisfying answer is “when it’s done.” I can say that I’m almost a third of the way through the first draft of the manuscript. After that, it’ll have to go through my critique partners, more edits, then beta readers before I send it over to Vulpine Press. Then, I’ll work very closely with my editor to make sure it’s up to snuff ahead of sending it out into the world. The whole process is really involved, but it’s worth it. I mean, take a look at how great Aiko’s Dive looks. The words inside are great, too. I want the sequel to be even better, so I’m not going to rush anything.
When people hear that Aiko’s Dive is the first book of a duology, some people will decide to wait until Aiko’s Choice comes out before reading Dive, and some of them will also decide to read them back-to-back. But is there any reason why you think people shouldn’t wait? Or that they should but then not binge them? Or that they should wait and binge?
The great thing about Aiko’s Dive is that I wrote it with a mind that I might never have the opportunity to write the sequel. So, anyone interested in the book can dive right in (sorry, not sorry) and be satisfied with the ending. For the people who want more, and those really detail oriented readers that noticed I left a few minor threads unresolved, the sequel will scratch that itch. I don’t see a need to wait for both books before reading, and I hope that everyone who reads Aiko’s Dive loves it enough to read it again ahead of the sequel’s release.
Also, is “The Octavius Job” included in Aiko‘s Dive, as like an extra, or are you going to include it in Aiko‘s Choice?
Honestly, I never considered including “The Octavius Job” with Aiko’s Dive. Which I think worked out, since I’m in the process of writing the sequel.
That said, it might not be a bad idea to include the story at the end of Aiko’s Choice, especially since I don’t currently have any plans for additional books in the series.
I asked earlier if Aiko’s Dive was influenced by any movies, TV shows, or games. But to flip things around, do you think Aiko’s Dive could work as a movie, a show, or a game?
I think Aiko’s Dive would make a great movie. It’s a lean enough story that I think everything could fit into a typical run time with minimal cuts.
I’d also love to see it as a limited series. Maybe four episodes long for that extra little bit of detail.
And if someone wanted to make Aiko’s Dive into a movie or TV show, who would you want them to cast as Aiko and Fletcher?
I’m not really sure who I’d want to play Aiko, but Fletcher would 100% have to be Idris Elba [Luther]. He’s one of my favorite actors (still hoping they’ll pick him to be the next Bond), and there’s typically a part in every single one of my books for him. Just in case they’re ever turned into movies or shows and he wants to be involved.
So, is there anything else someone might need to know about Aiko’s Dive?
In the past, I’ve heard science fiction described as impenetrable or intimidating. With Aiko’s Dive, I’ve really endeavored to write a piece of science fiction that’s accessible to everyone. I love the genre, space opera especially, and I want everyone to be able to enjoy it as much as I do. So, my hope is that readers who have thought about trying science fiction but don’t know where to start will be able to pick up Aiko’s Dive and find it easy to read with an engaging story that makes sense.
Finally, if someone enjoys Aiko’s Dive, what YA sci-fi novel or novella of someone else’s would you suggest they check out while waiting for Aiko’s Choice to come out?
I really enjoyed both The Martian and Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. They’re both written in first person with a style that I’d describe as down to earth (even though both of those novels are out of this world). I suggest those two books to everyone, because I think they can be enjoyed by everyone.
