While it sometimes seems pop stars like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift can do anything they set their mind to, I’m not sure, if push came to shove, that they’d be able to save us from an alien invasion.
But I’m happy to be proven wrong. Especially in book form.
Which brings me to Alex White’s new science fiction space opera novel Ardent Violet And The Infinite Eye (paperback, Kindle), in which one of the main characters trying save humanity from aliens is an ultra-glam enby pop star.
In the following email interview, White talks about who, and what, inspired and influenced this novel, the second book in The Starmetal Symphony Trilogy after 2022’s August Kitko And The Mechas From Space,
Photo Credit: Renee White
For people who didn’t read the first book, August Kitko And The Mechas From Space, or the interview we did about it, what happened in that novel and when and where did it take place?
Swarms of AI robots emerged from deep space, gobbling up all of the colonies, and, more importantly, the colonists, using their memories as training data to attack other humans. At the nexus of these swarms were the Vanguards, massive beings of incredible computational and physical power.
The first book opens five minutes before the destruction of Earth, in the mid-2600s. The Vanguard known as Juliette arrives to kill everyone, but another Vanguard, Greymalkin, shows up, grabs a hapless jazz pianist (August Kitko), and merges with him to fight back. Ardent Violet, Gus’ pop star joyfriend, is suitably impressed, and his role as humanity’s reluctant savior takes their relationship into a new direction.
Together, Gus and Greymalkin meet other colonial survivors, two Vanguard Conduits named Nisha and Hjalmar. Ardent gets a Vanguard of their own, and the unlikely quartet squares off against Infinite.
And then for people who did read August Kitko And The Mechas From Space, and thus can ignore me writing SPOILER ALERT, what happens in Ardent Violet And The Infinite Eye, and when and where does it take place in relation to August?
The second book opens five seconds after the first, as Greymalkin calls its “allies” into the Sol system. Those friends turn out to be a Coalition of aliens, intent on preserving organic life in the face of machine destruction.
The second book contains a ton of action, but a significant amount of diplomacy as Ardent, Gus, Nisha, and Hjalmar struggle with their new alien friends.
When it relation to writing August Kitko And The Mechas From Space did you come up with the plot for Ardent Violet And The Infinite Eye, and what inspired it?
I’ve always generally known what the books were about, but it really solidified as I finished the first one. I’m kind of obsessed with the idea of writing a setting that progressively improves over the series. It functioned as a bit of a safe haven for me, through the pandemic and now through the continuing rise of American fascism.
At the same time, I’m dealing with the very real consequences of aging and the destruction of things I hold dear. I’m watching the right try to rip away my identity and safety. This book series is about the inevitable loss of everything that defines you, and how we can find joy in a tragic framework.
In this novel, Ardent Violet is an ultra-glam enby pop star. Why did you decide to make them a pop singer as opposed to a rock god or some other kind of singer? I mean sure, this wouldn’t really work with a crooner or a country music singer, but opera people can be pretty over-the-top…
Well, as you know, the other musicians’ styles are jazz, bhangra, and math metal, so every style “works.” I could easily see rap and country as part of the mix, because I don’t view any genre as inherently superior.
I chose pop, however, because of the depersonalization aspect of the story. When you become a Conduit to a Vanguard, suddenly every major government and human being feels like they own you. As a pop idol, Ardent has already experienced a lot of that, and can act as a diplomatic guide to the others. Everyone already had an opinion on them before they were a Conduit.
So, in deciding how Ardent Violet would be portrayed, did you look to any real life glam pop singers for inspiration?
Oh, absolutely. There’s a large helping of Bowie in there, but there’s also Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift exerting some influence. I wanted the fuck off attitude of some of my favorite rockers, tempered with the stylistic influences of my favorite EDM singers.
And of course, the concerts are pure Sharon Apple.
August Kitko And The Mechas From Space was a sci-fi space opera story. Is Ardent Violet And The Infinite Eye one as well?
My stories borrow widely, as you know, but Ardent Violet And The Infinite Eye is very much a space opera. Lots of intergalactic jaunts, aliens, and action basically seal the deal.
Obviously, Ardent Violet And The Infinite Eye is not your first novel. Are there any writers, or stories, that had a big influence on Ardent Violet but not on anything else you’ve written, and especially not August Kitko And The Mechas From Space?
I am so influenced by everything that I cannot possibly pin down one or two. Especially for this book!
What about non-literary influences? Was Ardent Violet And The Infinite Eye influenced by any movies, TV shows, or games?
August Kitko had a lot of Macross Plus and Evangelion in its DNA. This one has Moana. No, I am not kidding.
Now, in the interview we did about August Kitko And The Mechas From Space, we discussed how it was the first book in The Starmetal Symphony Trilogy. Is that still the plan?
That’s still the plan!
Cool. And do you know yet what the third book will be called or when it will be out?
I do not.
So, is there anything else a prospective reader might need to know about Ardent Violet And The Infinite Eye or The Starmetal Symphony Trilogy?
I think it often gets shelved as an LGBTQIA+ book, but I want everyone to know that it’s for everyone. I’m proud of my queer characters, and I don’t apologize for them, but this story is about being human. If you’re looking for a book that will make you laugh right before punching you in the guts, this is the one.
Finally, if someone enjoys Ardent Violet And The Infinite Eye, and they’ve also read August Kitko And The Mechas From Space, which of your other books would you suggest they check out while waiting for the last book of The Starmetal Symphony Trilogy to come out?
I strongly recommend my Salvagers trilogy, which has a similar vibe but wholly different plot, characters, etc. If you want another space adventure, I’ve got you covered.
