Usually when someone writes a novel involving a superhero, they’ve been influenced by the superheroes we all know and love: Superman, Spider-Man, and their super friends. Larger larger-than-life characters who use their superpowers for good.
But in the following email interview about his near-future science fiction superhero novel Checkmate (paperback, Kindle), author Ty Drago says his inspiration was not a powerful, larger-than-life hero with a big, cinematic history, but a smaller, more down-to-Earth character who predates them all.
To start, what is Checkmate about, and what kind of a world is it set in?
Checkmate is “near future” science fiction, in that it takes place just 20 years from now.
In that America, a New Jersey-based tech firm called Cufflink has become one of the most successful companies in the world, having introduced The Cuff, a smartphone-like device worn on the wrist that uses the wearer’s DNA to biometrically encrypt all data, communications, photos, etc. The technology has revolutionized digital privacy and is worn by everyone, including the President of the United States. This is a world in which the security of one’s personal information is taken for granted.
And it’s in this world that we find Checkmate, the hero of our story. Or superhero, as the case may be. So, what are Checkmate’s powers, and does that even matter to the story?
Checkmate has no “superpowers,” per se. They’re a brilliant vigilante who uses disguise and guile to investigate and expose corrupt politicians in New Jersey’s state government. No one has ever seen their true face or heard their true voice. They are an enigma, one that is hunted by authorities while at the same time hailed as a hero by the press. They target the people that the law can’t touch, and the Powers-That-Be are growing very tired of their crusade.
Where did you get the idea for Checkmate?
Checkmate is a near-future retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy, originally published in 1905. It tells the tale of a mysterious hero who rescues aristocrats from the guillotine during the French Reign of Terror. It’s a novel I’ve loved since childhood, in no small part because the Scarlett Pimpernel is not Batman. He doesn’t beat up criminals. Instead, he uses trickery and deception to accomplish his ends. That’s what I wanted Checkmate to be.
So, why is it set in Trenton, New Jersey? I mean, the food at JoJo’s Steakhouse was bad enough to make anyone into a supervillain, but that place has been closed for years, so…
I’m a Jersey boy, born and raised. I could have put Checkmate in Washington, D.C. In fact, I still might. But for these books, I wanted a smaller, more local scope.
Sadly Trenton, and New Jersey as a whole, have reputations for corruption which may or may not have been justly earned. Checkmate, also Jersey-born, wants to clean up their state, and does so in a unique and, I hope, entertaining style.
As you said, Checkmate is a near-future sci-fi story, and a superhero story, but it sounds like there might be more to it…
Checkmate mixes questions about digital privacy with those of gender identity. My heroine, rookie journalist Cheryl Walker, is drawn into Checkmate’s world. Though her eyes, we experience the vigilante’s incredible mastery of disguise, strong moral compass, sharp wit, and fierce determination to do the right thing.
At the same time, Cheryl is aided by her roommate, the bohemian Sam Reshevsky. Sam is gender fluid, waking up some mornings as Samual and others as Samantha, a fact which comes into play again and again throughout the story.
As things progress, Cheryl and Sam find themselves placed at greater and greater risk, as the corrupt powers that control the state government focus on her as the means to finally trap and kill the vigilante.
Checkmate is your eleventh novel, with three more in the works. Are there any writers who had a big influence on Checkmate but not on anything else you’ve written?
I write in a wide variety of genres from horror to historical fiction and, as such, I have favorite authors in each. I love Brandon Sanderson, Joe Hill, Ken Follet, Jonathan Maberry, and many others.
But, in this case, I have to go back to Baroness Orczy. Checkmate is my version of her hero Percy Blakeney, a mysterious, brilliant rogue and the first “secret identity” ever to appear in western fiction.
What about comic books; was the character or the story influenced by any specific comic books or series?
Not for this one, no.
How about such non-literary influences as movies, TV shows, or games? Did any of those things have a big influence on Checkmate?
The game of chess is a big theme in Checkmate (as the name of the titular character might imply). My father was a master of the game and a state chess champion who taught it to me from a young age. The chess theme runs through the novel, often popping up in unexpected places. I won’t say more than that.
And what about your, and I’m quoting your author bio here, “needy dog, and three goofy hens.” How did they influence Checkmate?
Our pit bull Rosie, and our hens Pippin, Bonnie, and Chickie, are sources of pleasure and peace and do wonders to help me relax between bouts with the muses. But, as a rule, they offer little in the way editorial advice.
Rosie, Pippin, Bonnie, Chickie
Now, in comic books, movies, and on TV, superhero stories are usually not one and done. But since Checkmate isn’t the hero of Checkmate, I’m curious: Is Checkmate a stand-alone novel or the start of a series?
Checkmate is a duology. The second half of the story, Checkmate: Endgame, will likely come out in 2025.
That said, the story has hooks that would allow for a sequel. Whether or not such a sequel is ever written remains to be seen. Right now, I have a lot of projects that I’m working on.
Now, Hollywood hates superheroes almost as much as they hate love stories, gratuitous female nudity, and liberal causes. But do you think Checkmate could work as a movie or TV show?
I think Checkmate would make a marvelous movie. It’s fun, cinematic, and the titular character is wholly unique in pop culture. TV could work as well, I suppose. But I’m always a little leery about the story being stretched into even a limited series. They sometimes tend to water down or otherwise misuse the plot. I’ve seen it happen more than few times over the years.
And if someone wanted to make Checkmate into a movie, who would you want them to cast as Checkmate, Cheryl, Sam, and the other main characters?
That’s a tricky one. I could see Dakota Fanning [The Watchers] playing Cheryl. But Sam’s more complicated, given their gentle fluidity. As for Checkmate…well, I’m not saying.
Finally, if someone enjoys Checkmate, what superhero novel or novella of someone else’s would you recommend they check out?
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy. It’s a classic.
