In his science fiction novel RJ The Astronaut (paperback, Kindle), writer Jon Turney has a stranded astronaut having a conversation with what may or may not be God.
But as Turney says in the following email interview, RJ The Astronaut is not a faith-based sci-fi story, but a sci-fi story about faith…and why that’s a distinction with a difference.
To start, what is RJ The Astronaut about, and when and where is it set?
So, the plot of my book is a bit complex because there are a couple of different stories unfolding.
First, there’s the ship that malfunctions, leaving RJ stranded in space. Then, there’s the other plot where RJ, being alone in space, ends up having a conversation with either God, the divine, the cosmos, or maybe just his own brain.
Now, as for the setting, it’s obviously in space. RJ’s on a ship that’s been launched to find another planet. And timewise, we’re looking at somewhere in the future. It’s a time when ships can travel great distances much faster than we can now. I didn’t specify a particular time, but it’s definitely set in our future.
Where did you get the idea for RJ The Astronaut?
Well, there’s a long answer and a short one, but I’ll try to meet somewhere in the middle.
There was a time in my life when I used the Bible as a weapon. See, I grew up in a religious family, and I got pretty adept at cherry-picking verses to attack people who didn’t agree with me. Despite being on the liberal side, I found it kind of fun to use the Bible against conservatives.
But then, one year as Lent approached, I realized I’d never really observed it. So, I decided to give up the Bible for Lent. And you know what? During that time, I realized something. I didn’t actually need the Bible. I didn’t feel the urge to pick it up or use it against anyone anymore.
That got me thinking: What would it be like to have a conversation with God, without relying on any holy scriptures? So, that’s the basic idea behind RJ’s story. He’s out there in space, alone on a ship without access to any holy texts, and he ends up having a conversation with some form of the divine or the cosmos.
Is there a significance to RJ being an experienced astronaut, as opposed to an inexperienced one?
Well, in my opinion, the only reason it’s important for RJ to be an experienced astronaut is so he wouldn’t shut down running the whole ship himself. See, if he was inexperienced, he might’ve thrown in the towel and left the ship with everyone else. Or, if he stayed behind, he might not have made it. And on top of that, he might not have been aware enough to reach out to whatever this being is.
RJ The Astronaut sounds like it’s a sci-fi thriller…
You know, I’m not sure I would call it a thriller. It’s definitely science fiction, but it also dives into a lot of theological questions. Plus, it touches on themes like existence, politics, and sexuality. I find it fascinating to use a genre like science fiction to explore these questions and topics. It gives me a bit more freedom to express myself compared to if I were writing a memoir or a theological book. Writing fiction or sci-fi lets me tackle these issues in a way that I think resonates with a broader audience and gives them a chance to ponder the same questions RJ is asking.
Moving on the questions about influences, what writers, or stories, do you see as having the biggest influence on both what you wrote in RJ The Astronaut as well as how you wrote it?
I’d say one of the biggest influences on my writing has been C.S. Lewis, particularly his series The Space Trilogy. I love how that trilogy delves into questions of theology, faith, and the universe.
Other authors who have influenced me include Philip K. Dick and Paul Young, the author of The Shack. I’ve had a few people tell me that they see my book as a blend of C.S. Lewis and Paul Young, and honestly, I take that as a huge compliment. I’m more than happy to have people make that comparison with my writing.
What about non-literary influences; was RJ The Astronaut influenced by any movies, TV shows, or games?
As a huge science-fiction fan, I’m sure there are influences that come from all different mediums like movies, TV shows, and even video games.
When I look back at stuff I enjoyed watching, shows like the original Star Trek, Quantum Leap, and Eureka definitely stand out. And in movies, pretty much all of the Star Trek and Star Wars movies left their mark on me. I was also a huge fan of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, both the book and the movie. And of course, I can’t forget about Doctor Who. I watched it as a kid, the older series, and then as an adult, I got into the newer series as well.
As for video games, they haven’t influenced me as much, but I can see how aspects like character development might have played a role. The ones that stand out for me are the classics like Space Ace and Dragon’s Lair.
And what about your assortment of cherished pets? What influence did they have on RJ The Astronaut?
My wife and I have always had pets around. Right now, we’ve got quite the furry crew. There’s Cooper, our Anatolian Shepherd; Yabut, a pitbull beagle mix; and Kenai, our great Dane lab mix.
And then there are the cats — quite a few of them, actually. We’ve got Maggie, an 18-year-old female Burmese; and Carlos, her male counterpart. There’s also Lynx, our Siamese lynx; Bruno, another male Burmese; and the newest additions: Elora, Zorchi, and Galadriel, our Burmese kittens. Oh, and let’s not forget the four baby kittens my wife’s been raising — they’re only a few weeks old.
Honestly, my animals don’t influence my writing much, but I do find it a bit sad that RJ is all alone in space without any pets. I bet he’d be a lot happier if he had a furry friend along for the ride.
Now, it sounds like RJ The Astronaut is a stand-alone story…
I did write RJ The Astronaut as a stand-alone novel, but you never know, I do have a couple of ideas for sequels to the book. They’re in the early idea stage, so I’m not really comfortable talking about them yet. However, I’ve had conversations with a couple of people, and they both feel like the story I’m thinking about would be an interesting addition to RJ’s story.
My only issue is, I don’t want to write a sequel just for the sake of it. It has to make sense and be a good addition to the original story. So, if I don’t feel like it’s a good fit, I won’t write it.
Earlier I asked if RJ The Astronaut had been influenced by any movies, TV shows, or games. But to flip things around, do you think RJ The Astronaut could work as as a movie, show, or game?
It’s funny you should ask if it could be adapted into a movie. I’ve had a couple of people make the comment that they see it as a movie when they read it, and I feel like it could be made into one.
My only concern would be if someone wanted to try to make it into some kind of faith-based movie. And I wouldn’t want that. I’d want it to be more of a science fiction story that just happens to tackle subjects like theology, faith, doubt, and other topics. I’ve seen really good books that happen to be about faith turned into really bad faith-based movies, and I wouldn’t want to see RJ The Astronaut end up like that.
Okay, then if someone wanted to adapt RJ The Astronaut into a movie, and not a faith-based movie, who would you want them to cast as RJ and the other main characters?
Honestly, if I had to pick an actor to play RJ right now, I’d choose Elliot Page. I think he’s an amazing actor, and I believe he could do justice to the role of RJ in this story. Watching his journey in The Umbrella Academy has been incredible, and I’d love to see him tackle RJ The Astronaut.
So, is there anything else you think people need to know about RJ The Astronaut?
The only other thing I’d like people to know about RJ The Astronaut is that it was an absolute labor of love writing this book. While I’m not completely like RJ the character, some of it is memoir, but at the same time, a lot of it is fictionalized as well.
I hope people come away with the idea that questions are okay, uncertainty is okay, and doubt is okay.
Finally, if someone enjoys RJ The Astronaut, what sci-fi novel or novella that you read of someone else’s, and enjoyed, would you recommend they check out?
Right now, I’m mainly into reading science fiction books by folks from either the BIPOC community, the indigenous community, or the LGBTQIA+ community. Some of the books I’m diving into at the moment include the Binti trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor, The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline, and Future Home Of The Living God by Louise Erdrich. Oh, and pretty much anything by T. J. Klune.
Seriously, these are all fantastic reads, and I highly recommend each and every one of them.
