By calling it Space Brooms!, and by having it start on a space station that references Kurt Vonnegut, author A.G. Rodriquez is making it very clear that his new science fiction novel is deadly serious, maybe even academic.
And if you believe that, I have a bridge on Mars you might be interested in…cheap.
In the following email interview about Space Brooms! (paperback, Kindle, audiobook), Rodriquez talks about what inspired and influenced this humorous sci-fi story, as well as how laughable it actually gets (hint: very).
To begin, what is Space Brooms! about, and when and where is it set?
Space Brooms! follows the story of the down-on-his-luck custodian, Johnny Gomez. He lives aboard a space station just inside the heliosphere of our solar system some seven hundred years in the future. He is always dreaming of adventure. In fact, it’s the reason he first moved there. Only, he found himself stuck in a dead in job as a janitor, or space broom.
During a routine cleaning of a zero-g restroom, Johnny discovers a small data chit that catapults him into a solar system wide man hunt involving alien crime syndicates, mercenary organizations, and small-time gangs. He teams up with a pair of smugglers, a beautiful stranger, and his best friend Rygar, an augmented / cybernetic individual. So, he finally gets his adventure, but not in any way how he expected.
Where did you get the idea for Space Brooms!, and how different is the finished story from what you originally conceived?
The idea for Space Brooms! started back in 2017 or so as a desire to write a sweeping epic space opera. Huge space battles. Political intrigue. Heavy on the science. Think Hyperion by Dan Simmons, Dune by Frank Herbert, things of that nature.
But after years of trying to write something compelling, I realized that I needed to be true to who I am. And who I am is Puerto Rican and somewhat of a clown. So, I decided to make my lead character a Boricua and to make the story more like my favorite aspects of sci-fi: the camp. I drew on all the goofiest elements of Star Trek: The Original Series, Doctor Who, Red Dwarf, Futurama, and The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy.
So, is there a reason you predominately set Space Brooms! on a space station as opposed to a space ship or a space base?
Well, it starts on a space station, but the adventure takes Johnny and the readers all over our solar system, from the edge of the heliosphere aboard Kilgore Station, to an amusement park on the moons of Saturn, to a spaceship refueling station just outside the asteroid belt, all the way to Earth’s moon. I wanted it to still have that sort of epic feel, but without all the high stakes of “the universe depends on this mission” that we usually get in sci-fi.
Plus, the system jaunting action allowed me to toy around with world building, which I absolutely love to do.
Space Brooms! is obviously a science fiction story. But calling it Space Brooms! makes me think this story may also be humorous. And naming the station after something from Kurt Vonnegut doesn’t hurt. So, is Space Brooms! humorous?
Catching the Vonnegut reference makes me really happy. I wish I could write satirical, absurdist fiction like him. And if you’re a fan of comedic sci-fi, the title is a nod to the classic Mel Brooks film Spaceballs!
But, yeah, this is one hundred percent meant to be a tongue-in-cheek, completely ridiculous tale, like roll your eyes, groan, maybe awkwardly look away, but ultimately just a laughable tale. It’s my love letter to all the sci-fi I grew up with and nerded out over.
I wanted the silly, punch-line driven humor of Hitchhiker’s Guide. My margin notes to myself had the statement, “Make this scene more absurd,” at the end of almost every chapter. I took the approach of the writers of the film Airplane! for that, the idea of taking the joke just one step farther. But I also wanted the silliness to come from subverting the expectations of Johnny’s situation.
Honestly, I think it was best approach because I didn’t want something too serious. I wanted it to be a comedy of errors, just a bunch of people making stupid decisions and having to deal with all their dumb decisions by making even dumber actions. I would love to write a Vonnegut-esque sci-fi, but I am nowhere near as smart or clever as that man. I mean, the comedy in Space Brooms! is juvenile by comparison.
You kind of already answered this, but what writers do you feel had the biggest influence on the humor in Space Brooms!?
You’ve already mentioned my big two. First and foremost, Douglas Adams. I still remember the first time I read The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy and the feeling of awe that you could write a goofy sci-fi story. In fact, when I first sent Space Brooms! out for people to read, I secretly hoped they would tell me, “Oh, you were influenced by Douglas Adams, weren’t you?” And when one person did say that, completely unprompted, I knew I had something good on my hands.
Second, Kurt Vonnegut. Now, I know there’s no comparison between my writing and his, but I always loved how he could make everything absurd. Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat’s Cradle, The Sirens Of Titan, each one of those books had moments where I laughed out loud at the absurdity. I still want to get a tattoo of a Tralfamadorian.
And you kind of answered this as well, but what non-literary things influenced Space Brooms!?
Futurama. Hands down. It is my absolute favorite TV show, and I think a lot of the situational, abstract craziness in Space Brooms! comes from my love it. And Johnny has a lot of Phillip J. Fry in him: the cluelessness, the good-natured stupidity, the monotonous career, things like that.
Cowboy Bebop also played a big role, but more for the aesthetic feel of it, the sort of lawless space age drama. Hooper, one of the smuggler’s that Johnny teams up with, was modelled after Spike Spiegel, his casual confidence, his devil-may-care attitude.
And we’ve talked about some of the other cinematic influences: Airplane! and Spaceballs! for example. I think Monty Python And The Holy Grail has influenced my entire life, not just my writing, not just Space Brooms!
Mass Effect influenced my ability to visualize some elements of Space Brooms! as did Star Trek: TNG, The Expanse, Stargate: SG-1, Doctor Who. They all influenced Space Brooms!.
There was also this really old, now defunct, sci-fi game called Ascendancy that I played almost religiously with a childhood best friend of mine that lives rent free in my head.
On the flipside of that, do you think Space Brooms! could work as a movie, TV show, or game?
I would absolutely love to see it as a movie or show. My kneejerk reaction is to say it would work better as a show. You could really spend a lot of time developing the relationships between the crew (Johnny, Lisette, Hooper, and Leilani). And there are a lot of fun locations that could be created and explored.
But then again, I thought the Hitchhiker’s Guide movie did a great job of giving all the high points of the book in a raucous, enjoyable way. So honestly, either would do. I’d just absolutely floored if someone wanted to make it into either.
My only hope would be that whichever medium, it involved a ton of practical effects as much as CGI. There’s something about a good alien make-up or extravagant costume that I love. Plus, when CGI looks obsolete, it really looks obsolete. But practical effects can look fun and campy all the time.
And if someone wanted to make Space Brooms! into a show, or a movie, who would you want them to cast as Johnny, Lisette, and the other main characters?
I’ve often thought about it, but it’s hard for me to land on the perfect cast for it. I think the only one I know for sure is to have someone like Harvey Guillen, of What We Do In The Shadows, play Johnny. He’s just such a good dry, comedic actor and his energy feels very Johnny Gomez to me.
I think Stephanie Hsu as Lisette would be amazing. I loved her in Everything, Everywhere, All At Once. I was honestly appalled she didn’t win more awards and receive more praise for her role in that movie.
[Black Panther‘s] Winston Duke would be great as Johnny’s best friend, Rygar. He has such a huge on-screen presence, just like Rygar.
So, is there anything else you think potential readers need to know about Space Brooms!?
Don’t take it too seriously. It’s meant to be silly. And…hopefully, there are more instalments on the way.
Finally, if someone enjoys Space Brooms!, what humorous science fiction novel or novella of someone else’s would you suggest they check out next?
Stringers by Chris Panatier is great fun. The short story “They’re Made Of Meat” by Terry Bisson [available in the short story collection Bears Discover Fire And Other Stories] is a good laugh and has such good world building in such a short read. If you haven’t read The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams, and The Sirens Of Titan and Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, you have got to add them to your list. They were foundational for me.
