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Exclusive Interview: “Zoi” Author Jane Mondrup

 

It’s arrogant to think that we are the only life in the universe. But “life” takes many different forms, and it’s likely that, on some planets, that life will simply be single-celled organisms.

It’s that kind of life at the center of author Jane Mondrup’s hard science fiction / science fantasy novel Zoi (paperback, Kindle). Except that, unlike unicellular organisms found on Earth, the one in her sci-fi story is big enough to give people rides around the galaxy.

In the following email interview, Mondrup talks about what inspired and influenced this sci-fi story — and no, that amoeba episode of Star Trek isn’t one of them.

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Exclusive Interview: “The Afterlife Project” Author Tim Weed

 

Some people have suggested that the only way mankind can survive is if we populate Mars. But with our sun only estimated to last another 5 billion years, moving to a neighboring planet will only delay the inevitable.

In Tim Weed’s science fiction novel The Afterlife Project (paperback, Kindle, audiobook), scientists hope to save humanity by sending someone into the far future. And that’s just part of their plan.

In the following email interview, Weed talks about what inspired and influenced this sci-fi story.

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Exclusive Interview: “Bee Speaker” Author Adrian Tchaikovsky

 

While it may sound like the name of a Paw Patrol-like cartoon about military dogs, Adrian Tchaikovsky’s 2017 novel Dogs Of War was actually a hard science fiction novel in which the military engineers animals into weapons…including, yes, dogs.

With Tchaikovsky now releasing a second sequel to Dogs called Bee Speaker (hardcover, Kindle, audiobook), I spoke to him via email about what inspired and influenced this third book, as well as how it connects to the previous two.

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Exclusive Interview: “Galaxy Grifter” Author A. Zaykova

 

Science fiction is full of lovable rogues, from Star Trek‘s James T. Kirk and Star Wars‘ Han Solo or Firefly‘s Mal Reynolds and the MCU’s Star-Lord.

But in the following email interview, author A. Zaykova says the lovable rogue at the center of her noir sci-fi space opera novel Galaxy Grifter (paperback, Kindle, audiobook) is actually more rogue than lovable. “Levi isn’t based on anyone I personally know,” she says, “and if I did, I’d stay far away from them.”

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Exclusive Interview: “A Study In Black Brew” Author Marie Howalt

 

Author Marie Howalt has written three novels in the science fiction mystery series the Colibri Investigations, and has plans for many more.

But for the moment, Howalt is side stepping things with A Study In Black Brew (paperback, Kindle), a stand-alone side story that actually puts a sci-fi spin on Sherlock Holmes’ first case.

In the following email interview, Howalt discusses what inspired and influenced this story, as well as why they decided to rework one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous novels.

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Exclusive Interview: “The Eye Of The Bedlam Bride” Author Matt Dinniman

 

Five years ago, author Matt Dinniman launched his science fiction / fantasy / LitRPG series Dungeon Crawler Carl when he self-published the titular first novel…and quickly caught the attention of fans of LitRPG stories. Which, in turn, caught the attention of Ace Books, who started reprinting these novels in 2024.

With the sixth book, The Eye Of The Bedlam Bride, newly available from Ace in hardcover — just weeks after reissuing the fourth [The Gate Of The Feral Gods] and fifth [The Butcher’s Masquerade] — I spoke to Dinniman via email to talk about both this series and Bedlam Bride.

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Exclusive Interview: “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Toward The Night” Author James Swallow

 

Fans of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are eagerly awaiting the release of the third season, as well as the announced but not yet filmed fourth.

But for the ones who just can’t wait, they can actually take a trip in time — way, way back to season 2 — with James Swallow’s new novel Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Toward The Night (hardcover, Kindle, audiobook).

In the following email interview, Swallow discusses what inspired and influenced this sci-fi space opera story.

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Exclusive Interview: “Dark Diamond” Author Neal Asher

 

For nearly 25 years British science fiction author Neal Asher has written stories set in a fictional universe he calls Polity.

But while his newest installment Dark Diamond (paperback, Kindle) is the 21st installment of this series, in the following email interview — in which he also discusses what inspired and influenced this new novel — he explains why this story may serve as a good entry point for this sci-fi saga.

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Exclusive Interview: “Twilight Imperium: Voice Of One” Author Tristan Palmgren

 

Having previously written four novels about characters from Marvel Comics, author Tristan Palmgren is now turning their attention to one from a different fictional universe: the science fiction space opera board game Twilight Imperium.

In the following email interview, Palmgren talks about what inspired and influenced the sci-fi space opera spy novel Twilight Imperium: Voice Of One (paperback, Kindle).